STRIKE FORCE 900 VIE AT MARTIAL ARTS CHALLENGE SHOWDOWN.Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The gymnasium at Hart High School Hart High School may refer to:
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The Paul Kim Black Kimberly ("Kim") A. Black is an American swimmer and 2001 graduate of the University of Georgia who was named the NCAA Woman of the Year Award for 2001. she as also awarded a NCAA Post-Graduate scholarship in 2001. She was on the U.S. Belt Academy of Santa Clarita hosted its third annual ``Santa Clarita Showdown,'' a tae kwon do tae kwon do Korean martial art resembling karate. It is characterized by the use of high standing and jump kicks as well as punches and is practiced for sport, self-defense, and spiritual development. In sparring, blows are stopped just short of contact. regional championship tournament. Nearly 900 competitors ages 3 to 65 - members of the American Taekwondo Association The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) was founded in 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska by Haeng Ung Lee of South Korea. It is one of the largest Taekwondo organizations in the United States, and in association with the Songahm Taekwondo Federation (STF) and - from all over Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, attended to compete in three martial arts categories: sparring; weapons, with competitors maneuvering accessories like nunchakus; and forms, which exhibit hand motions. The younger children were especially excited as they got up on the mat at the center of the gym and executed the martial-arts moves with looks of concentration etched etch v. etched, etch·ing, etch·es v.tr. 1. a. To cut into the surface of (glass, for example) by the action of acid. b. on their faces, screaming ``ha!'' with each kick. Paul Kim said there was an easy explanation for the popularity of his classes with the children. ``It's the dynamic kicking that gets the kids going,'' he said. ``They want to do exactly what they see in the movies.'' But it wasn't just the kids who were enthusiastic about tae kwon do. Kim said that parents love bringing their children to classes because the training inculcates two values in the students - respect and courtesy. ``We teach traditional values Traditional values refer to those beliefs, moral codes, and mores that are passed down from generation to generation within a culture, subculture or community. Since the late 1970s in the U.S. in martial arts and the parents appreciate that,'' said Kim. C.J. Lombardi, one of the head instructors at the academy, agreed, saying that the benefits of martial arts spill over Verb 1. spill over - overflow with a certain feeling; "The children bubbled over with joy"; "My boss was bubbling over with anger" bubble over, overflow seethe, boil - be in an agitated emotional state; "The customer was seething with anger" 2. into other areas of a child's life. ``I think it gives them a lot of confidence and self-discipline for school and other sports,'' he said. One of the performers, Jillian Endo, 15, has been studying tae kwon do with Paul Kim for almost six years and has a second-degree black belt. She performed with a spear-like staff called a kamas. ``I love it,'' she said. ``This is like my sport.'' Honored guest City Councilman Frank Ferry praised the parents for encouraging their children to participate in martial arts. ``Students that participate in events like tae kwon do are achieving their life far more than those who are not,'' he said. The day-long event began with a rousing martial arts demonstration, with different teams showing off their skills to rock music blaring in the background. One of the instructors walked around the floor of the gymnasium with a microphone attached to his head, screaming ``Let's hear some noise!'' Performers ages 3 to 45 demonstrated kicks, back-flips and self-defense moves. The sparring between a woman and a man drew loud cheers from the audience each time the woman overcame her opponent. Kim explained that tae kwon do moves can be applied to self defense, and they try to teach that in his academy. ``The ultimate end of any kind of martial arts is self defense, so we teach gun and knife defense to our students.'' The tournament also conducted a ``Board Break-A-Thon'' as a charity fund-raiser to benefit the American Cancer Society American Cancer Society, n.pr established in 1913, this national volunteer-based health organization is committed to the elimination of cancer through prevention and treatment and to diminishing cancer suffering through advocacy, scholarship, research, . Ferry, with the help of his youngest son, Jacob, broke the first board with a quick karate chop to excited cheers from the audience. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 3) The Paul Kim Black Belt Academy of Santa Clarita hosted its third annual ``Santa Clarita Showdown,'' a tae kwon do regional championship tournament, at Hart High on Saturday. Seven-year-old Hanna Washlake, left, warms up before the start of her round of competition. Below left, students practice leg extensions for the sport whose name translates as ``the way of hands and feet.'' Santa Clarita City Councilman Frank Ferry, below right, gets the tournament off to a smashing start by breaking a board in two with his hand. Nearly 900 competitors ages 3 to 65 - members of the American Taekwondo Association - from all over Southern California attended to compete in three martial arts categories: sparring, weapons and forms. David R. Crane/Staff Photographer |
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