On Apr. 26, Master Saran brought Kootenay students to the United Traditional Tae-Kwon Do tournament held in Lethbridge.
The tournament had 210 participants and 28 of them represented Kootenay Tae-Kwon Do. The competition included sparring, patterns and team patterns. The students did very well. This was the first tournament for the majority of them and the first time for a team pattern event.
Team patterns are made up of five participants who perform a pattern in unison. The patterns are judged by technical content and the execution of power and timing. The teams were awarded silver and bronze for their performance and got 10 medals in individual patterns and 12 in sparring. Overall, it was a positive experience for all involved.
Master Saran has been part of the Tae-Kwon Do community for 50 years and all of his years have been spent teaching students from the Elk Valley. His commitment to the youth is nothing short of remarkable.
Kootenay Tae-Kwon Do is finished for the season but will start again in September.
