MIT Sport TKD Blog

“Can I go in there please?”

“Can.”

“Ten bucks for this?”

“Cannot.”

Singaporeans don’t say yes or no. They say can/cannot, and when I say can’t they still think I am saying can. I realized both words do sound extremely similar. After much confusion, I too have embraced the can/cannot system here – laaa. They also add a ‘ laa’ at the end of some expressions, I still haven’t figured that one out yet.

In short, I am in Singapore for about three weeks working as part of the MIT-Singapore Alliance on a water quality project. I work at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and live at NUS (National University of Singapore). Do not know why I don’t live at the same place I work, but I actually like the arrangement, because I got to experience both colleges. The universities are very, very impressive. The labs are top-notch, campuses are gorgeous, and the warm weather makes me feel completely at home. I realized even after three years I still feel like a fish out of water with the East Coast clime. I am truly a tropical creature.

I work about ten hours a day and then spend nights and weekend either sightseeing or kicking with the taekwondo teams at NTU and NUS. Tkd can be such a useful tool to cross cultural gaps. I just walked into practice at NTU (thanks to Wenxian’s extremely accurate info), introduced myself and started kicking. The taekwondo culture at NTU is very, very similar to MIT’s. They have a ton of alumni helping out and leading classes, it’s more casual, they have officer announcements after practice, people circle and do cheers. I have been cheering: “NTU, sah, NTU sah, NTU sah, sah sah!” for the last two weeks. Practice usually starts with a voluntary run around the track, and then kicking paddles (they call ‘em handmits!) or gearing up for contact sparring. The black belts seem to trickle in and out, or sit out some drills as they choose to, the color belts do the whole class from start to finish.

Practice can be pretty grueling because of the weather. You sweat off a lot ions and quickly feel dehydrated. Neither the NUS or NTU club practice on mats, which totally killed my feet. I haven’t had such bad blisters since my hard-court karate days back home in Bangladesh. Good times those. I have been practicing a lot spin kicks and other new techniques. Bought new gear here. The hogu is much more expensive here for some reason, but the forearm and shin pads were waaay cheaper. I got smas, a Korean brand, I think. It rocks!

In general, it has been really great experiencing how a different club, a different country approaches taekwondo. I quickly made friends and they took me shopping and to sketchy night places which only a local would know about. Check out the link for pictures.   Wait guys, sorry to disappoint, they are not sketchy pictures, just atypical touristy shots.

http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5441304e4459354d4452384d6a45774f4451794e44513d0d0a&sb=1

Random facts:

I, as in an American tkd trained person, hold the paddle with the weave facing out. That’s how we usually do it at MIT. But everywhere else in the world, they hold it the other way round. I have lost count how many times I have been corrected here.

Don’t roll up pants when no one else around you is the doing it. The NUS coach called me out for that one in front of the whole class.

When I say padachagi, no one knows what I am talking about.

The little shields are called ‘big brother’.

Intra-club dating is a universal phenomenon!!

That’s all from me. I will be here for about five more days and then I am going home to Bangladesh for a few weeks. Can’t wait to see my family!

Another TKD social, em… not much to say, really?
In sum: We went to the aquarium (I got there exactly at 11:30AM!), aquarium-ed until about 3PM?, walked around Boston a bit, got free 7/11 slushies cuz it was indeed 7/11/09, captured the infamous Jack Sparrow, played lots of contact (and my best one EVER = alacrity!! Snix and Tara basically went into making-up-fake-words mode… such as alacrib and alacrust and alacross etc), and had sushi/dinner nearby. Then at 8PM, Tara, Jenny, and I showed up at LSC free movie Finding Nemo to perfectly end the day (though the movie projector wasn’t very high quality and made my head hurt…)

But will load tons of pictures (I tried taking a pic of all the animals we got to see) and yea, you will get comments if you’re lucky?? heh =)

I suppose it also suffices to say that, in answer to my question-of-the-day:
“If you were an aquarium animal, what would you be?”
Tara = Jellyfish Judy = Penguin
Jenny = Otter (except we didn’t see an otter)
Snix = Electric Eel
me (Ty) = Sting Ray, I guess? (–I wasn’t sure what my answer would be when I asked everyone xD haha, but it was definitely the most allusive animal that I was trying to take a good and cool picture all day -.-” I may have gotten one.. maybe… or not -.-” or maybe just lots of different angles of sting ray that weren’t particularly impressive…)
Mary = Tomato frog
Aaron = Octopus (I think? correct me if I’m wrong -.-” heh)

(Mary and Aaron came late, so they went through the aquarium by themselves but had sushi/dinner with us)

Ok, picture time
OH!! Before I get started… be sure to FIND NEMO! GO!

