Sitting in their family home, politely describing their journeys, Chris Tran and Alex Tran don’t project an aura of martial arts supremacy.
The brothers laugh easily and patiently describe a sport that is popular in Korea, but obscure to most of their fellow Columbia River High School students.
Their sport is forms taekwondo, the non-contact version of the martial art. It is often called by its Korean name: poomsae.
Competitors are judged on their execution of a series of maneuvers using their limbs in sequences originally designed for one-on-one combat.
In the past year, both Chris Tran and Alex Tran represented the United States at the taekwondo forms world championships. Each time, brother defeated brother at a national event to make earn the international opportunity.
One year ago today at Cairo, Egypt, Chris Tran placed eighth in the junior division (ages 14-18) at the Fourth World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships. Now 17 and a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Columbia River, Chris advanced to the final round of competition at that event, but made two mistakes and finished eighth.
Last month in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, it was Alex who represented the United States in the junior competition. A 16-year old junior in the International Baccalaureate program at Columbia River, Alex placed 11th in the most recent world championships, only three one-hundredths of a point out of eighth place. He advanced to the semifinals, but injured a muscle on his second form of that round.
In 2009, Chris won the national championship for the 14-18 age division by defeating his younger brother. In 2010, the younger brother emerged victorious to earn the slot on the national team for the world championships.
The travel, competing with athletes from more than 50 countries, and performing as thousands of participants and spectators watched, made the representing the United States memorable.
“I was shaking going into the ring,” Alex said. “The moment I went in, I could hear ‘USA! USA!’ The cheering really relaxed me.”
That their talent has taken them abroad to perform at top competitions speaks to the Trans’ skill. That they are self-coached, and also international referees, demonstrates their understanding of the details of an intricate martial art.
And their championship form is perfected in their own home. The brothers train together for about an hour several days a week, and for a couple of hours on Sundays. They use a video camera to communicate with Dure Chang. Chang is a native of Korea who lives and teaches in Anchorage, Alaska. She is a member of the USA Taekwondo national team who has twice placed second at the world forms championships, making the guidance she provides helpful even if it is given electronically.
Despite their quick success, the Trans explain that it will take years of practice to attain an upper-degree black belt reserved for the most accomplished masters of taekwondo. But it is a goal Chris intends to pursue. In the nearer future, he hopes to attend the University of Washington and while in college participate in a competitive taekwondo club. Both Chris and Alex hope to have a career in a medical field.
The Trans were introduced to martial arts as youngsters in Southern California. When the family moved to Vancouver in 2005, they joined a taekwondo school in Hazel Dell and trained under Master S.H. Hong.
The Trans both competed at the Junior Olympics nationals in sparring.
But since 2008 the brothers have been top place-winners at most of the major national and regional forms competitions, so their focus shifted to the non-contact discipline.
“People say, ‘You don’t fight? What else is there in martial arts besides fighting?’ ” Chris said.
His answer: Martial arts are about an individual trying to connect with the world, not about connecting with an opponent’s torso or head, Chris said.
Chris said he still enjoys sparring. Alex prefers the intellectual challenge to sparring. Neither backs away from a challenge — even when that challenge is presented by his brother.
As the two most successful competitors at most of the competitions they enter, Chris Tran and Alex Tran said they enjoy the challenge presented by his brother. Each said he was pleased when his brother was the one who earned the national team slot.
It’s a rare experience for bothers to share, they note. One that helps the brothers Tran feel at home at the highest levels of competition.
