On Saturday, October 19th, Grandmaster Young A. Kwon will once again host one of the most important Taekwondo tournaments of the year: the 21st Annual New England Open Taekwondo Championship. And based upon last year's packed house, I'd say it's wise to register for this event as soon as possible. The tournament offers four competitions: sparring, forms, breaking, and power breaking.
Grandmaster Kwon, a 9th-degree Kukkiwon black belt, has as usual made sure there's room for the seniors among us. Top age group is 51+, so if you're closing in on 70, as I am, you won't have to compete against 18-year-olds. I found last year's tournament to be fairly judged, with scores based only upon your performance -- not upon how well you know the judges. That's a problem with some tournaments, I'm sorry to say, but definitely not this one.
This year's New England Open Taekwondo Championship will be held in the Tewksbury Memorial High School gym in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. It's an easy drive for competitors from Southern Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. And once again I expect to see competitors from more distant states -- New Jersey among them. For me the tournament requires an overnight stay, of course, but the event is well worth the extra effort. The competition is excellent; the judging is first-rate; and the Taekwondo camaraderie is outstanding. Grandmaster Kwon is a most gracious host. You don't need to bring home a medal in order to feel that this was a day very well spent.
If you're serious about Taekwondo -- as either a senior competitor or as a devoted spectator -- this is a tournament you'll not want to miss. For more information, including a link to the tournament's registration package, visit Kwon's Taekwondo online.
I wait all year for this tournament, so I'm truly looking forward to the 2013 version. Hope to see you there. Remember, preregistration makes a great deal of sense for this event.
All the best,
Russ Johnson
