Cruz explores orgins of Taekwondo in South Korea
December 8, 2009
If all we know about the martial arts comes from 1970s kung fu films or Chuck Norris in Walker, Texas Ranger, there is much to learn about what it really takes to become a master of taekwondo. Looking at Senior Hazel Cruz walk to her classes, students wouldn’t suspect that just a month ago in Korea, she was spin-kicking wooden boards until they snapped into fragments, fluidly keeping in sync with the intricate movements of her team, and learning from the grandmasters of taekwondo.
On the ten-day Korea Cultural Enrichment Tour that began on October 16, Cruz was lucky to take part in this excursion consisting of tours, elegant dinners with governors and mayors, and comprehensive demonstration clinics at Korean universities.
Although many would consider this a tourist trip, Cruz explained that she was there to train for taekwondo competition. “We trained three different days,” Hazel said. “Two times we were at the Kiemyung University, and another time at Kukkiwon, which is the place to get your black belt in taekwondo.”
Cruz is a part of an elite taekwondo demonstration team: Team-M. Since 2004, this San Jose team has performed at more than 100 events in the state, country, and around the world. The team was even inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame in 2007, where they were awarded “Taekwondo Demo Team of the Year”.
A demo team is one that performs the art of taekwondo rather than fights competitively. “Mostly, what we do is put on a show of our forms, breaking boards and bricks, and sparring.” Cruz said. All of this is set to dramatic music, and to enhance the “awe” factor, they are sometimes blindfolded while flip-kicking a board, those holding the board often standing on a chair or sitting on the shoulders of another teammate for elevation.
Cruz and her team trained rigorously during their stay in Korea. She explained the numerous kicking and sparring drills they would do, the running, the pushups, and the core workouts.
Most significant of these training techniques is the poomsae which is Korean for “forms”. “When we do that, we break down our forms and movements until our muscles remember them,” Cruz said.
The team demoed two times: once in a local tournament in Suwon, South Korea and once at Kiemyung University in Daegu, South Korea. She wasn’t doing all of this for nothing either. “Just in those ten days alone, I got so many awards and free promotion stuff,” Cruz said. “I got magazines, posters, certificates for training at Kukkiwon, and a very special award presented by Grandmaster Lee for being a part of a poomsae seminar at Kiemyung. He’s the only taekwondo grandmaster who can use the Olympic seal on certificates.”
Training with Grandmaster Kyu-Hyung Lee was a highlight for Cruz. Grandmaster Lee impressed the team with his speed and agility during drills and lectured them on the ideology behind taekwondo and its purpose. “He told us about his disappointment in most studios’ emphasis on only sparring and how they forget the importance of poomsae or form. He taught us how taekwondo is more than just sparring; taekwondo is an art form with deep roots that need to be understood in order to improve ourselves as martial artists,” Cruz said.
Since the 2nd grade, Cruz has been practicing taekwondo. She is currently a black belt and team leader. The first time performing with the team was at the U.S. Nationals in San Jose in 2007. “I remember being really nervous and worried that I wouldn’t perform well,” Cruz said, “but I ended up doing fine, breaking my boards and all.”
Even her friends can’t help but to notice her pursuits. “ I think its cool how Hazel has something that not just anyone would do,” senior Kristina Nguyen said.
Culturally, the trip was stimulating as Cruz and her team toured the Korean peninsula and visited places such as Muju, which is the region selected for the construction of the new taekwondo park facility and known for being far removed from city life. “The trip has given me a good look on Korea itself,” Cruz said. “It’s such a culturally strong place, and this really reflects on taekwondo.”
While most people will only be able to watch the martial arts through movies and television, Cruz will continue to live these dreams out, and the trip has only reinsured her martial arts journey. “Taekwondo impacts every area of my life,” Cruz said. “For me, it’s something I can’t step away from. It will always be there for the rest of my life, making me a more driven person and shaping my characteristics and the way I think. It’s what defines me.”
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