Beverly, Mass. resident Janis C. Rogalski, who attended the tournament to watch her 11-year-old son Raymond compete, said she had no qualms about letting Raymond watch the simulated battle because “the children know that it’s only self-defense.”

Rogalski praised the philosophy of tae kwon do.

“They teach them non-violence, self-control and discipline,” she said.

Thirteen-year-old Carlos E. Rodriguez, from Rancho Santa Marguerita, Calif., called the tournament a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Rodriguez, who has taken tae kwon do for seven years and is a 2nd-dan black belt—the second degree of the highest rank—said he likes the sport because “it’s fun and it keeps me in shape.”

According to the tournament program, tae kwon do is the most popular martial art form in the world and is practiced by more than 20 million people in over 120 countries.

Master Peter H.U. Lee, head instructor for the Harvard taekwondo club and 6th-dan black belt, said he hoped the tournament would bring more attention to the sport.

“Tae kwon do is not as well known as some of the other martial arts,” Lee said. “Most people don’t know it’s an Olympic sport.”

Chris M. Franklin, 21, a 2nd-dan black belt who teaches children at World Class Tiger Kings in North Carolina, said tae kwon do—which means “the way of the hand and foot” in Korean—is about much more than kicks and punches.

“I love everything about tae kwon do,” Franklin said. “It’s a sport, but it’s more like a way of living.”