Walking alone at night can be a very uncomfortable experience, especially for women. Instead of letting this fear take over their lives women, as well as men, have learned to defend themselves.

Tae kwon do is a martial art that teaches people to defend themselves and raise their self-esteem at the same time. Many students have found fun and satisfaction in taking tae kwon do at Iowa State.

“I thought it would be interesting to learn the different techniques,” said Cindy Lukitsch, a junior in marketing. “Even after the first day, you learn a lot.”

One of the first things students learn is how to fall, Lukitsch said. Although learning to defend oneself is a reason people take tae kwon do, it is not the only reason.

Marie Fiore, adviser of the Tae Kwon Do Club, said when people decide to take tae kwon do it should not be just to learn how to defend themselves. People should want to learn about the art of tae kwon do also, Fiore said, and the different kinds of techniques used in it.

“Tae kwon do is a great way to help people find themselves,” Fiore said.

Tae kwon do also teaches concentration and coordination which may help with other aspects of students’ lives, she added.

One of the differences between tae kwon do and sports such as basketball and football is that there is more of a discipline and an art form, Fiore said.

“Many women have been brought up to cower from physical pain,” Fiore said.

Students should, of course, not expect to walk into their first class and know how to defend themselves from attackers. After taking tae kwon do for a while, it helps people start to gain a feeling of self-confidence, she said.

“Students may learn a lot about how to fall or hints on how not to hurt themselves,” Fiore said, “but if they were attacked, the reaction they would have would be the usual spontaneous reaction, not one that says, ‘Oh wait, we learned this in class last week.'”

Between 35-40 students are taking classes; most are men, Fiore said. There are two basic classes: one for beginners or white belts, and a second class for colored belts. Classes are held in the Physical Education Building on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30p.m.