![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
Yielding his bo staff, CHS9 student Rohan Jain moves like a blur, easing from one form to another.
“Relax before you do a move, because that increases your power,” Vanguard Martial Arts taekwondo instructor Dylan Joseph said.
These are the words that guide Jain through countless taekwondo practices and competitions. Participating in the sport for eight years, Jain currently holds a second-degree black belt.
Holding a district championship in three events for the 2024 season, Jain won first place in Creative Weapons, Extreme Weapons and Traditional Weapons, earning him an invitation to attend the American Taekwondo Association World Championship in Phoenix on July 24 where he secured third place for Creative Weapons.
“It’s a giant convention in Phoenix with people from all over the world,” Jain said. “It’s truly international there.”
What is now an integral part of his life used to be an obligation. Jain’s mother, Neetu Jain, enrolled him in taekwondo classes when he was in first grade.
“That was the one thing I let her win,” Jain said. “I was like ‘Sure, if you leave me alone, I’ll go to taekwondo.’”
After the COVID-19 pandemic, however, something clicked for him. After begrudgingly getting his black belt, he saw taekwondo master Trace Megellas compete in a tournament and admired his drive for the sport.
“I saw him compete, and he was amazing,” Jain said. “He trained my instructor [Joseph].”
Megellas and other tournament participants helped Jain feel more positively towards taekwondo.
“For them, it was just any other regional tournament, but they brought so much into it,” Jain said. “I think I truly saw the beauty in taekwondo.”
Within taekwondo, Jain specializes in the creative and extreme martial arts events. Four events fall under CMA and XMA: creative forms, creative weapons, XMA forms and XMA weapons. Specifically, Jain favors creative weapons, his weapon of choice being the bo staff, a traditional martial arts weapon that is traditionally wood. Competitors create their own choreography with a taekwondo focus.
“It’s more fast paced,” Jain said. “It has tricks, stances, strikes and speed.”
Jain’s instructor, Joseph, has 18 world titles. Eight are from the ATA World Championships, and 10 are from The LEAGUE World Martial Arts Championship Series. Joseph has been coaching Jain for more than three years.
“Although you don’t see it, [Joseph] will push you to things you have never known you could do before,” Jain said.
Joseph grew aware of Jain’s dedication for taekwondo when he started training Jain one-on-one and when he started competing.
“He wasn’t necessarily at the level where he was able to get placements that everyone sought after, but he was pushing himself and always thinking he could do more every single day,” Joseph said. “[He was] one of the kids who would stand out over everyone else.”
Creative weapons may be Jain’s specialty, but his versatility in taekwondo is evident to those around him.
“He is a well-rounded martial artist,” Vanguard Martial Arts owner Scott Morrison said. “He has great form and a really good weapon, and none of those things are easy. A lot of people will learn them, but not master them. He is on his way to mastering those things.”
Taekwondo is an individual sport, but Jain exemplifies what it means to be a supportive leader and team player. His presence energizes those around him.
“He goes around and helps other students, and he’s very kind as well,” taekwondo student instructor Khushi Patel said.
Jain cites the support system around him that pushes him to excel in taekwondo.
“My mom was the one pushing me to succeed, my dad drives me across the country for tournaments and [Joseph’s] mother is at every tournament cheering me on,” Jain said.
Although Jain has his fair share of wins, loss is a part of competing. He takes these losses in stride and aims his focus towards improving his craft.
“How he takes those losses is very unique,” Joseph said. “I envy it myself. He keeps a smile on his face, and he has that love and passion to be like ‘Those kids were better than me and hit much better forms than I did, I just need to work harder.”
In the future, Jain hopes to continue pursuing taekwondo and to reach new heights in his sport.
“I’m looking to get the world title,” Jain said. “I’d love to open a school of my own and continue this passion through college and my life. I love to spend my evenings in class teaching the little kids and training myself.”
This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on January 29, 2025.
