Ultimate
The Current State of Ultimate Frisbee in Gwangju and Korea By David J. Richter Back in early 2012 the Gwangju News published an article titled “Ultimate Frisbee: Gwangju Uprising” by … Read More
Category: Sports and Activities
Area Sports in Review
A monthly overview of local sports teams, featuring area teams each month and brought to you… By Zhang Jiuzhou (Julius) Despite Strong Start, Tigers Face Mid-Season Challenges The Kia Tigers … Read More
Area Sports in Review
A monthly overview of local sports teams, featuring different sports each month and brought to you… By Zhang Juizhou (Julius). Kia Tigers Kick Off Season with Strong Performance The Kia … Read More
Kia Tigers VS Gwangju FC: Which team offers sports fans a bigger bang for the buck?
By William Urbanski Since time immemorial, the Kia Tigers have completely dominated the professional sports scene in Gwangju, and for good reason. For baseball aficionados and casual fans alike, the … Read More
Maruna Jiu-Jitsu: Interview with Coach You Taebin
While BJJ is believed to have originated in 1925 in Japan, it was not until 1999 that it was first brought to Korea by John Frankl, a professor at Seoul’s Yonsei University, who came from the United States as a researcher and brown belt at the time. Nevertheless, it seems it has been just around the last decade that BJJ has been gaining real popularity in Korea, with more opportunities for both locals and foreign visitors to practice the martial art. Our Gwangju News team had the pleasure to talk to the owner and main coach of one of the recently opened gyms in Gwangju, Maruna Jiu-Jitsu.
Finding Community in Gwangju Through Running
“I came across a group called Running Running (러닝러닝) in Suwan (수완) that ran every Tuesday and Thursday night. With hopeful anticipation, I arrived early. Slowly the club members started arriving and welcomed me warmly. They all ran at varying paces, but we started and finished together. The leader invited me to consider running in the upcoming 11th Gwangju Peace and Unification Marathon (제11회 광주평화통일마라톤대회), announcing that they all signed up for the 10-km race. I signed up that night.”
Watching the World Cup in Gwangju
The importance of respect is prevalent in everyday life and shows itself in sports, with Korea’s Son Heung-min being the epitome of good sportsmanship. The same can be said for the majority of Gwangju’s locals who have been following the World Cup.
Hwasun’s Nineteenth Annual Marathon
On the first weekend of November, the county of Hwasun was host to the 19th Annual Dolmen Marathon (제19회 화순 고인돌 마라톤 대회). In addition to being surprisingly well attended, it was one of the most well-organized, exciting, and high-energy race events that I’ve attended in about a decade.