YIC Taekwondo Takes on International Competition

Taekwondo is not like team sports, manager Ann Cheon said, but when it comes to international competition, fighters share the experience.

Four students at the South Diamond Bar Taekwondo studio competed at the U.S. Open Taekwondo Championships from Feb. 17 - 20 in Austin, Texas, sparring against international opponents under the guidance of Master Sven Lorrimer.

Tiffany Khuu, 15 and a student at Diamond Bar High School, placed second in the junior sparring division and Quail Summit Elementary's Karyn Real, 10, brought home gold to the YIC studio in the Poomse, or Forms, division.

Joseph Real, 11 and a student at Quail Summit, placed sixth in a field of 18 competitors in the Poomse division, making him the highest-placing American contestant.

Chaparral Middle School student Zoe Ingram, 12, lost in the first round of sparring competition, but gained experience in her first trip to the international contest.

For Grandmaster Young In Cheon, international competition is nothing new. Cheon was selected as the U.S. Olympic Taekwondo coach in 2000 — the first year Taekwondo was featured as an Olympic event.

"When we became a full medal sport in 2000 and I was selected as the U.S. Olympic coach, I was very honored and it was very humbling," Cheon said. "I was very proud to represent America."

Now, Cheon's daughter Ann and his son Alan work with him at YIC — Ann as manager of the studio and Alan as the studio's head instructor.