Thirteen athletes representing Morgan Hill’s America Taekwondo Center took to Dallas earlier this month to participate in the 2012 USA Taekwondo National Championships and returned with a bounty of medals.
In all, the athletes, who train under the guidance of sixth degree Grandmaster Chae Song Mun, the owner of ATC, collected 17 medals (seven gold, three silver and seven bronze) at the weeklong event that featured about 5,000 competitors from across the United States.
In his 34 years involved with the sport grandmaster Mun said he hadn’t ever experienced such a ‘remarkable’ feat from a group of athletes.
“They did an awesome job representing Morgan Hill,” said Mun, who opened his school 12 years ago and moved the operation from San Jose to Morgan Hill in 2005. “They did a tremendous job training almost every day for the past two months. They sacrificed their summer to train.”
The medals were won in two different events, sparring and forms, which is also know as Poomsae. Matches are decided by a point system. In the sparring competitions, matches are made up of three, 2-minute rounds. Points are awarded for head shots (three), body shots (one point) and turning kicks to the head (four points.)
With his gold in the world class black belt light middle weight division, 17 year old Jacob Grace earned a spot of the USA Junior Olympic National team – a first for Morgan Hill, Mun said.
“Jacob just got back from the Korean Open in Korea last week, where he took gold,” Mun said ecstatically. “So he is a world champion too.”
With his spot on the Junior Olympic Team, Grace will be invited to go to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, where he will work alongside the national team for two weeks, Mun said. His journey doesn’t stop there. In February 2013, Grace will represent the United States at the U.S. Open in Las Vegas. And in the spring of 2013, Grace will participate in the Junior World Championships.
“It’s a big step,” Mun said.
Also claiming a Morgan Hill first at nationals was Arthur Jackson III, who captured gold in the 12-and-13-year-old world class black belt lightweight sparring division, and in the process making the U.S. Junior Prep team.
“This is something remarkable,” Mun reiterated. “To bring home 17 medals from one school is just remarkable.”
Jackson III was also part of a trio that included Kenneth Doan and Khoi Nghiem, which won gold in the 12-and-13-year-old team forms.
Prior to heading to Dallas, Mun, along with coaches Art Jackson and Kevin O’Keefe, encouraged the students to participate in both forms and sparring. They listened and therefore maximized their opportunities to reach the podium.
Doan added a bronze in the 12-13 black belt co-ed pairs forms along with Aloha Kaeo-Wailehua, who also won bronze in the individual 12-13 girls’ black belt forms division.
Gryphon Bjerk-Andres’ performance in the 14-17 (age group) grassroots flyweight sparring, led to gold. He and Katie Jackson also competed in the 14-29 world class black belt co-ed pairs forms.
Khoi Nghiem delivered a pair of bronze medals for ATC, placing third in the 12-13 world class black belt Fin (maximum weight of 119 pound) weight sparring division and in the 12-13 boys black belt forms division.
Anmol Kaur competed in the 12-13 world class black belt girls Fin weight sparring, and her twin brother Purneet Pabla competed in the 12-13 world class black belt boys Fin weight sparring.
Jordan O’Keefe competed in both the 10-11 black belt girls Fin weight sparring division and the individual girls forms.
Among the youngest competitors on the team is Kasey Doan who won silver in both the 8-9 red belt middle weight sparring and 8-9 individual boys forms. Then there is Jacob Gonzaga, who took bronze in the 8-9 red belt light weight sparring division and gold in the 8-9 individual boys forms. And finally, Conner O’Keefe, who won silver in 6-7 red belt light weight sparring and 6-7 individual boys forms.
