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Hammerfest reaches a decade of of TaeKwon-Do

Stettler’s Dual Dragons club, which includes Bashaw area athletes, set to compete Jan. 25
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TaeKwon-Do is hugely popular throughout Alberta with the Stettler club focused on family-oriented fun and giving their athletes confidence. File photo

The 10th annual Hammerfest is slated to run Jan. 25 at William E. Hay Composite High School in Stettler, presented by Stettler’s Dual Dragons TaeKwon-Do.

“In 2010, we came back from our Worlds Tournament in England. We had been running smaller tournaments before (here) but we decided to step it up and do a provincial tournament through our governing body,” explained Dave Hargreaves, chief international instructor/owner along with his wife Cindy Jensen.

“The month was open to us in January, so we started doing the tournament then. It’s been really successful — we always draw close to 200 competitors.”

Hargreaves added this particular tournament is run on a different format.

“Other tournaments are formatted so that you are there basically from start to finish,” he said.

“We will have all the children compete in the morning followed by the adults competing in the afternoon. What that does is give them an opportunity to either watch the black belts or, if they have other activities to attend, they can go. They don’t have to stay all day.”

Hargreaves stated the format will see the Little Dragons, four to five-year-olds, competiting first while the black belts will be held at various times throughout the day.

“That way everyone gets to see what being a Black Belt is all about and what they do,” he said.

“We also have what’s called the ‘Power Hour’ where you get to see all the black nelts break bricks and boards. It’s a lot of excitement. It’s also very family-oriented and our format helps out that way.”

The event will also have raffles and other things with the proceeds supporting KidSport.

For all belts, there will be stop point sparring, forms and musical forms — green belt and higher — with the weapon being optional.

For black belts — first to fourth dan — there will be stop point sparring, continuous sparring, power break poker, power brick breaking, jump high kick and power side kick.

“I’m basically the emcee of the whole thing, so I get to see everyone compete. I love to see all the people coming from all over the province and out-of-province to come and compete,” he said.

“Also, just seeing some of the kids who I know are quite shy and quite reserved — for them to get up and do a routine in front of hundreds of people — it speaks to how we are able to reinforce their confidence. It’s also one of the most rewarding things of all, to see those changes and the confidence in the children and also in the youth and adult classes.

“We all have our reservations about doing something new, or trying something we maybe aren’t too particularly gifted at. That’s my whole goal, to help someone do something they didn’t think they could actually do. The confidence they gain from that is really unbelievable.”

Hargreaves studied both karate and Judo earlier in life, but nothing quite fit as well as TaeKwon-Do.

“There are many different types of TaeKwon-Do – ours is a ‘hard linear’ style of the martial arts,” he stated.

This means that it uses strong, quick techniques such as blocks, punches and kicks to disable an opponent.

Meanwhile, according to the web site, Dual Dragons TaeKwon-Do Schools offer programs for kids, teens and adults.

“TaeKwon-Do is the modernized way of an old Korean art of self-defense or un-armed combat. It was first developed 1,300 years ago in Korea. TaeKwon-Do is the name of a Korean free-fighting, self-defense art that employs the bare hands (and feet) to repel an enemy,” added Hargreaves.

“TaeKwon-Do, as well as being a martial art, is also recognized as one of the most effective methods for improving health, physical fitness, flexibility, balance and poise. All of our classes are jam-packed full. I think again that speaks to our family orientation, and how we run the classes.”

Pre-registration goes Jan. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 4924 - 50th St. However, participants can register on the day of the event beginning at 8 a.m. The tournament starts at 9:10 a.m. sharp.

Admission is $2 for spectators, while registration is $35 for two events, $45 for three or more events or the $100 Family Max with two events.

For more information, call Cindy Jensen at 403-396-3413 or Dave Hargreaves at 403-588-6478.