Flying feet, fists landing in LR

2015 event draws taekwondo fans

For the 25th year, Little Rock's Statehouse Convention Center will host the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) World Championship, held Monday through Sunday.

Now called the ATA World Expo, the week of seminars, training sessions and tournament competition is expected to draw 20,000 people and generate $4 million to $5 million for the Little Rock-area economy, said Jenny O'Connor, association spokesman. Competitors, families and instructors are arriving from all across the United States, as well as from South Africa, South America, Europe, Australia, India and South Korea.

The public is encouraged to watch the competitions, O'Connor said, particularly the tournament of champions, where the "best of the best" will compete in a variety of styles Thursday and Friday. Thursday's competition, 1:30-5:30 p.m. in the Governor's Hall at the convention center, features Creative and ATA-Xtreme athletes.

"That's the high-flying and weapons kind -- what you imagine when you think of martial-art movies," O'Connor said. "These competitors compete all year long to earn a top 10 spot in their respective divisions and are well-deserving and quite impressive."

Friday's champions tournament, which runs 1-6 p.m. in the Governor's Hall, features traditional events.

Athletes range from about 3 years old to more than 80 years old, said Sean Smith, an instructor at Arkansas ATA Martial Arts. His 2 1/2-year-old daughter will show off the basic forms as an ATA Tiger, he said.

"There is such a variety of competitors and skill sets," Smith said. "It can be really fun to see."

O'Connor said visitors might enjoy watching the traditional Master's Ceremony, held in the H.U. Lee International Gate and Garden alongside the convention center Wednesday at 8 p.m. The ceremony recognizes dozens of new masters, senior masters and chief masters as they take the next steps in their journeys.

The American Taekwondo Association's first student, chief master Richard Reed, will be given the title of grand master, becoming the organization's fourth ninth-degree black belt. A special ceremony viewing party will be held in the Governor's Hall.

Smith will be honored as a senior master -- a seventh-degree black belt -- at the ceremony. Smith and the other masters must fast for three days before the ceremony to demonstrate discipline and will wear traditional silks Wednesday night to honor tradition. To symbolize the passing down of knowledge, each instructor has a bowl, which is filled from the grand master's fountain.

"It's really neat to see everyone come together for this," Smith said. "We work a lifetime toward our passion, and the ceremony recognizes that."

"For me, the people who come this week are my best friends," he said. "This is truly our second family and we'd love to see people come in to see and join that."

The American Taekwondo Association was founded in 1969 by H.U. Lee, the eternal grand master, and has had its international headquarters in Little Rock since 1977. The organization has 300,000 active members worldwide and is North America's largest martial-arts organization, O'Connor said.

A new, 45,500-square-foot headquarters at 1800 Riverfront Drive in Little Rock is to be completed in August 2016. Though the World Expo will continue to be held at the Statehouse Convention Center, the headquarters will house the Songahm Taekwondo museum, as well as a 6,000-square-foot training area.

Metro on 07/05/2015

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