J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTO: Third degree black belt Ryan Babin lands a kick as yellow belt Brad Becnel tries to block. (Staff photo by J. Edmund Barnes) THIBODEAUX – About 20 students stand in two rows, facing each other. They range from pre-teen white belts to a pair of black belts, one of them wearing the three strips of a third degree black belt. At a command, they move to attack each other. They kick at each other’s chest at the same time, then slide backwards and to the left. They attack again, shouting at each kick. But no kick ever makes contact – these are exercises in control, not power. At the heart of taekwondo, like all martial arts, is control. Taekwondo is a specialized martial art – in it’s purest form there are no weapons, nor any grappling; only punching, kicking and blocking. The sport is known for its acrobatic kicking and spectacular aerial attacks. There aren’t many colleges and universities that field collegiate taekwondo teams. They’re scattered around the country, in places like Berkeley at the University of California, Berkeley, Man-hattan at New York University and Colombia University, and Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. But down Louisiana Highway 1 in Thibodeaux is one of the founding collegiate Taekwondo programs. At Nicholls State University Dr. Edward Lee has been building a remarkable program for the past 27 years. A recent product of this program is Vacherie resident Brad Becnel. Becnel placed second in forms at the Louisiana State Junior-Senior Taekwondo Championships. As a yellow belt with green tips, Becnel is in the first stage of learning the art that is Taekwondo. “It’s not just the fighting, its the philosophy,” said Becnel. “Its not about kicking or punching, its about becoming a better person.” Becnel, a senior studying business management at Nicholls has been training under Master Lee for the past two and a half years. His career goals includes possibly going to law school. His goals towards Taekwondo are more definite – to earn a black belt. “Hopefully I’m going to continue with it all the way,” said Becnel. Dr. Lee has taught generations of students at Nicholls State. Becnel learned about the program through a friend’s father. “I had a friend from Vacherie whose dad was a black belt here. (Bruce Delatte) recommended it,” said Becnel. There are two main forms of competition in Taekwondo: sparring and forms. Forms competition requires that the student memorize a precise series of movements, then perform them in front a panel of judges. The judges might be fellow students, or a group of black belt instructors. But at the State Tournament level, the judges are usually masters with decades of experience behind them. Each movement in the form represents a fighting motion – a block, a punch, or a kick that must strike an exact location on an imaginary opponent. In the first forms that a student learns the combinations are simple. As a student learns more of the art and gets more experience, the forms become complex maneuvers where each step might include an entire series of blocks, feints and strikes. All of this is to prepare a student of sparring, or possibly even actual fighting. The largest international Tae-kwondo organization, the World Taekwondo Federation, along with the United States Taekwondo Union, has set strict rules in accordance to govern participant safety while still having exciting fights. It was because of these regulations that Taekwondo became one of only two martial arts that are competed at the Olympic level. Toward the end of the class, Master Lee has Becnel square off against third degree black belt Ryan Babin. The two wear full pads, including a head and chest protectors, shin and forearm guards, a mouth piece and a cup. They bow to each other, Becnel acknowledging respect to the instructor, while Babin shows the respect that each instructor should give to a student. As they spar against each other, it is readily apparent that Babin could fight a level that Becnel would have trouble matching, let alone exceeding. But the purpose of this is not to see who would win a fight between the two; it is a chance for Becnel to learn from the wealth of experience that Babin has learned on his way to a third degree black belt. Each time Becnel makes an attack, he sees exactly how Babin counters it, either in a block, or in a counterattack. And each time Babin counters, he uses only a fraction of the power that he has available. Babin’s kicks slap against Becnel’s pads, making more noise than generating discomfort. Occasionally, one of Bec-nel’s kicks or punches lands. Babin responds not violently, but with a gentle reminder about a guard let down, or a block that shouldn’t have been missed. Babin even tries a spinning kick or two – a spectacular turning kick that arcs up and around, a kick that hooks a potential knock out blow right at Becnel’s chin. But Babin doesn’t make contact – knocking out Becnel wouldn’t serve any purpose, and would be a gross violation of the trust that the student – teacher relationship is built on. Master Lee said respect is the key to the martial art. “No one is cocky. No one is selfish. Dedication is the purpose of training. To set up a good direction, a proper way.” Master Lee said some martial arts programs concentrate on street fighting, but not his. “Everything is mental. We teach the philosophy and history. (Taekwondo) develops internal coordination, respect for himself, and a humble attitude. “No one is cocky. The most important thing is not physical, it is inside your heart.”