Tournament supports veterans through donations
Jessie Troxler, of the Boscobel TKMA, attempts to break eight bricks at the Traditional Korean Martial Arts Academy’s annual Veteran’s Day tournament. (Steve Van Kooten/Courier Press)
By Steve Van Kooten
You can either win or learn.
For competitors at Master Ray Saint’s Traditional Korean Martial Arts Academy’s (TKMA) annual Veteran’s Day Invitational Tournament, those were their choices.
“If you do your best, you can walk out of here with your head high,” Saint said. “If you don’t do your best, you just learned something.”
Master Saint’s has two martial arts academies in this area: one in Boscobel and another in Prairie du Chien.
On the mat, children as young as five and adults as old as 70 displayed their prowess in martial arts patterns, weapon use and fighting techniques. Martial artists competed in events that included sparring and even brick-breaking.
For Jimmie Kaska, the tournament is a chance to see his sons, Jonathan, 8, and Jameson, 6, demonstrate what they have learned practicing martial arts at the Boscobel academy. Along with supplementing Jonathan’s sports activities, martial arts have yielded benefits for his physical and mental health.
“It has let them have a lot more body control, like his footwork is so much better. It’s really helped him with emotional things as a young kid; it’s helped him regulate, and it has been a positive outlet for him,” he said.
The Kaska boys participated in several events, including capturing the flag, patterns and board breaking. They also competed in team patterns with their grandmother.
Before the tournament began, the International Tae Kwon Do Federation Union presented Master Saint — a 7th Dan in Tae Kwon Do — with a certificate that recognized his prowess in martial arts.
Saint encouraged all of the competitors to demonstrate the core values of martial artists: respect, humility and discipline. They could either take victory with grace and respect for their opponent, or they could see opportunities to continue their training and strive to better themselves.
“Tae Kwon Do is not something you do; it’s something you become,” Saint said to the crowd. “We are Tae Kwon Do, and so are you.”
Competitors came from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio to participate in the seventh annual tournament. Saint’s academy has hosted the event each year.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to a number of different organizations, including organizations that help military veterans.
The tournament was sponsored by Accounting Associates, Inc., People’s State Bank, Edward Jones, Gundersen and the Hideaway Bar and Grill.
