It was another successful competition season for the martial art students of Lloydminster’s Art of Taekwon-Do Club.
The club recently competed in Calgary and Red Deer, averaging at least one medal per athlete.
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“We took a team of 12 to Calgary and brought home 12 medals and took a team of 12 to Red Deer and brought home 17 medals,” said Eliza Ma, who owns and operates the club with husband her, Lucas and her father Hai.
“I was really proud of them all.”
Ma also noted Red Deer was a great way to wrap up the season before summer break.
“Red Deer’s competition was Lyle Cheney of Cheney’s Zen Karate and Kickboxing Studio’s 45th year holding the competition. It was wonderful to go see him again this year,” she said, explaining Cheney has been friends with her father, who’s originally from Vietnam, since before she was born.
“I think that’s my favourite tournament of the year. Good people, nice judges, nice community, and everyone’s just happy to be there to see the kids. It’s a really good community.”
The club’s competitors ranged from age seven to 50-something, a range Ma was happy to see.
“It’s a nice big gap of all kinds of divisions happening this year.”
William Woodland, who turns 12 in November and started teaching students of his own in September, has been with the club for four years. Currently a red belt, Woodland said the two weekends on the road were successful and educational.
“In Red Deer, I got gold for sparring and silver for weapons. In Calgary, I got silver for my forms and bronze for sparring,” he said, noting his favourite technique is weapons.
Woodland’s favourite part of competing is trying to improve each time he steps on the mat and plans to practise a lot over summer.
Spencer Phillips, an eight-year-old blue belt, has been training with the club for about four years. However, Ma pointed he’s been around the club since before he could walk.
Phillips’ favourite part of competition is seeing the fun and excitement while meeting new friends.
“I got two first and one third and it was my fourth time at competitions,” he said, noting his biggest lesson this year was keeping his guard up in sparring.
“I want to work on my weapons, but sparring is my favourite (technique),” he said.
The Art of Taekwon-Do has a long history in the Border City since Hai opened the doors after moving to Canada 44 years ago. Eliza took over operations when she was 16 and her and Lucas now teach the club’s 70 students under Hai’s watch.
The club teaches ITF Taekwon-do, Wushu and Temple Kung Fu and various weapons. They’re so busy they can’t accept new students until 2027.
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