Taekwondo // 33
Taekwondo Taekwondo is a martial art wellknown for kicking, blocks and strikes. Similar to amateur boxing, competitive taekwondo sees athletes fight for points rather than knock-outs, which makes it far less daunting. However, out of the university martial arts we are probably the most competitive.
By Oli mather
ine Jawed produced an incredible first competitive contest in a smart performance where she dominated her opponent 6–1 on points. Continuous free sparring was the format for the remaining fights.
Last year’s Varsity included taekwondo for the first time in its history. Cardiff took on arch-rivals Swansea and managed to secure a solid win that helped the university win the overall Varsity shield and therefore bragging rights for the upcoming year. Not knowing what to expect, both teams arrived at the venue in high spirits and confident of a win. Spectators also arrived in great numbers – about 50 in total – to watch the one ring we had set up. The spectators decked in Swansea green were the most numerous and vocal but were quickly silenced by the initial Cardiff dominance when the patterns event started. Cardiff were able to secure a strong foothold in this event and led 10–1 as it drew to a close. Gareth Davies led the assault with two faultless performances. The spectators’ volume increased two-fold when the sparring began. The first two fights were point stop in an attempt to protect some of our newest female members. Kather-
Due to numbers, some members had to step up twice or were forced to fight higher grades. Every member of the team can be extremely proud of their performances. The experienced trio of Michael Perks, Adam Gaunt and Oli Mather brought home four points for Cardiff between them from some strong performances. Jess Phillips (red tag) showed considerable heart and bravery when facing a blackbelt after only recently returning to taekwondo after a considerable break. In what was a very close fight, Jess was pipped to the post by her opposite number, but it couldn’t have been closer, proving what can be done if you believe in yourself and show indomitable spirit.
The sparring finished 7–7, so after an exhausting day, Cardiff had gained an emphatic victory of 26–8. With spirits high, the club left to watch the Varsity rugby match hosted in the Millennium stadium, only to observe a Cardiff loss, but in what was a highly enjoyable day, it was only scant consolation for the ‘Green Machine’ of Swansea. This year, competitively, has been brilliant. While up in Leeds at the National Universities competition, we had a chance to scope out what Swansea had to offer. They were good, but not good enough. We ranked 2nd overall, one medal behind the home team, Leeds, returning home with 20 medals across all disciplines. Having recently competed at the English open, Cardiff University taekwondo club now ranks 6th in Britain. In addition, our coach has recently promoted to Welsh coach and this means that the Welsh squad comes down regularly to train with the team. Thia has set us perfectly for this year’s Varsity.
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I just want the competition to run smoothly and be lighthearted and fun. Varsity is all about team spirit, and I think this will show.
Emily Batson, Swansea TKD