(U-WIRE) COLLEGE PARK, Md. – When University of Maryland sophomore mechanical engineering major Jeffrey Jenkins stepped into the ring for his first fight at the U.S. Open Taekwondo Championships in March, he faced a familiar opponent.

Opposite Jenkins was a fighter, five years his senior, who was tougher and beat him by a narrow margin of points four years ago.

But instead of being intimidated, seeing his old foe gave Jenkins the adrenaline to “show him what’s up,” Jenkins said.

This time around, Jenkins was bigger, stronger and ready for retribution.

He placed second at the U.S. Open and will represent the university next week at the Collegiate Taekwondo National Championships in Berkeley, Calif.

Winning in Berkeley would let Jenkins try out for the U.S. National Taekwondo Team in Florida. If he makes it, he could travel to the World University Games this August in Turkey.

Fighting at tournaments like the U.S. Open is challenging because all of the fighters are so talented, Jenkins said.

“It takes a lot of work to win. Once you get to an elite level, everyone’s got the skill,” Jenkins said. “It comes down to who has the heart. The last fighter, the last 30 seconds, and you’re down. It’s a gut check. It makes you realize how bad you want it.”

The Collegiate Nationals is one of the best championships to witness knockouts, Jenkins said. Often, contestants from colleges with underdeveloped taekwondo programs are mismatched with more experienced opponents.

“Knocking out is your greatest accomplishment,” Jenkins said.

But it can be dangerous. One of his opponents had to be flown out after a match for reconstructive surgery to repair a shattered jaw.

“It makes you realize you’re a lot more powerful that you think,” Jenkins said. “It’s a sport to me, but it can affect people’s lives.”

Losses, Jenkins said, are equally memorable.

“Anytime I lose I remember who I lose to,” he said. “I want to remember that person because they’re a threat to me from now on. They’ve beat me at my game.”

For Jenkins, his goal of reaching the World University Games would be a step toward gaining national recognition in a sport he has devoted his entire life.

“The Olympics is down the road,” Jenkins said.

Reaching that level would allow Jenkins to be an inspiration for aspiring young athletes, he said.

“Not only are you happy, but kids look up to you because you do so much stuff for yourself,” he said.

Jenkins trains with World Taekwondo Masters in Rockville about five times a week, he said. His workout schedule also includes a 30- to 40-minute run and an hour of weightlifting.

The training schedule can make completing schoolwork a daunting task.

“Definitely it’s hard because you don’t get the special exemptions like you did in high school,” Jenkins said. “You don’t get any breaks, and you still get all the work. You have to be responsible.”

Jenkins is considering switching to business or economics because of the large workload for mechanical engineering majors.

He stopped training for a year to catch up on schoolwork and work with the university’s taekwondo club team. Next year, Jenkins will start the club again with a host of talented athletes and previous champions. He hopes taekwondo will become a varsity sport before he graduates.

“We’re going to travel with the Maryland club team and win everything there is to win, hopefully,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins is a 15-year veteran of taekwondo. He began training at age 4 and a half when his parents bought him a taekwondo videotape so he could train to be like his heroes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

“I remember being 5 years old, watching the martial arts tape, and I would walk up to my dad and bust him in the leg with moves from the tape,” Jenkins said.

Even with all of his experience, fighting an opponent who has been around for fewer years can still be difficult, he said.

“You never want to go into a tournament underestimating anybody,” he said.

Aside from life-long involvement in taekwondo, Jenkins earned 11 varsity letters in high school for golf, wrestling and indoor track.

“People freak out when I tell them I did all this,” he said.

But unlike any other sport he has played, taekwondo offers him the unique experience to be independent from his team.

“It’s great because it’s all individual, but at the same time it’s team,” he said. “Your teammates push you hard to train, but if you lose, it’s all you. There’s no, ‘He didn’t pass me the ball.’ “

Taekwondo, which means “the way of the hand and foot” in Korean, has special meaning for Jenkins and his family. Jenkins’ mother and grandparents, who are from Korea, are especially proud of his achievements in a field that is considered the most important national Korean sport.

“My name is put in the Korean paper. My grandparents love seeing me excel at the Korean National sport,” Jenkins said. “It’s the NBA, MLB and NFL for there. It’s a big honor.”

-By Mariana Minaya