TKU will have a Karatedo player in the national team this semester. Chao Chin, a freshman student in the Dept. of Business Administration, went to Sabah, Malaysia, from Aug. 18 to 25, to join The 9th AKF Asian Junior and Cadet Karatedo Championship, defeating formidable opponents from many countries like India, Iraq, and Korea. He got the bronze medals in both Man’s 55-60 Kg, Age 18-20 category and team competition, winning glory for Taiwan.

Experienced Karatedo players from more than 20 Asian countries participated in the contest. Rivals competed intensely in each game, losing the points once they were incautious. Chao recalled the breathtaking game and said, “My eyes were hurt by the kicking of Iraqi player during the first game of team competition, so I could not see clearly due to my swollen eyes. Fortunately, I stroke back with all my strength in the last ten seconds, kicking the opponent’s face by spin drop kick, and increased the distance between my points and his. Speaking of the individual competition for bronze medal, Chao expressed that he fell behind his rival originally, but he attacked actively in the last three second. Because his competitor who had passive attitude held him maliciously and then lost two points for a foul, Chao finally won the game by getting one point ahead.

Chao has learned Karatedo for six years since he studied in junior high school. “I was deeply attracted by senior players’ cool poses and movements of Karatedo on the stage,” he said. Chao had quite good grades in each game during these years, and he even got the second place of Man’s under 60 Kg in National High School Games for two consecutive years. He was picked as a teenage player of Karatedo in the national team this May. For the contest in Sabah, Chao not only increased his practicing time, but also received training at National Sports Training Center in Tzuo Ying, practicing with our Olympic players. To Chao, winning the bronze medal is a fruitful result coming from hard working.

Although Chao spends a lot of time practicing Karatedo in the studio, he does not neglect his schoolwork. He often goes to the library with school seniors to study, so that he can enter into our Dept. of Business Administration with very good grades this year. Chao shared with us what he has learned in the latest contest: “Foreign Karatedo players not only have quick movement but also attack from both right and left sides, which sometimes is very difficult to resist. Therefore, the training in the later days will focus on my right hand and right leg that are not so nimble.” While Chung-cheng Cup is coming soon, Chao urges himself to keep practicing hard, winning another honor for TKU. ( ~Shu-chun Yen )