Athletes from Master Hosuk Oh’s HS Taekwondo school participated in the 2024 Moon Dae Sung Olympic Taekwondo Camp and 2024 World Olympic Taekwondo Championship in Siheung-si, Gyeonggi, South Korea at the end of June.
The event was hosted by 2004 Athens Olympic Games gold medalist Master Moon Dae-Sung, who is also Master Oh’s former Taekwondo master and long-time mentor throughout his career. The event brought together participants from around the globe with students from several countries attending, including Brazil, Colombia, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Kyrgyzstan, Philippines, Romania, Singapore and South Korea, along with students from multiple states. Oh traveled to South Korea with 22 student athletes of his Taekwondo school in Battle Ground. The 22 student athletes combined for 95 medals. The medals are replicas of Master Moon’s Gold Medal he won in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
“We had great memories, and then we had so many get a medal of bronze and the silver and gold,” Master Oh said, adding his school’s demonstration team performed, as well. “They are a high-class level demonstration team, and we combined together, and we demonstrated.”
During the camp portion of the event, students learned skills to help them improve their poomsae — form — and sparring techniques. They also attended seminars on jang bong, a wooden staff used in Korean martial arts, and how to perform a 540-degree kick.
After the tournament concluded on June 30, Oh and his school students went on to sight-see and learn more about the history and origin of taekwondo and also experience South Korean culture from July 1 through July 4.
They visited Taekwondowon at the top of a mountain in Muju, South Korea, the birthplace of taekwondo. It is now the world’s largest taekwondo training facility, with a museum, observatory, gardens and arena.
Janis Lockwood, school manager, said they were lucky enough to stay one night in the Taekwondowon dormitories, toured the facilities and watched a taekwondo demonstration telling the history of the martial art.
They also visited Kukkiwon, the official headquarters of the World Taekwondo Federation, which governs the rules for taekwondo in Olympic competition and sport. The Kukkiwon is also the organization that certifies black belts, masters and Olympic referees, Lockwood said.
Oh brings over 25 years of experience to his taekwondo school in Battle Ground. He is a seventh Dan black belt and former Taekwondo athlete from South Korea. He opened HS Taekwondo in Battle Ground in 2017 offering lessons for kids and adults of all ages and skill levels. To learn more about Master Oh’s HS Taekwondo school in Battle Ground, visit hstaekwondo.com. It is located at 1808 SW Ninth Ave., Suite #101 in Battle Ground, and can be contacted by calling 360-723-0862.
“Our school focus is not on taekwondo skill, not kicking, not punching. It doesn’t matter. We are focused on respect and a good attitude,” Oh said.
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