Tauranga teens to head to Dublin for taekwon-do world champs

Daniel Cossey, left, and Toby Langdon are rated good prospects to medal at the Taekwon-Do World Championships in Dublin in October. Photo / John Borren

Training six days a week, including travelling to Auckland for specialist coaching, has paid off for Daniel Cossey and Toby Langdon.

The 16-year-old black belts from Tauranga's Martial Arts Academy will represent New Zealand at the Taekwon-Do World Championships in Dublin, Ireland, in October.

They will represent New Zealand in four events, and both are confident of winning medals.

Toby has the added advantage of competing at the World Cup in Budapest last year but it is Daniel's first opportunity to represent New Zealand.

"I am pretty excited about it, and it feels like a pretty big honour to go there, especially in the speciality event where I am one of three people selected. I am pretty nervous as well. I want to make everyone proud and do really well," Daniel said.

Toby is confident after doing well at last year's world cup but says this event will be a step up in competition.

"I think with training it should go pretty well. Even if I don't get a medal, which I hopefully will, it will still be such a good experience."

Christine Young, a high-performance adviser of ITF Taekwon-Do, is the proud mentor of her two students at Tauranga's Martial Arts Academy.

"Daniel and Toby have a really good chance of being on the medal podium. New Zealand has earned her place in the world ITF Taekwon-Do stage over the past ten years, and as a country, we have consistently placed in the top 5 at World Championship level," Young said.

"Toby and Daniel have the right skills to bring home the medals. There will be no slacking in their training efforts though with a training programme that involves weekly travel to Auckland for high-performance sessions and weekend camps every month."

Giving back to the sport by conducting beginner classes is part of the make-up of the two teenagers.

Toby, who harbours a career goal of becoming a stunt performer in movies, likes helping the younger kids progress.

"When they start they can't really do anything, and as time goes on they learn to do loads of things and learn motor skills."

Daniel loves watching how quickly they improve.

"I really enjoy teaching. That is definitely one of the best things when you have students you teach who progress through to blue belts, nearly halfway to black belt, and they are standing at the front of the class.

"It is really awesome to see that."

The pair say taekwon-do is so much more than breaking blocks of wood and sparring.

It is a whole lifestyle change which is based on core tenants of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

"The 'do' in taekwon-do is about the way you live your life, so it is really important. It is not just like a thing where you are punching people, it is a way you want to live," Daniel said.

Toby adds the sport teaches self-respect, manners, respect for others.

"You see a kid who may be a trouble-maker come in, and a couple of months later he is respectful and listening and has improved so much."