Where are we?? ^^ They say “A picture says a
thousand words”–well, this one says one o.O!! uhhh

So many animals!! Including pink penguins and fuzzy
anachondas… I want a souvenir too!!

We found this machine by the gift shop–apparently
it turns pennies into oval-shaped collector coins =D
for 50 cents… I got one too! Mine has a lobster, octopus,
and crab–and it says “New England Aquarium”
“Boston” on it…Too bad it’s too small to take a
clear picture of… =(

Here’s how it works though… pretty neat!

Just keep swimming swimming swimming just
keep swimming swimming…

Aghh the turtle ducked behind Jenny!

Tara, the mysterious and allusive Jelly…

Snix: That looks taaastyy…

Penguins sitting on fake rock islands… and Judy =)

Baby anachonda in the medical section–hey! That’s
where Christine works ^_____^

STING RAY!!

What are YOU lookin’ at? Never seen a gimongous
fish before??

Sea dragon, rrwoar

How many sea dragons are there? (3)
Two twiggy ones and a really leafy one!!

EEKK!! Doesn’t he remind you of Bruce?

Another sting ray!!

Murtle the turtle. No joke.

Sea Anemone vs Sea Star

Giant octopus… did I say giant? I mean, GIANT

Oooh prettttyyyy

What’s this?

Diver in the great big tank–I forgot what it was
called… but there are 4 sharks in there… just sayin’

Electric eel

Shocking… isn’t it? (I don’t know what’s shocking,
but I just wanted to make a pun… =D)

Sea horse! DO NOT RIDE

Snix holding sea star!

Lots of fishies!!

Sleeping(??) anachonda
ZZzz “Do not desturb, I squeeze”

PIRANHA!! AHHHHH!!

big big big big catfish

What did I say about BIG fish? I really do mean
BIG.

Me + Sting Ray down below… =)

Mr Big Fish: Me grumpy grumps, Life sucks, All you who
look at me shall be grumpy too, I’m here to sadden
your day, Be grumpy like me, GRUMP =(

Oh no! Mr Big Fish! What have you done to Snix!??

Group Picture number one! Hooray!

BOO!

Hehe

Mr Electric Eel: Sorry, did I shock you?

(shhhh I’m hiding, no one can see me…)

Colorful… ooh! I see Dory!

Nemo and Marvin? hehe

I found Nemo!! He’s really small!

Nice penguin pictures =) Hey guys! Don’t tailgate!!

Nom nom time!! Where’s Snix? HAHA just kiddin’
^________^

Doesn’t this remind you of the movie? (III)
Either that or I’m just feeling too lazy to rotate it now…

Arrrr matey!! We have captured the infamous Jack
Sparrow! What’s he doing in Boston?

Mega Group Picture! There’s me and Skoot!

Awww Snix is missing a certain Fat Seal??

A social chair ritual? Is Aaron going too?

Or maybe Mr President was supposed to come too?
Mary looks soakkkeddd!!!

Chow time!

Aaron’s food

Group Picture number three! FOOD!!

Snix’s food

Mary’s food

My food–I’M STARVINGGGG NOM NOM NOM

Group Picture number 4–yaay! FOOD!!
Me want nom!

Haha, meet my new friend Skoot the penguin =)
Fuzzy Lion’s on the left–Han gave him to me ^_______^
And Morey is crashing in my room until Jihye gets
back from Korea =) =)

4th of July with MIT Sport TKD-ers! Woot! Even more awesome!

At the Hatchshell… get off at Red Line MGH T stop and walk for a while…
Hmm, methinks it might actually be around Arlington/Copley? Probably closer to Arlington?

Anyways, a blog of pictures! Woot!
And maybe some comments too if you’re lucky!! =) heh

Lots of people, eh? This is nothing yet…

Dan and Aaron! WOOT! =)
Aaron had to leave early… went to have 4th of July
dinner with Mary and her family.

Snix and Tara, yaaay! Peace?

Food. Food is good.

Mini river thing… don’t know what it is actually.
But yonder runs the great Charles.
(My hs Calc BC teacher, from Boston U actually,
calls the Charles a “cess pool.” Hmm er, it IS kinda nasty…)

Souza got a very free and very red Liberty hat.

Snix looks happy with her freebie too–woot!
Green Liberty hat =D

Eh, but I like my cap… Snix said I had anime hair? eh… -.-”
CAP!! Ze cap iz mucho important!

Group picture number one =D Everyone sure looks spiffy!
Snix–caught in the act of eating dinner!

Lots of people. There were people behind us too.
Yea. Lots of people.

The Herald Trumpeters!! WOOT! Trumpet!!

