Martial Artists

By: Lauren Goodman
Daily Forty-Niner

Power, focus and discipline.

These three words best describe the Shotokan Karate and Tae Kwon Do clubs of Cal State Long Beach, which held a demonstration Thursday on the west terrace of the University Student Union.

"Every semester we hold a demonstration in hopes of getting new recruits to join our club," said senior Davis Vo, a computer science major and Tae Kwon Do Club representative.

About 30 students observed as club members displayed their martial arts abilities.

Among the students was senior Chris Roberts, a comparative literature major, who has been practicing martial arts for 10 years.

"I thought the Tae Kwon Do relied on a lot of flowing momentum," Roberts said. "Shotokan karate seemed like it relied more on strength and power."

"The contrast in styles really gives you an overall of the different styles of martial arts out there," Delange said.

Vo and instructor Jack Yi demonstrated Tae Kwon Do. Yi, 21, is a junior Kinesiology major, and has been teaching Tae Kwon Do at CSULB for three years.

"I've been teaching Tea Kwon Do for nine years now," Yi said. "I'm happy to see that Tae Kwon Do is finally an official Olympic sport this year."

The Shotokan Karate Club consisted of six demonstrators, including CSULB alumna Melinda Garcia.

"When I first came here I was very shy and not very strong, Garcia said. "My karate instructor, Sam Abboud, helped me find my inner strength."