Unit 4     返回中級閱讀第五冊總表     Unit 6 

Unit 5: John Tries Taekwondo

  John and his friends have been taking Taekwondo classes for many years. It all started after John had watched a couple of old Bruce Lee movies and decided he wanted to learn some form of martial arts. 

The martial arts obsessed boy then convinced a couple of buddies to try out Judo. They went for a few classes, but quickly lost interest. They thought it was too much like wrestling. There just wasn't enough hitting and kicking for their liking.

One day John overheard his Phys Ed teacher talking to someone about Taekwondo. This sparked his interest enough to ask his teacher about it.

“Why don’t you and your friends come and check it out,” was all the teacher said. And the rest is history.

The boys have become very accomplished in the sport (though Taekwondo is not in essence competition-oriented). Trophies and other awards are commonplace whenever the group decides to enter a sparring competition. In many people's eyes, mostly their parents', they are considered Olympic hopefuls.

The accomplishments of the teenage boys have not gone unnoticed by their community, either. It is almost like they have become local celebrities. Often, they are asked to give demonstrations for local events and the boys are always more than happy to oblige.

One such performance was recently given at their high school. It was held during Friday morning’s assembly so that everyone could watch. Students were captivated as John and his fellow Taekwondo classmates, all wearing the traditional white garb, dazzled them with lightning fast round kicks. They “oo”ed and “ah”ed as fists flashed with the speed of a bullet. It was a little bit frightening, but it was done with expert timing.

    The crowd rose to their feet in a thundering cheer as the boys bowed. They had impressed everyone, even the cynics who thought the boys would only put on an amateurish show. If today were any indication, there would be a flood of enrollment at local Taekwondo schools tomorrow. John was happy, too. Not because of the personal attention he was getting, but because he had selflessly promoted his beloved sport.