From first kick to national stage: Ian Yong’s Taewoknodo Rise

By Staff Writers Hamnah Akhtar & Fiona Yang

From his first kick at age seven to performing in front of tens and thousands, senior Ian Yong has carved out an extraordinary path in taekwondo, with his experience spanning the categories of recognized and freestyle poomsae, which is a defined pattern of defense and attack positions, and demonstration, which includes board breaking and acrobatics. From leading the class of 2026 fight scene at Homecoming twice and at Multicultural week performances to competing in state, national, and international-level tournaments, Yong has gained widespread recognition for his abilities as a taekwondo athlete. 

What began with his parents putting him into a class at seven years old became one of the most pivotal parts of his life. Currently, for recognized poomsae, Yong ranks 33rd in the US and has competed twice internationally and six times nationally. Aside from tournaments, he also performs as part of the demonstration team, notably at the 2024 Warriors Halftime show, with 16,000 attendees, and as an opener for the Giants, with 34,000 viewers. Yong finds the greatest fulfillment in taekwondo through the process of improvement and the bonds he’s built along the way.

As the leader of both the Homecoming fight scene and Multicultural taekwondo for the past two years, Yong expresses his passion for the sport in creating dynamic choreographies and working with a team to make the moves come to life. “It’s really exciting to [go] from being unable to do something to throwing a new trick or kicking high,” Yong said. However, his choreographing efforts don’t come without challenges. Many of the taekwondo moves are impressively acrobatic, and the Homecoming Multicultural Committee has concerns for the performers’ safety, restricting the range of moves that can be included. Even so, for this year’s Multicultural week performance, he aims to improve on last year’s and hopes to “demonstrate a whole new level of taekwondo, make the pattern a lot cooler, and break more boards in cooler ways.”

For Yong, competition isn’t just about medals, it’s about growth. Whether training for months or stepping into the ring with the top-ranked athlete in the country, he approaches each match with a mindset focused on learning. Even after defeat, Yong sees value in the experience, believing the lessons outweigh the outcome. “I think that I came out of that match with more than [my competitor] did,” Yong said. To Yong, valuing growth over victory keeps him grounded and driven, as he aims to treat every moment as a chance to evolve. Taekwondo has become a defining passion that shapes Ian’s mindset and goals.