Watching people dressed in robes at the Rec Center can be amusing.
But don’t laugh too hard. They are members of the Oregon Club Tae Kwon Do team, and they can turn that snicker around faster than you can say Bruce Lee.
Of course, not many people are laughing. The Tae Kwon Do team is growing so much in popularity that the idea has been proposed to have tryouts to represent Oregon in competitive tournaments.
One can learn, practice and craft abilities in tae kwon do within the club team, but competition is reserved for those with the right qualifications.
“You can come work out with no previous experience,” first-year coordinator Samantha Cowan said. “No real experience is necessary to come out to learn and practice. A lot of people really
like that.”
Some members of the team never compete. It may seem smart, because tae kwon do appears to be dangerous, but Cowan said that’s just a common misconception people have.
“Injuries rarely happen,” Cowan said. “The worst injury I have ever seen was a few bruises on someone’s arm. We wear protective gear on the chest, head and shins.
“I probably had more injuries playing high school soccer and track.”
Cowan said the team is starting competition soon.

“The first event of the year is the 29th-annual Northwest Open Martial Arts Championships, being held at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham on Nov. 9,” Cowan said.
Down the road, the team hopes to bring a competition to Oregon, and a tentative seminar is scheduled for March 8 at McArthur Court.
In the meantime, the team is preparing to confirm competitions outside Oregon, because recently, the team hasn’t traveled outside of the state.
“We have tournaments in Washington, one at Stanford and Long Beach State, and they all have really developed tae kwon do teams,” Cowan said. “We are changing things a lot this year.”
Competing in tae kwon do is more open than other sports. Members of respective local clubs can participate as independents against Oregon team members. The age group most commonly represented is 18 to 34 year olds..
Competitions consist of sparring and semi-choreographed routines.
“Competitions are based on form,” Cowan said. “Basically we have what’s like a dance routine, a set series of martial arts techniques with blocks, kicks. Competitors have a sequence that they perform which is then judged.”
For those who don’t know anything about tae kwon do, it is a Korean discipline that has recently become an Olympic sport.
“We emphasize kicks and also incorporate a great deal of self-discipline,” Cowan said. “Tae kwon do is really structured. You learn a lot of leadership, personal growth, self control. Everyone has a great time doing it; it really is a lot of fun.”
Scott Archer is a freelance writer for the Emerald.