OU TAEKWONDO CLUB TEACH STUDENTS EXERCISE, SELF-DEFENSE
The head of the OU Taekwondo Club said Taekwondo is often confused with karate.
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"When people first start, it can be very awkward. With enough practice, it becomes second nature."--Adrian Simmons, Head of OU Taekwondo Club
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OU students who want to learn to protect themselves through self-defense can look no further than Campus Corner and the OU Taekwondo Club.
Adrian Simmons, head of the club, said students interested in the Korean style of fighting should get involved soon.
"It takes a while to learn," Simmons said. "There are a lot of different kinds of kicks involved. There are six main kicks and each one has three or four different variations."
Taekwondo is often confused with karate, he said. Karate involves a lot more punching than Taekwondo.
Simmons said the toughest part about teaching the self-defense techniques is the flexibility the movements require.
"When most people begin, they aren't exactly kicking the right way," he said. "Then, six months later, they become more flexible and have to go back and learn the kicks the correct way all over again."
Simmons has 10 OU students in his class during the fall and spring semesters.
Seven people, including four OU students, were involved in the club this summer.
The club's classes meet Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, cost $25, and consist of three levels: beginners, intermediate, and advanced.
The advanced level meets at 6 p.m., the intermediate class meets at 7 p.m., and the beginners' class at 8 p.m.
"All the levels begin with stretching out," Simmons said. "And then from there, the beginners' class will do a little practice on the forms."
Some exercises are set patterns in which students have to memorize motions. Others are short drills Simmons makes up.
After drill and patterns, the class works on kicks, hand strikes, and blocks.
The students practice their kicks and punches on pads. They start out with five different types of kicks, two to three different hand strikes, and three blocks.
"Our goal is to get it to where it becomes second nature," Simmons said. "When people first start, it can be very awkward. With enough practice, it becomes second nature."
Taekwondo is a lot of fun, but it takes a lot of work to get people to where they feel comfortable in their abilities, Simmons said.
After practicing on pads, the students learn two self-defense techniques.
They learn to break holds and escape if someone grabs them.
They also learn to engage in one-step sparring, in which they block or dodge punches, then counterstrike by punching or kicking.
The class ends with Simmons bowing to his students and the students returning the bow.
Simmons said Taekwondo is useful to OU students for several reasons.
"First, it's a form of exercise. Second, it teaches a method of self-defense. The third thing is, you no longer fit the profile of a victim. Not only are you more able to defend yourself, you're less likely to need to."
The course meets at 329 White St.
For more information about the OU Taekwondo Club, call Adrian Simmons at 447-6814.