Fighting his way to the top
Student rises to the top of scholastic ladder with help of martial arts
Amanda Marsh
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: News
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"I think my strength is not my intelligence," said Williams, a 27-year-old ETSU student. "My strength is my drive."
This driven attitude, he says, started with lessons from Song's Tae Kwon Do in Clarksville, Tenn.
As a teenager, Williams was engrossed in the body movement, quickness and concentration of Tae Kwon Do, which would later lead him to his decision to become a doctor. Soon after, Williams was competing in martial arts tournaments even before acquiring a black belt at age 15.
No matter his level of determination, before competitions, Williams depends on a touchstone, the $3 necklace his mom bought him when he was 12. "It's a good luck charm," he says. "I won't go unless I have it with me."
Williams, who calls himself a military brat, was born in Fort Benning, Ga., and lived in Germany from ages 2-9. Upon high school graduation, Williams chose to attend Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, but after his first semester, Williams had a 0.8 grade point average and was placed on academic probation.
During this time, Williams was putting much of his focus into Tae Kwon Do. "When I wasn't doing well in school, I was competing a lot in martial arts," said Williams, who also holds a black belt in kickboxing. "I won a national championship in Tae Kwon Do and tried out for the national team in Las Vegas."
Williams competes in full contact point fighting. "You hit your opponents in one of the legal areas and they [officials] stop the fight and award a point," he says. "Then you go back to center and start again."
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