For the four Park children of Yorktown, taekwondo is
more than a family affair. In fact, based on their recent performances at state
and national level meets, the kicking quartet, who range in age from five
through 11 and train at World Martial Arts gym, have become a familial force to
be reckoned with.
(Right) Grand Master Ko demonstrating his ability to break hard objects in 1988 video |
“She was the first to start,” says Johnathon Renner,
WMA manager and coach. “It must have been tough for her, being the oldest and
having younger brothers following.”
Fortunately, Renner is not alone in the dojo, as
four other coaches, and until recently, two interns, are also available at
World Martial Arts to oversee each athlete’s progress. All teaching is
conducted under the watchful eye of Grand Master Pyong Tuk Ko, himself an
eighth degree black belt with over 30 years of teaching experience on the
Peninsula. Grand Master Ko, a former president of the Virginia State Taekwondo
Association, was honored by then-President George H.W. Bush in 1992 for his
work as the tournament director of the 18th National Championships,
which served as the Olympic qualifying match and was held at Hampton Coliseum.
The three young Park men – Edmond, 8, Andrew, 7, and
Benjamin, 5 are bunched closer in age, but also perform at a high level. Like
their sister, both Edmund and Andrew have earned their black belts, while
Benjamin is in probationary status.
Yet the youngest Park sibling is making a lot of
noise, having placed third at the Chicago tournament.
“(Benjamin) is probably the youngest guy I’ve ever
seen do this. What he can do at that age is unbelievable,” says Renner.
Expanding on the thought, Grand Master Ko added, “You
can see the hard work that the students put in. To see the skill and precision
that the young people display is admirable.”
Three other World Martial Arts students – Connor
Marsell, Kirsten Marsell, and Ben Bashore, also qualified for Nationals.
But there’s more to WMA than the activity which
occurs on the mats. One of the staples of the gym is its after school program. Renner
feels the program helps the students to prioritize.
“We’re making sure their focus is on self-control.
They know that school comes first and this comes after.”
Four vans make their way around York County,
stopping at numerous schools to pick up most of the 70 students who participate
each day. The afternoon sessions consist of a one-hour class, followed by
thirty minutes of mandatory homework and reading.
Other classes offered at World
Martial Arts include a variety of options such as hapkido, weapons training, tai-chi, yoga, personal
training for weight management and performance enhancement for elite athletics.
World
Martial Arts & Fitness is located at 2115 George Washington Memorial
Highway (Rte. 17) in Yorktown, VA (just south of Wal-Mart). For more information, please call
the gym at 757-867-5085 or visit their website at www.kostkd.com.