Lawrentians Say “Hai!” to Big Red Karate

Three times a week, Lawrentians of all ages participate in Lawrenceville School karate, one of the oldest Tang Soo Do (Korean martial arts) programs in the U.S. without ever leaving campus. “We actually pre-date the World Tang Soo Do Association, which was founded in 1982, by about seven years,” said Karate Instructor Elizabeth “Eli” Montes.

Each session begins with a group warmup, led by Montes, before moving into basic techniques practice and then belt-designated gatherings for level appropriate drills. The belt colors demonstrate progress – ranging from beginner white up to ninth degree black belt for the Grandmaster  – based upon the individual’s physical and mental preparedness as well as proper positioning, balance, coordination, form, speed, power, and reflex in increasingly difficult techniques. Students test at the end of each trimester to progress in rank. 

Montes, now working towards her third-degree black belt, started her Tang Soo Do journey at Lawrenceville in 1997 under the tutelage of retired English teacher Joel Greenberg. “Joel started as a white belt and trained with the students, who had previously invited outside instructors from Trenton,” she recalled. Like Montes, Greenberg worked his way up to black belt and then became the program leader.

While it would seem that the primary goals of martial arts are physical, a huge part, Montes said, is to develop focus, self-discipline, and coping strategies. “It’s also an opportunity for students that don't necessarily see themselves as athletes to actually discover that they can be really strong athletes. It's a venue for people to discover strengths that they didn't know that they had,” she explained.

Praachi Chakraborti ’23 and Tabara Fall ’24 (green and orange belts, respectively) said learning self-defense techniques attracted them to the sport.

Fall said she is now more self-assured in situations where she feels that she might need to protect herself. “All those skills and moves have been instilled in me to the point where it's kind of a reflex and it comes out naturally. That just makes me feel safer and more confident,” she said.

Karate students are never taught to initiate violence, but they do learn how to react to it. “If someone grabs your arm or something, how do you escape from that? What if they push you?” Chakraborti said. “Karate is not intended to be used as a weapon, but if we ever get in that kind of situation, we have all of these skills in our pockets on how to get ourselves out and safe.”

An unexpected benefit, the Lawrentians said, has been the bonds they have formed with their fellow karate students. There is a lot more teamwork than one might expect. For example, when sparring, students not only improve their own skills, but also assist their partner in learning theirs. “We collaborate and help one another. That’s what I love most,” Fall said.

Those bonds are especially important when someone, inevitably, makes accidental contact. “You have to be able to trust your partner enough to understand that it was a mistake,” Chakroborti said. “I feel like it wouldn't really work the same way without these bonds we’ve made with our teammates. What kept me [involved in the sport] is the friendship and the teamwork – that I’ve experienced.”

Montes enjoys seeing her students progress in the martial arts and is “tremendously proud” of the champions the program has produced.  Last year, Rebecca Chou ‘22 and Deyaan Guha ‘22 competed at the World Tang Soo Do National Tournament last October. They medaled in each event in which they participated: Chou won gold in both empty-hand and staff form, and Guha won gold in sparring and empty-hand form, and silver in his staff form. This past summer, Bunn Library Circulation Desk and Outreach Assistant Tyler Durso-Finley ‘13 won silver in his empty-hand form event at the Tang Soo Do World Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Montes has brought home considerable honors herself. At the World Championships, she won bronze in both sparring and weapons form and silver in empty-hand form. At Nationals, she brought home silver in sparring and weapons form and bronze in empty-hand form.

“Tang Soo Do teaches us to accept who we are in the present while also striving to become a better version of ourselves. Not only is this better version physically stronger, faster, and more adept at techniques, but also more focused, self-aware and mentally resilient,” Montes said. “The goal for our students is to develop these skills, not only to use when we train, but also so they can apply them in the world outside the dojang.”

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.