Group picture number two!! Here’s Jenny to join us!
She had to leave at 11PM though…
What’s this? Snix eating again??

The Boston Pops! Woot!

People. So. Many.

The trumpets trumpet, and the Airforce THUNDERS!!!
Yeah yeah!! (EDIT: Apparently I can’t upload REAL videos??)

Niel Diamond singing Sweet Caroline!!
Buh buh buhh =)
Never heard of him before, but he’s a pretty interesting singer =D

Got more videos but uploading is slow… so I will have to sadly stop here… (EDIT: or rather, I never started at all… this feels like a deja vu moment. This feels like a deja vu moment o.O!!!! WHoaaa!! Deja vu. Very much deja vu.)

And now… the moment you’ve all been waiting for!
LET THE FIREWORKS BEGIN!

Ooohh…. o.O!!

Aahhhh… =D

FIRE!!

Ee’z a violent one o.O!!

This one is nice and cool looking =)

Looks like a lightning storm.
Looks like a painting too, with the interesting difference
between the top edge and the main bright streaks.

What would a storm like this feel like?

EEEEKK o.O!!!!!!

ZZzAAaPp!!

here are some images from this trip so far. travel to serbia via paris; practice during the first two days, poomse competitions day 1 and 2; opening ceremonies.

this morning people got up at 6 am to go get breakfast. i don’t know why they got up at 6 am to get breakfast seeing as how we hung out until 2 am. i didn’t get up, but i didn’t go back to sleep again. for the next hour or so, i laid in bed, and the only thing that could go through my mind was taebek.

today was the first day of competition for taekwondo, and the men’s and women’s individual competitors went. we went to the training arena at 9 am. it was a huge dome with three large rings – probably more than sparring ring size. the middle ring was elevated. we tried to get around the barrier and they gave some sort of excuse for it being for spectators or volunteers but be realistic, the majority of people watching will be the teams. so jason hwang smooth talked his way in – “let us go just for the next two matches, promise.” and he stepped across without even waiting for the woman to shrug dejectedly and let the rest of the US team in to sit directly behind the center ring.

the individual competition was scary. there was a mix of super amazing people and not so super amazing people, but everyone was definitely well prepared. the scoring was somewhat confusing and many countries who we thought would score lower got really high marks. korea got the only 8.0 and above – for both men and women – and even though the women ranged between 7.0 and 7.5 and the men were usually 7.5 to 8.0 the korean girl was the only to get a 8.13.

johnny and carissa didn’t place past the prelims. they divided the 19 men into two groups of 10 and 9, and the women into 12 and 12, and instead of doing a top 16 and then a top 8 for the finals, they just took the top half each time. we didn’t stay for the rest of the poomse so i didn’t get to see the finals, or any forms after taeguk 5 and 6. one girl from russia started doing taeguk 6 when it was supposed to be 5, and that completely screwed her up for the rest of the time.

tonight we’re going to have opening ceremonies. the weather is drab and wet and chilly. it’s like we’re in boston again. it should start at 8 but we have to attend events with the US delegation starting at 4:45. hopefully the pictures will be exciting, since the event, from the inside, will just seem to drag on. but nothing can be worse than the pan ams opening ceremony, so it’ll be fine.

tomorrow (thursday) is the day for pairs and men’s and women’s teams. we are pumped up.

Event: Scooperbowl (Ice cream fest?)

When: Thurs, June 11, 2009

Where: Gov’t Center

What: Ty: 14 scoops of ice cream, vs, Bobby: 8 scoops of ice cream

Hehe

PRIZE: bragging rights YAAAY!!!

BOOYAH I declare VICTORY =) =)

As i write this post I can count three people on my chat list who are cutting weight, and letting the world know of their misery. Adding myself to that list, it is obvious that taekwondo is more than just a hobby. It is a way of life that requires you to have a huge amount of resolve, and sometimes to make some uncomfortable personal sacrifices. To the public, this sport of ours is sometimes mysterious, sometimes awe inspiring, and almost always misunderstood.

Imagine if you were one of the basketball players on the other side of the big red curtain, and for about an hour each day you would be constantly distracted from your game by a rhythmic, thunderous yelling. During the brief waterbreaks you might take a peek around the curtain’s edge to see if there were any spare courts, but you would only see a horde of bare foot, colorfully outfitted people doing things with their feet that no basketball player would imagine doing. And, if you were one of those badminton players in Rockwell watching the beginning of practice, you would probably be struck by how sharp fifty people look, with their kicks and punches and even jumping jacks all completely synchronized. To any outsider, all of these things must be at once mysterious and awe inspiring. But what they don’t really see is how much of it extends into our lives outside of practice. If you chose to stay beyond the PE class, and perhaps even got your green stripe after your first semester as an actual club member, taekwondo becomes an inseparable part of our daily routine. Taekwondo, for those of us in the MIT Sport TKD team, is not just a curious hobby, but a way of life.

