Competition

On the weekend of May 3^rd – 5th, the Southeastern region of the Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation had its spring cycle Dan Shim Sa (Black Belt test) and review, as well as its annual championships in Cleveland, Georgia.  As always, it was a great opportunity to renew friendships, test ourselves and strengthen our Tang Soo spirit.

On the weekend of October 20 -21, the New England Region of the Atlantic Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation (APTSDF) held their annual Regional Championship and fall Dan Shim Sa (Black Belt Test) in Dover New Hampshire. The event was hosted at Great Bay Karate and hosted by Sr. Master Antonio Rivera of Meriden, CT.  It was our honor to have Kwan Jang Nim St. James and Sr. Master Deborah Jett from Headquarters attend again this year.  

On July 11, 12, and 13th 2012, the Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation hosted its annual Ko Dan Ja Master's Clinic and bi-annual International Championships. The events took place at several different locations including Sugarloaf United Methodist Church in Duluth, GA, APTSDF World Headquarters in Suwanee, GA, and the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville, GA.

Birmingham Academy of Martial Arts (BAMA), owned by Sr. Master Heather Potter and Mr. Will Potter, Sam Dan hosted the very successful event. The black belt test opened with the announcement of the high scores on the written test. Charlie Smiley of BAMA scored highest among the children with a 96, and among the adults, Laura Lee Sandberg of Karate World of North Georgia scored highest with a perfect score.

 The APTSDF held its Regional Championship Tournament on October 15, 2011 in Dover, NH, hosted by Great Bay Tang Soo Do. There were 80 competitors representing four schools. Besides Great Bay, students came from Southbury Academy of Karate and Rivera's Tang Soo Do in Connecticut, and Cambridge Tang Soo Do in Boston.  The Black Belt portion of the tournament took place Saturday morning. The female championship trophy went to Noelle Drewicz, and the male trophy went to Oleg Khodko, both from Cambridge Tang Soo Do.

On the weekend of April 23-25, the southeastern region of the Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation had its annual championships and spring cycle black belt test. The event was hosted by Mr. Randall Leverett of Amory, Mississippi, who was also among those testing for Sam Dan on Friday, April 23. Both the test and the tournament took place at the Hope Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

The Fall New England Regional APTSDF Dan Shim Sa took place on Friday, October 9^th at the Southbury Academy of Karate in picturesque Southbury, Connecticut. The Regional Championships proceeded the very next day with participant ranks ranging from tiny tigers and pee wees all the way to senior black belts. Both events took place with high expectations which were both met and exceeded in a seamless fashion. 

 On October 11, the Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation hosted its 2008 New England Regional Championships at the Meriden Boys and Girls Club in Meriden, Connecticut. A couple hundred gathered to enjoy the day and everyone had a wonderful time. Black Belts and Gup members competed in divisions for weapons, forms, free sparring and board-breaking.

The facility handled all the activities beautifully. The gymnasium was spacious, with two entrances controlling the flow of people, and a tiered seating/spectator gallery along one side. The layout was well-organized; a station for purchasing boards for breaking events, and another for raffle tickets and commemorative T-shirts. Master Marc Sattler, surprised us with his own Tang Soo Do artwork on the shirts, copied from his original painting. He also presented his first print to Grandmaster St. James during the opening ceremonies.

On July 18-19, the Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation hosted its 2008 International Championships at the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Several hundred people attended the event and there were competition divisions for weapons, free sparring, breaking, traditional forms, team forms, and creativity.