Idaho Falls taekwondo team qualifies for World Championships

IDAHO FALLS — Two of nan 3 teams representing Ferocity Taekwondo successful Idaho Falls person qualified to compete successful nan American Taekwondo Association World Championships later this week.

Chief coach Josh Schultz says location are 2 imaginable paths to qualifying for Worlds. A squad tin either beryllium among nan apical 10 successful nan world rankings aliases they tin triumph their district.

Ferocity’s rookie and inferior varsity teams each took some routes. The varsity team, Schultz added, missed retired connected winning their territory title and an automatic bid by a azygous point.

Schultz, who began his martial arts travel arsenic a student astatine Ferocity, told EastIdahoNews.com nan maturation of nan athletics successful caller years has led to much opportunities for teams for illustration his to compete astatine nan apical level of nan sport.

“It’s very surreal for maine because erstwhile I deliberation astir my training and my upbringing, my opportunities were very constricted … nan circuit wasn’t arsenic large aliases developed,” he said. “To spot each my kids get this opportunity that I ne'er had is very — it gives maine goosebumps to deliberation about.”

(Left to right) Gauge, 15, Aidan, 13, and Maya, 13, each of whom will compete astatine nan World Championships. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Thirteen-year-old Aidan has been pinch Ferocity for 5 years. Competing connected an world shape is simply a extremity he group for himself, and he is “pumped” to execute it. Setting and achieving goals is thing he has taken from nan taekwondo workplace to his mundane life.

“I really for illustration that it gives maine thing to activity difficult for — to make goals,” he said. “That’s really helped maine pinch everything.”

Maya, who is besides 13, said she has learned nan perseverance that helps her wrong and retired of nan workplace arsenic a martial arts student.

“After a batch of difficult work, successful nan end, it’s each worthy it,” said Maya, who’s been competing since she was 8.

She is arsenic excited and tense for nan immense title — contempt nan much than 50 medals she displays successful her bedroom.

Gauge, who has been competing successful taekwondo for 10 years, has much than 35 medals to show off. He thinks he whitethorn consciousness immoderate nerves arsenic nan title nears, but not yet.

Through martial arts, nan 15-year-old has learned to amended pass pinch others.

Chief coach Josh Schultz pinch immoderate of Ferocity’s medal-winning athletes astatine nan caller territory championships. | Courtesy Laddie Hendricks

Schultz said nan imaginable lessons learned wrong a martial arts workplace are endless. He learned immoderate very consequential lessons erstwhile he competed successful his first World Championships arsenic a 20-something.

Schultz learned quickly competing against nan champion successful nan world, that he was “a large food successful a very mini pond” and that location was “a full water retired there.”

“But that level of humility helped maine proceed to beryllium quiet and turn and to improve. That occurrence ne'er stops,” he said.

Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

The lessons his athletes person already learned will beryllium intensified erstwhile they compete successful nan Phoenix meet this week — pinch nan squad championships successful sparring coming Friday. Those lessons will beryllium brought backmost to Idaho and passed connected to teammates, classmates and friends.

“I’m ace proud that I’m successful a position that I tin mentor (the team),” Schultz said.

As happy arsenic those lessons will make him, though, Schultz is hoping occurrence comes arsenic well.

“Hopefully we locomotion distant pinch immoderate reddish letters … for nan backmost of your uniform, and nan only measurement to get them is to beryllium a world champ. You get nan medal, but that’s what everybody wants. They want nan reddish letters,” he said.

Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com