Children pick up a lot of things such as mannerisms and interests from their parents. The sport of Taekwondo runs in the Nguyen family. Siblings Derek and Caitlin Nguyen, a senior and sophomore respectively, have been learning the martial art from their father who owns Blue Dragon Taekwondo Academy, a taekwondo school in Milpitas.
According to Blue Dragon Taekwondo Academy’s website, Derek and Caitlin Nguyen are 5th and 4th-degree black belts. The siblings have been learning the sport since they were three or four and competing since they were five or six, they said in a Zoom interview. Having their father as a coach is very helpful, Derek Nguyen said.
“It makes things kind of easier because you always get tips during practice and at home as well,” he said. It can be hard sometimes “because there’s always the feeling that he’s always our teacher, but at the same time he’s our dad; it makes the connection with your teacher closer, so then training is a lot more personal and fun,” he added. “If anything, it [taekwondo] has brought us closer because it has connected us over something we all can do. We also have a brother who is older than us, and he also practices. We practice together, we teach together, so it is a good connection between all of us.”
There are three main events in taekwondo tournaments: forms, breaking, and sparring, he said. According to Derek Nguyen, sparring is the most fun because he can prepare as much as he wants, and every fighter and situation is different, meaning it is a new experience every single time. Forms, which are basic patterns with arms and legs, are his least favorite because of the repetitive motions, he said.
Caitlin agrees with her brother that sparring is the most fun “[although] I’ve competed competitively in forms or poomsae, but you have to really perfect it in order to win whereas, for sparring, it’s more free.”
The siblings have competed in various local, statewide, national, and international tournaments, Derek Nguyen said. He competed at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Virtual Nationals Tournament towards the end of October, where he competed nationally and did forms in front of the camera, he said.
“[At] Canada Open last year, I got gold in sparring,” Caitlin Nguyen said. “[At] Mexico Open, I got silver. [At] Las Vegas Open, I got silver also. There’s also one in Las Vegas that’s a different one, President’s Cup, so in that one, I got third.”
Out of the many competitions and tournaments he attended, Derek Nguyen recalled going to the German and Spanish Open and getting first place for sparring in the Las Vegas Open. International events are fun as they can travel and explore, but there is some fear because of competitors and different fighting styles, he said.
“[I do get nervous before competitions] because you never know how it’s gonna go … but I think it’s important to be nervous so you stay alert,” Derek Nguyen said. “Practicing more and going to a lot of tournaments has made it easier. It [nervousness] is still there, but it becomes easier to control,” he added.
When dealing with a failure at a competition, Caitlin Nguyen said it’s more of an experience as she knows what to work on to do better in upcoming tournaments or competitions. Victories are a reminder that her hard work paid off, she said. While it is normal to be proud of herself after a win, she isn’t overconfident about the victory as she realizes each competition and competitor is different, she added.
Taekwondo goes beyond the competitions and medals as “without it, I wouldn’t be who I am today because it taught me a lot of important things like discipline, respect, integrity, and all those types of principles of character that things in school or other sports I don’t think would personally teach me,” Derek Nguyen said. “[Also], this entire pandemic, all three of us have been teaching the classes as lead instructors. We do it in-person and then also virtually,” he said. “[For in-person classes,] every time a student comes in, we need to make sure they have their mask on, we check their temperature, [and make sure] they’re spaced out more than six feet during practice. [As for online classes,] we also have to log on to Zoom, accept students, and check them in.”
Teaching is fun and a good challenge, Derek Nguyen said. For classes, he has the students practice what he thinks they need to work on, he said. Regarding the downsides, cleaning and unresponsive students are a bit of a challenge, he added.
“For me, a challenge other than those things [is] … for competitions when I had to cut weight,” Caitlin Nguyen said. “Usually, I’d be maybe a pound or so over my weight cut-off, so maybe the day before the day of [competition], I’d have to do something to get that pound off.”
Despite the challenges, the most rewarding aspect comes from teaching rather than competitions, as it is gratifying to see the students grow and perform well, the siblings said.
Teaching at Blue Dragon has helped the siblings enhance their skills. “I have trouble speaking in front of crowds and … people, so it [teaching] also helps me with my confidence … even if it’s the same group of people each time,” Caitlin Nguyen said.
Teaching has taught him to look through the eyes of both the teacher and the student as he fixes both his and students’ mistakes, Derek Nguyen said. Most of their practice, which is about three hours every day six to seven days a week, is teaching, he added.
Over the years, the Nguyen siblings have learned to balance taekwondo and school. “School for me is in the morning, and we have classes in the evening, so I just do whatever I can [i.e, homework] in the morning before we go to the studio,” Derek Nguyen said. “[After I] come back from the studio, whatever I didn’t finish, I just finish it.”
Like her brother, Caitlin Nguyen does not slack off and does her homework in class, she said. After coming home from teaching and practice, she spends the rest of the night studying or finishing her work, she added.
As people pursue an activity for a long period of time, they are prone to a slight decrease in interest, but “it is good to see other people train so anytime I’m not feeling motivated, I look at how hard they’re working for what they love, and that encourages me,” Caitlin Nguyen said.
Derek Nguyen doesn’t have an idol per se, but his father, siblings, and students inspire him to learn and become better, he said. His father, the master, influences him quite a bit especially in terms of teaching and setting an example for students, he added.
The siblings also discussed their plans after high school. “Right now, I’m applying for colleges and my intent is majoring in filmmaking,” Derek Nguyen said. “I just think that movies are a fun thing that everyone can enjoy. Also, it can inspire and spread a lot of messages.”
Caitlin Nguyen said she hasn’t decided on a major yet, but she is considering becoming a veterinarian. Despite having specific areas of interest, the siblings would like to continue teaching if they can, and practicing taekwondo, they said.
The siblings also commented on the common misconceptions of taekwondo. “One thing I kinda find annoying is when people mix it up with something else like karate or kung fu. Also, when they say Taekwondo [incorrectly] (pronouncing it Ti-kwan-do instead of Tay-kwan-do),” Derek Nguyen said.
Caitlin Nguyen said she finds it annoying when others know about her playing the sport and assume she can beat someone up or chop a TV in half.
They also offered advice to those who want to and are pursuing the martial art. “It’s a lot about character development. What you do learn from practicing though, it will stick with you throughout life,” Caitlin Nguyen said. “Even if you quit, it’s not just gonna go away.”
“It’s not one of those sports where you can just do it for fun, or go halfway,” Derek Nguyen said. “It’s something you have to commit to, but also if you really want to benefit the most out of it, you have to have the right understanding of why you want to practice. I would say attitude is the most important thing when it comes to training, and also your intentions when you start the sport.”
