Great Taekwondo spirit at Te Karaka

MEDALS GALORE: Te Karaka Taekwon Do club students with their swag of medals won at the Midland regionals. They are, back row (from left): Kevin Cale, Quinn Sidney, Claudia Cale, DJ Batey, Sally Cale. Front: Jasmine Ward, Oliver Davies, Lordana Puketapu, Alex Davies, Kupu Brown and Phelix Moore. Pictures supplied

TE KARAKA Taekwondo Club members won 23 medals, including six golds, at the Midlands regional tournament in Hamilton. And for the fourth year running the club also won the team spirit trophy.

Te Karaka instructor Kevin Cale said the success was down to the closeness they felt for each other.

“We all know our clubmates are trying their best so we cheer them on and celebrate for and with them.”

As well as their six gold medals, Cale’s charges collected 13 silver and four bronze.

“We took away 10 students, seven of whom were first-time competitors, two officials and supporters,” Cale said.

“DJ (Doug junior) Baty won gold in sparring and silvers for patterns and specialty. DJ also finished as best overall yellow belt for the tournament, a tremendous achievement as a first-time competitor.”

Nine-year-old Phelix Moore was Te Karaka’s youngest competitor.

“Plelix was in the largest division and won two golds — one for patterns and one for specialty. Phelix was also nominated for the Paul Bull Tenets Trophy and ended up sharing it with Frances Lloyd of Silla Taekwondo, Tauranga.

The five tenets of Taekwondo“Phelix is in special company as Frances is the under-18 world champion. In taekwondo we have five tenets — courtesy, integrity, self control, perseverance and indomitable spirit. The students who show these during the tournament are put forward for this award.

“The instructors present then discuss those nominated and award the trophy accordingly.”

Claudia Cale was another top performer. She won medals in every discipline she entered; gold in patterns and silver in sparring, specialty and power.

Alex Davies won gold in power, silver in specialty and bronze in patterns. His brother Oliver was also among the medals, winning silver in patterns and bronze in power.

Kupu Brown won gold in patterns, silver in sparring and bronze in power.

Jasmine Ward won silver in power and bronze in patterns and specialty.

Quinn Sidney and Kayla Proudfoot each collected silver medals in sparring and Lordharna Puketapu won bronze in patterns.

“Te Karaka students spend a great deal of time travelling to nearly any event on the International Taekwon Do calendar,” Cale said. “But they are trips filled with great rewards.”

“There were five events to compete in at Hamilton and everyone had a go at nearly everything."

The events Patterns: a set of movements learnt by the students where judges assess technical ability, power and speed.

Sparring: Two two-minute rounds of sparring. “All good until you don’t block that punch and you get hit in the face,” said Cale.

Specialty: Pre-set targets that have to be hit at ever-increasing height until one competitor remains.

Power: The breaking of boards. “This is tough. Get it wrong and the steel machine holding the boards is not forgiving.”

Pre-arranged sparring: One minute of pre-choreographed sparring.

The club train at Te Karaka Scout hall each Monday and Thursday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, Gisborne Girls’ High School each Tuesday and Friday from 5.30-6.30pm and Kaiti School each Tuesday and Thursday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.