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Taekwondo star earns gold at nationals

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Samuel Taylor
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Dover Air Force Base, Del., features warriors of all shapes and sizes: burly, lethally-trained Airmen; agile, ferocious military working dogs; and, recently, 12-year-old girls that can kick a grown man in the face. The latter refers to Team Dover's own Madisyn Puangco, an up-and-coming Taekwondo star who took home the gold medal in sparring at the USA Taekwondo National Championships July 4 in Dallas. Puangco is the daughter of Master Sgt. Francis Puangco of the 436th Contracting Squadron.

Taekwondo is a martial art originating from Korea that emphasizes kicks. It was estimated in 2009 that there were more than 70 million Taekwondo practitioners in at least 190 countries. The USA Taekwondo National Championships, known in Taekwondo circles simply as "Nationals," is regarded by many as Taekwondo's third-highest stage, behind the World Games and the Olympics.

Puangco's accomplishment was punctuated July 21 when she was presented her black belt, putting her among the ranks of only 16 percent of the Taekwondo world - a payoff at the end of a three-year journey.

"I remember watching 'The Karate Kid' and thinking, 'oh wow, that is so cool;' but I realized that the sport was way different than the movies," said Puangco. "It started off as just a hobby when I was nine, but I started going to competitions and taking it seriously. The rest is history."

For building an impressive track-record, Puangco said her martial arts career had a rather dubious beginning. Yet a succession of dedicated instructors put her on the track for success.

"In the beginning, I did not train hard. I did not think I would be where I am now; I thought I would be one of those people who just show up," said Puangco. "When I started working with my instructors more closely, I started to really get better."

One such instructor was Master Shawn Banasan who taught Puangco at Yoon's X-PERT Martial Arts in Elkton, Md. It was with "Master Shawn," as he is known to his students, that Puangco developed an affinity for sparring - a discipline in which she would eventually earn a gold medal.

"I got inspired to start sparring when I saw Master Shawn's competition videos online. When I began sparring with him, I was so nervous; I was getting tired so quick," said Puangco. "It took me about two months before I became comfortable with sparring. I learned to read my opponent and see what they would do next. Now I love it."

During their training, Banasan noticed a quality about Puangco that he says helped her achieve such success.

"She has an intensity about her that is very special. She practices intensely and she focuses intensely; I make a correction once and it is instant improvement," said Banasan. "With every win or loss, Madisyn learned something new that made her more competitive. It was rewarding as an instructor to pass down the lessons I learned to someone who took them and flourished. Down the road I hope her skills will exceed my own."

The intensity paid off. In three years, Puangco's medal count is: 13 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze. Not content to settle down and simply defend her current title, Puangco says her sights are set on the U.S. Open International competition, where she would compete against black-belts from across the globe.

Banasan predicts Puangco going even further. "If she keeps up her training and performance, I see her going to the Olympics."

Though her eyes are on the horizon, Puangco has not forgotten to stop and smell the roses. After every win, she says she is reminded of the opportunity that she has been afforded. "After I win a match, there is a feeling of, 'wow, I've made it. I'm not just regular anymore, I am special.' Nobody in my grade can say that they went to national Taekwondo competition and got first place. It's just so cool."