The University of Bridgeport is proud to be the first American institution of higher learning to offer a B.A. in Martial Arts Studies. While martial arts study at the university level has long been a part of academic life in Asia, UB's program differs in having a liberal arts focus as well as practice of martial arts disciplines. The program, offered through the University's International College, explores four aspects of the martial arts.

• Historical background and philosophical roots of the martial arts
  
  
• Languages and cultures of the societies in which the martial arts originated and developed
  
• In-depth study of at least one of the martial arts (in 2005-06 Tae Kwon Do and Taiji are offered, with other disciplines to be added in the future)
  
  
• Psychosocial dimensions of the martial arts and their impact upon personality and society

It has long been argued that through study of the martial arts people develop a measurable sense of accomplishment and a mastery of mind over body, contributing to greater self-esteem. Through the relationship with a teacher as well as with fellow students, the martial-arts student develops a greater appreciation for other human beings and learns the importance of respect and regard for others.

Dr. Kim Setton, who serves as academic chair of the martial arts program, notes that one key aspect of the program is to change misperceptions of the martial arts, which are often derived from the popular media. This will be accomplished, he explains, by "providing a rich array of courses clarifying the historical, philosophical, and socio-psychological foundations" of the martial arts. Dr. Setton notes that there is an internal dimension to the study of the martial arts that took shape through the mediation of Buddhism and Daoism.

Dr. Setton has studied East Asian philosophy for the past 30 years. He comes to the University of Bridgeport after having taught at the State University of New York at Stonybrook, the University of California at Berkeley, and Oxford University, where he earned his doctorate. Setton speaks Korean and Japanese and has studied classical Chinese. He maintains that knowledge of the philosophical traditions of East Asia can enrich people's perspectives on the martial arts and rectify many misconceptions about the martial arts, such as that they represent a purely military or physical discipline.

Professor Yongbom Kim serves as Director of the Martial Arts Institute and co-chair of the degree program with Dr. Setton. Professor Kim holds a seventh-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been teaching courses in Tae Kwon Do and self-defense at the University of Bridgeport since 1997. He studied martial arts at Kyung Hee University, the first institution in Korea to offer a bachelor's degree in martial arts. Professor Kim was a member of the first martial arts graduating class and holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from Kyung Hee University. He was chosen by the United States Olympic Committee in 2003 to coach the U.S. Women's Tae Kwon Do Team in the Universiade Games in Taegu, Korea. The team won one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals and finished second in the world competition.

Professor Kim is proud of the University of Bridgeport's Martial Arts Studies program, which represents the first comprehensive formal academic study of the martial arts of Asia in the Western world. He points out that more than one million Americans are studying Tae Kwon Do but that martial artists have been waiting for a professional degree program to develop in the United States. In their study of the martial arts, students in the University of Bridgeport program will also learn about the civilizations of East Asia and will be well prepared to contribute to the global economic, social, and political environments of the future.

Professor Kim plans to organize Tae Kwon Do and other demonstration teams. He looks forward to establishing martial arts exchange programs with other countries.