Those Be Some Hard-Ass Half-Koreans

by Robert Koehler on October 14, 2009

The Munhwa Ilbo profiles three half-Korean mixed martial artists in Migukland — Benson Henderson, BJ Penn and Dennis Kang.

Benson Henderson — about whom there’s a story in English here — is a particularly interesting guy: unlike many mixed-race fighters, he speaks fluent Korean and apparently conducts himself with Korean modesty. Except for the tats, of course.

{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }

1 red sparrow October 14, 2009 at 1:20 pm: They certainly took their sweet time getting around to profiling these lads.
2 SomeguyinKorea October 14, 2009 at 1:37 pm: It’s Denis, not Dennis. Same origin, different spelling and pronunciation (pronounced like DeNiro minus the -ro).
3 Koreansentry October 14, 2009 at 4:55 pm: So is this mean, Korean DNA makes you great fighter?
Not too mention Kostya Tszyu (Russian boxer) turned Australian have 1/3 Korean DNA from Korean grand father.
4 Robert Koehler October 14, 2009 at 5:18 pm: The son of a fitter in a metal factory and a nurse, Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union.

There’s something about the start to that bio that suggests he will turn out to be a very, very hard man.
5 yuna October 14, 2009 at 5:24 pm: 1/3 Korean DNA from Korean grand father.

was his father or mother immaculately conceived?
6 cmm October 14, 2009 at 5:50 pm: “So is this mean, Korean DNA makes you great fighter?”

no.
7 guitard October 14, 2009 at 11:09 pm: That last line about the tattoos…

I’m really surprised at how common tattoos are becoming in Korea. And it’s not just gundals and strippers…’respectable’ Korean kids are getting them these days. Of course, it’s nothing like the US ~ but the stigma is starting to wear off ~ and it’s wearing off quickly.
8 hardyandtiny October 14, 2009 at 11:21 pm: Costing me 2 million won to have my tattoo removed. Thank God I only have one.
9 Koreansentry October 15, 2009 at 10:16 am: Tszyu’s grand father was ethnic Korean married to central Asian wife (Mongolian descent) then Tszyu’s father married Mixed Korean-Russian, he’s got more Korean DNA than Russian or Mongolian. His father still can speak Korean as rest of their family who visited Korea last time. Korean Boxing Association invited Tszyu to take up Korean citizenship to represent Korea when he was at 1988 Seoul Olympic, at same time got offer from Australia. Couple of great Japanese fighters are also full Korean now representing Japan. Korean male in entire Asian society is known for hard man, and that’s a fact. Koreans hold more wrestling and boxing medals than any other Asian countries from Olympic history.
10 yuna October 15, 2009 at 10:47 am: thanks for clearing it up koreansentry but i’ve been thinking about this. there is no way that anyone can be 1/3 of anything because we have two parents.. we could be close to 1/3 due to various combination, but not actually one third.
11 cmm October 15, 2009 at 12:10 pm: Korean male in entire Asian society is known for hard man, and that’s a fact.

oh is it now? sounds hard to refute.

Koreans hold more wrestling and boxing medals than any other Asian countries from Olympic history.

do judo medals count for anything?
12 silver surfer October 16, 2009 at 1:41 pm: I hate to point out the obvious but if it’s Korean DNA that makes these 3 so tough, then shouldn’t there be a lot more internationally renowned fighters who are actually full-blooded Korean?
13 cmm October 16, 2009 at 2:12 pm: silver surfer… don’t start trying to start reasoning with koreansentry, at least not from the standpoint of logic.