International Taekwon-Do NZ are celebrating 50 years since the first club opened for classes in Palmerston North in 1971.
The occasion will coincide with the 2021 National Championships being hosted in Tauranga next month.
Over the past half a century the organisation has celebrated many high points.
According to CEO Alex Hayton, three recent standouts include having a demonstration team at the 1992 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, hosting the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships in Wellington, and being crowned best overall taekwondo country in 2015 at the World Championships in Venice, Italy.
Tauranga masters, James Rimmer and Christine Young, who between them have over 70 years in the sport, are thrilled to be hosting the nationals at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre on Queen’s Birthday Weekend.
As well as the action of a National Championships there will be a commemoration of the 50 years of taekwondo with a lunch time demonstration and an anniversary cake being served up.
“We’re very fortunate to be able run this get together which was postponed from last year,” says Young.
“All over the world our taekwondo colleagues have had to cancel championships, teach and train from their living rooms, like we did this time last year.
“In Europe, they’re just getting back into a club situation now. We in New Zealand have been seeing a surge in membership since the beginning of this year. That is very encouraging.
“Taekwondo at grass roots level is very much about learning to overcome adversity.
“Part of our training is building resilience, and I think resilience is very important for this new future.”
Members of the public are welcome to come along and watch the weekend’s events.
Events in the ring will include sparring action, patterns performances, dynamic displays of agility in special techniques, the skill of set pieces in pre-arranged sparring and the sheer force of power breaking.
The events take place from the QEYC Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6 from 9am-4pm.
Source: SunLive