I am writing this article as a tribute to those who are now making the ultimate sacrifice for the sport of taekwondo and for the team. Those are the hungry individuals who are seeking enlightenment of their body and mind. If you have ever tried cutting weight, you know that during the week before the tournament, a strange obsession with calories and working out takes ahold of your body. I never understood why we go through this – is it because we are MIT students, and natural masochists? Or is it a different trait as MIT students, or as martial artists, that we can go to such lengths once we are devoted to some cause? Either way I have seen the resolve reflected in the eyes of people who have only one goal in mind – to get under that weight cut-off – whether they are a blackbelt cutting for nationals or a green stripe going all out in order to fight with their C team.

All of this determination will pay off, in the end. The moment that you step off the scale is probably the happiest moment in any tournament day. For me, that moment is as much a victory as any of the actual fights. But true to the sport, victory in both cutting weight and sparring comes as a result of weeks of training, and is not a outcome from the performance of just that one day. As taekwondoists, you will step off the bus and into the gym knowing that you have trained enough to defeat the scale, and to defeat your opponent. Whether you are rewarded with a gold medal or a bagel and gatorade, you know it’s well worth the fight, and more than deserved.

i haven’t been to the career office since my freshman year… and i’ve heard rumors that they aren’t very good (especially with pre-med stuff).

but lo and behold, those rumors hold some string of truth!!  let me tell you about my experience…

i waited patiently to get my resume reviewed because i was applying for consulting companies.  after twenty minutes of waiting, at last i got to meet with someone.  names were exchanged and a hand shake shook.  i told her that i’m an engineering major, but am looking into applying for consulting companies; therefore, i needed help to change my resume.  she asked me when the last time i came to career office; i said my freshman year.  she glanced at the resume and looked at me.  she asked, “and you got jobs with this resume?” appalled, i said, “yeah…. i worked at lockheed and bose.”  wow, what a jerkface.  don’t be surprised that people don’t need career office critique.  actually now that i’ve experience firsthand how they clearly belittle people, i probably won’t ever go back.  so lame.

Tonight, olympic taekwondo started in Beijing.

First, let me say that it looks like fighting at the olympics would be AWESOME. There is one center stage, raised on a pyramid structure, with four corner judges sitting outside the yellow boundaries. The coach sits at the base of the pyramid while the two competitors fight, like gladiators on a pyre.

(from Day Life)

Tonight (rather, starting on Aug 20 at 9 AM Beijing time), the men’s and women’s fin/flyweight divisions fought. Included was American team member Charlotte Craig, the least spotlighted member of the US Olympian team, otherwise known somewhat simplistically as “All in the family.” You hear so much about the Lopezes that sometimes, it’s easy to overlook Charlotte, who also normally trains at a different studio (Jiro in LA, instead of Elite in Texas.)

But I have to say she came out blazing and her kicks were solid. You can see matches at nbcolympics.com, although I’m sure the finals matches will be much more interesting. I guess around this time (3 am) they are going to start the 2nd round of sparring, but I will probably be asleep soon, and will simply read about the results tomorrow.

I hope everyone gets a chance to watch the US team, as well as the other international superstars, fight through their brackets. On one hand, olympic taekwondo is such a high level of competition and is amazing to watch. On the other hand, you can really see that the basics we are learning are all that you need, but simply raised to a very high level of athleticism and experience. As we watched the match between Venezuela and Portugal, Master Sinn and I began to spar and kick hogu in my small studio apartment, trying to imitate the girls with the amazing left leg turning kicks. Yes, even the flyweight girls would beat me down.

The schedule and links to streaming taekwondo:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/taekwondo/index.html

mmm, this is my last week of interning. i can’t wait. as much as i enjoyed working at bose, i really can’t keep up this wacky sleep schedule. sleeping at 11PM is a lot harder than you’d think, especially if your friends sleep much later. i also don’t like having the option of napping during work. sadness.

anyway, onto the real purpose of this blog post. out of spontaneity, i decided to make a video of the mit sport taekwondo girls, specifically the A/B team girls. yes, just for fun maybe it’ll be used for orientation. then girls can see that they can do this kind of hard physical contact sport despite their athleticism.  sorry alum, there were too many girls ~.~ i got really of doing the video by the time i finished all the current members.

check it out:

avi version (~800mb): http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LF4L5YE5
mp4 version (~80mb): http://web.mit.edu/chui/www/sport%20taekwondo/tkdgirls.mp4

i’ll try to upload a wmv and mp4 version on the gallery.  enjoy!