Burnaby’s Simon Fraser University campus will play host to International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) practitioners from all over B.C. on Oct. 12, for the second B.C. Cup Taekwondo Championships.
The multi-skill and multi-age event will see taekwondo students compete for gold in various events such as sparring, patterns, power and specialty breaking (always a great spectator sport).
“Taekwondo is not just a martial art, it’s a way of life for most of us. We practice Taekwondo in our daily living,” Darius Andaya, International Taekwondo Federation instructor and fourth Dan (a technical term for rank), told the NOW by email.
In addition to competing for medals, students will compete for trophies for, among others, top junior and senior athletes. The top school represented at the competition will earn the B.C. Cup trophy.
With the 2015 World Junior and Senior Championships in Italy fast approaching, the junior and senior black belt competitions at the SFU event are expected to be especially hotly contested as the best in B.C. try to outdo each other with the hopes of earning a spot on Team Canada.
New this year is the challenger pattern division, a non-combat competition for athletes with physical or mental disabilities.
According to Andaya, the division was created to promote an equal playing field for athletes.
“This is to expand on General Choi Hong Hi’s (founder of taekwondo) philosophy of teaching everyone willing to learn regardless of religion, race and ideology,” said Andaya in a press release.
The competition will be held in the West Gym starting with opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free.
