Idaho Falls Taekwondo team returns from Worlds with three medals, invaluable experience

Photo: Two members of nan Ferocity Martial Arts squad spar during a tryout session. Video: Ferocity sent 2 teams to nan Taekwondo World Championships past month. Three individuals returned pinch medals. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com; Jordan Wood, EastIdahoNews.com

IDAHO FALLS — Ferocity Martial Arts did not return from past month’s World Championships pinch nan reddish letters of a World Champ, but they brought backmost awesome experiences — and 3 medals.

Two Ferocity competitors, 13-year-old Maya Hendricks and 10-year-old Santiago Arzabala, each vanished third, while 16-year-old Christopher Huber vanished second.

During nan World Championships, which took spot nan last play of July, successful Phoenix, competitors battled successful squad sparring and individual combat. The sparring, according to Ferocity coaches, is simply a conflict of striking utilizing hands and feet, while combat involves nan usage of a baton.

All 3 ferocity medals came successful nan individual combat information of nan tournament, leaving coach Darcy Drefs very pleased.

Drefs is simply a certified Taekwondo coach who helps coach sparring, but her main duties astatine Ferocity find her school nan combat information of nan sport. She told EastIdahoNews.com that while she was very excited for nan measurement nan squad competed, she was particularly happy for her students’ capacity successful combat.

“It was awesome. I americium truthful proud of them,” she said. “When they do nan individual, we can’t coach them — erstwhile they’re doing teams, we tin coach — truthful I conscionable get to beryllium backmost and conscionable — I’m much tense than they are. But they made maine very proud. It was truthful nosy to watch.”

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Third-place finishes for Arzabala and Hendricks intends they won their last match. Huber, connected nan different hand, came specified points from nan apical spot. He mislaid nan title lucifer by conscionable 3 points — 10-7.

He told EastIdahoNews.com that his lucifer offered a awesome lesson: that nan ultra-quick competitors astatine nan Worlds level are accelerated to onslaught your beforehand limb for easy points. But, he added, he has nary regrets, and could not beryllium happier pinch really he finished.

Drefs echoed that sentiment, saying Huber — has thing to beryllium upset about, nor do immoderate of his teammates.

“I’ms really happy (with really he performed),” Drefs said. “To make it to nan Worlds … nan level that they’re astatine — conscionable to beryllium there, it’s huge. … Then, to medal, that’s awesome. And that pushes them.”

The Ferocity team, including coach Drefs (far right) | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

Having practiced conscionable a fistful of times since returning from Worlds, Drefs said she has already seen nan competitors who qualified for Worlds passing on nan knowledge they gained successful competing.

There are lessons being passed astir nan studio, she said, and a visible jump successful self-esteem.

“We person a bully group of kids, wherever they’re cheering everybody on,” Drefs said. “… They each get on existent well.”

And that goes good beyond nan studio. As overmuch pridefulness arsenic she has successful her students, who amended each time and represented “little aged Idaho Falls” connected nan world stage, Drefs was speedy to constituent retired really each personnel of nan Ferocity squad has travel to beryllium a leader successful their ain community.

Students return their affirmative manner pinch them to schoolhouse and different sports, and person been known to thief their peers successful times of need. That, according to Drefs, is arsenic important arsenic competing successful Worlds.

“It’s awesome to spot really they each support each other,” she said. “It’s bully to spot that our students are stepping up and being leaders, and they’re leaders extracurricular of (the studio). … we’re school thing correct successful (the studio) because they’re taking it retired of here.”