UCLA Club Sports

On April 14th, UCLA Taekwondo headed to the University Colorado Boulder to compete at the annual NCTA Spring Nationals. Our team consisted of 24 competitors competing in 5 different events.

After three days of tough competition, our team pulled off a historic win. For the first time in UCLA history, our team received first place in the Black Belt Championship category against all other competing schools! Along with this, we have 3 competitors who achieved first place in the Team Trials division. They will be representing Team USA at the FISU World University Games in China this July! 

Let's see what a couple of our team members have to say about their experience competing! One of our interviewees, Derrick Kwak, placed first in the Team Trials division for sparring. Alankrita Ghosh, our second interviewee, placed first in the Blue/Brown Belt division for poomsae. 

How would your describe your experience competing at NCTA Nationals?
Derrick Kwak: "Competing at NCTA Nationals was a lot of fun, especially being able to travel with the UCLA Taekwondo team. Since there were many big universities attending the event, I felt proud to represent UCLA as each school chanted and cheered their hearts out. Although most of my attention was in the ring, my favorite experiences are always being able to travel with my friends as we all take turns to support each other."
Alankrita Ghosh: "Nationals was a wonderful experience! Not only was it exciting as an individual competitor but a bonding experience as part of the Taekwondo team representing UCLA. There was a thrill in winning but also anticipation for learning, growing, and soaring higher for the next nationals!"

What type of training did you do to prepare for nationals?
Derrick Kwak: "In addition to training done at UCLA Club Sport Taekwondo, I frequently trained with a coach throughout the week while doing other cross training to further develop my performance. This means, running, weights, swimming, stretching, and various forms of exercise in addition to my sport specific Taekwondo training. Two months prior to competition day, I made sure to diet accordingly to make my weight division and to put myself in prime physical shape to compete at a national level."
Alankrita Ghosh: "I took notes from last year's competition to assess the national standard for my division, my strengths and my shortcomings. Coming up with ways to improve and actual implementation is largely owed to the ever-supportive assistant coaches at UCLA TKD! They guided me through every step and answered all my questions patiently with specific feedback, all of which helped me drill my form better and unlock more of my potential!"

It was a weekend to remember for our entire team. For some of our members, it was their first time ever competing in a Taekwondo competition. The weekend was filled with team bonding, spirit, and lot's of awards! At the end of the tournament, our team received 8 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals. Great job to everyone!

Competitor Placements: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dt_-CXk57B_zgcNTb3m4-ui9ctE4Uo_Da1G3ZaePBrk/edit?usp=sharing