THE HOWARD UNIVERSITY TAEKWONDO CLUB, PART 1

Even though I’ve studied the martial arts for decades, I had no idea about the astonishing history of taekwondo at Washington, D.C.’s Howard University, one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States.

- GERRY CHISOLM

I hadn’t heard about its champions and pioneers, and most martial artists outside the TKD community with whom I spoke hadn’t, either.

I decided to rectify this by requesting an interview with Gloria DuBisette, who is known as “Doobie” to her teammates and friends. I found her championship background fascinating, especially because I’d been searching for African-American women who left a mark on the martial arts timeline in America but kept running into cold trails and brick walls.

I managed to find a few images of DuBisette from the 1970s on social media. Further research revealed that she’s taught classes at DC Gentle East Martial Arts in Washington, D.C., since 1975. I reached out in an effort to hear her story. In the conversations that ensued, she frequently used the word “we” when speaking about her experiences, and that’s always a good sign when a mover and shaker acknowledges the contributions of her teammates, I thought.

As DuBisette spoke, she reminded me of a proud matriarch or a family historian who keeps the clan together. It became clear that there was a much larger picture and story here. I learned that she is, in fact, just one of many women (and men) at Howard University who made history. They were gladiators at the collegiate level, martial artists who dominated the nation and went on to help popularize taekwondo. Little has been written about these titans and their collective contributions — men and women whose efforts spanned generations — until now.