Martial Arts Tournament in Panama City
Despite high gas prices, despite a second year of hurricane damage, more than 1,000 competitors gathered in Panama City over Labor Day weekend for the American Taekwondo Association Super Regional tournament.
Last year at the same time, competitors were facing a pending Hurricane Ivan over the holiday weekend. This year they were also competing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
While the numbers were noticeably down from previous years, the Edgewater Beach Resort was filled with martial artists of all ranks and ages, each vying for a coveted tournament medal.
Hosting the event was Grand Master Soon Ho Lee, who was owner of the ATA School in Panama City until succeeding his brother, the late Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee as head of the organization in 2002. Today, Lee, a ninth-degree black belt, oversees 300,000 students, over 100 Masters, and 1,500 schools and clubs in 16 countries.
Participants, ages 4 to over 70, competed in:
Forms – a series of choreographed kicks, punches and blocks specific to each belt level
Weapons – a series of strikes and blocks using a variety of single and double weapons, as well as bow staffs, and canes
Sparring – highly supervised matches where opponents, fully padded with head, feet and hand pads, and chest protectors, try to score points by hitting specific target areas
In an effort to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, ATA headquarters has set up a relief fund to benefit the American Red Cross. ATA members, family and friends are asked to do what they can to aid in relief efforts.
For more information, contact Bob Remow, ATA Accounting Dept., at (866) 282-8721 ext. 2229 or e-mail disaster.relief@ataonline.com. Checks, made payable to the American Red Cross, can be mailed to P.O. Box 193010, Little Rock, AR 72219.
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