Not to be taken lightly

Charles Rich

Don’t mess with this quintet. They’ve got the shiny hardware to prove

their strength.

Five taekwondo athletes from the region -- highlighted by four

local residents -- showed their trademark presentation after they

collected a combined seven medals at the 2003 Junior Olympic National

Taekwondo Championships in Orlando, Fla. The event, which ran July

2-6, featured about 5,500 competitors ranging from ages 5-17.

Roma Pasamba, Frances Pasamba, Kevin Fontamillas -- who are

siblings -- and Nicholas Park of Glendale and Viktor Gatdula of Eagle

Rock excelled in forms and sparring. All are students at the

Glendale-based Dae-Myung Martial Arts Academy.

To qualify for the Junior Nationals, a competitor must place in

the top four from their respective state. Each state qualified four

competitors per division.

Roma Pasamba, a 14-year-old student at Hoover High, captured a

pair of gold medals. Pasamba, a green belt, said she began

participating in the Korean martial art about nine months ago.

“Some people perceive me as [being too much of a girl],” Pasamba

said. “I think the sport teaches you life values from physical and

emotional being.

“The competition there was incredible. It felt great winning the

medals because you get that adrenaline going. You can’t ever doubt

yourself.”

Frances Pasamba, a blue belt, earned a gold medal in forms and a

silver in sparring.

The 11-year-old Pasamba said the sparring competition proved to be

difficult.

“You try going out there and get points,” said Pasamba, a

sixth-grader at Holy Family. “I got my competitors to back up and I

could chase them.”

The event served as a milestone for Fontamillas, who brought home

his first medal.

The eight-year-old Fontamillas, who won a silver medal in forms,

said he’ll likely defend his medal next year in Atlanta.

“I was nervous because I might lose,” said the reserved

Fontamillas, a blue belt. “I still have to improve on my stamina,

speed and combination of kicks.”

In sparring competition, there are a pair of one-minute matches

sandwiched around a 30-second break.

Park, who competed in his second Junior Olympic National

Championship in as many years, captured a silver medal in forms. He’s

practiced taekwondo for nearly three years.

“Your nerves go away when you step out on the mat,” said Park, a

blue belt and third-grader at Crestview Preparatory School in La

Canada Flintridge. “You go crazy in sparring. It’s cool because I

wanted to win a medal in sparring.”

The nine-year-old Gatdula, who attends St. Dominic School in Eagle

Rock, netted a bronze medal in sparring.

“I really wanted to win a gold medal, but I can always try again

next year,” said Gatdula, a green belt. “I’d also like to go to the

Olympics someday, and I just want to keep on learning.”

Gatdula might be in luck.

Taekwondo has become a global sport since the foundation of the

World Taekwondo Federation in 1973.

According to WTF President Dr. Un Yong Kim, the sport was

recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1980 and was

staged as a demonstration at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and in

the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

At the 103rd IOC session in Paris in 1994, taekwondo was adopted

as an official sport at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney,

Australia. The sport will also be held at the 2004 and 2008 Summer

Olympics in Athens and Beijing, respectively.

Edison Park, who is an instructor at Dae-Myung Martial Arts

Academy, coached the group in Orlando.

The 32-year-old Park, a Glendale resident, said discipline served

as the key ingredient for his students.

“It’s a journey and a process,” said Park, a fourth-degree black

belt. “It’s very rewarding to see them compete at an early age.

“In taekwondo, you have to bring your talent and motivation

together. You are making a commitment to reach that goal.

“This was a major competition, and by rising to the occasion,

they’ve trained to act upon their impulses and deliver.”