Tae Kwon Do

Josh and Carley started taking Taekwondo class last September. They both are striving to earn their Black Belt. Every 8-weeks is a belt test to move to the next level. Among a variety of other goals, they need to participate in five tournaments before they can reach Black Belt.

Their first tournament was two weeks ago. 

They both were very nervous since they didn't know what to expect. 

Tournaments have different events and the participants can participate in one to all events. Carley and Josh both did forms and sparring. 

Forms is essentially a specific routine of Taekwondo movements. Here is a video of Carley performing her form, Taegeuk Sah-jang.


She moved a little too fast but she did great for her first form in her first tournament.


After forms, the kids suited up for sparring. There were two girls and several boys in Carley's division.



There are two types of Taekwondo tournaments. This tournament had "point sparring" where the match is paused with each point scored. The match ends when one competitor reaches 5-points or 90-seconds have passed.  



Carley's first match was against a boy who was much bigger than her. She held her own until he ran over her like a bulldozer, which rattled her and she began to cry. The judge called timeout, talked with the boy, made sure Carley got it together before resuming the match. 

Side note: The lead judge in Carley's ring, the one who called timeout, is Carley's instructor, Mr. Weithington. He's seen Carley cry before. In fact, he awarded Carley a trophy at the March belt test for Indomitable Spirit (a Taekwondo tenant) because she keeps going even when she gets hurt or has to spar kids bigger than her. She showed her indomitable spirit in this match. Mr. Weithington was quite irritated with the bulldozer.

Because Carley earned one point against this bulldozer boy, she was moved on to the match that determined third and fourth places. 


She sparred the only other girl in her second and final match. She won and placed 3rd in sparring.



She is so proud! And rightfully so.


Carley earned 2nd in forms and 3rd in sparring.


She was relived when her events were over and spent time playing with her dad's phone while waiting for Josh's division.


Josh was slightly disappointed that there was just one other participant in his division because he could "either get 1st or last." At his age, boys and girls usually participate separately.






Josh performed the same form as Carley. He was so dissapointed when he placed 2nd in forms because he looked at is as last place. I told him to go out and kick butt  in sparring. 

He did.

Because there were only two participants, the one sparring match determined first and second places.

Kicks and punches to the body are 1-point and head kicks are 2-points. Punches are not allowed to the head. 

I was proud to see Josh gain a head kick because they don't happen often at this level. And he did it with a pulled groin muscle. He spent the days leading up to the tournament resting and icing his leg.

 
Josh placed 2nd in forms and earned 1st in sparring.



Here is a couple of pretty proud kids. Walt and I are a couple of pretty proud parents.