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Martial Arts Tournament In Temple Terrace

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PAUL CATALA

Tribune correspondent

Published: May 9, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - On Saturday, May 17, Temple Terrace will go international, as a fighting style from the Far East brings martial artists from Europe and North America together for competition.

The Florida Cup II Tournament begins at 10 a.m. at the Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex.

The tae kwon do competition will be about more than victories and defeats; it will be about cultural and stylistic exchanges, as martial arts students from the United States, Austria and Germany meet and compete in various categories.

Tae kwon do is a martial art developed in Korea that includes a system of blocks, kicks, punches and open-handed strikes and may also incorporate takedowns, sweeps, throws and joint locks. Literally translated, "tae" means "kick or to strike with the foot," "kwon" means "fist" or to "strike with the hand" and "do" means "discipline" or "art." The Temple Terrace tournament will be limited to "half contact" kicks and punches, said Grandmaster Gerhard Brunner, lead instructor at the Traditional TaeKwon-Do Center Tampa on North 56th Street.

The Temple Terrace tournament is the second in a series of four statewide events that precede national and international competitions.

During a Tuesday evening practice at Traditional TaeKwon-Do, Brunner led about 30 students — most of whom will compete in the tournament — through drills.

Brunner, a seventh-degree black belt originally from Munich, Germany, had the students go through "tournament breaks," kicking and striking moves that would be scored in the competition. Brunner, 36, said the emphasis of the Florida Cup is on family involvement and intergenerational competition.

Children as young as 4 and adults in their 70s will be among the participants. During Family Forms, family members perform as a team.

The event also will include the breaking of boards and tactical weaponry use.

"This is one of the largest martial arts tournaments in the county. It's a family tournament and is very family-oriented," said Brunner, who runs Traditional TaeKwon-Do with his wife, Petra, and program director Andrew Walton, also an instructor.

Saturday's tournament, which follows the first Florida Cup held March 15 in Fort Lauderdale, will bring together 300 to 350 competitors from Florida, New Jersey, New York and Hawaii, as well as Austria and Germany, where a Traditional TaeKwon-Do Center is located in Berlin.

During Tuesday's practice, Brunner watched as Yaser Jalghoum, 40, and Hassan Mahmoud, 25, sparred with front, spinning and side kicks.

"Get focused. Make sure you get your kick right, higher," he said.

Jalghoum, an advanced white belt who began tae kwon do three months ago, and Mahmoud, a yellow belt, both will compete in the Florida Cup. Jalghoum said he was eager to get involved in his first tournament, especially one with international standing.

"We're learning to stay focused, be disciplined and gain self-confidence," he said. "I'm very excited and really want to win my matches."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Florida Cup II Tournament

WHERE: Temple Terrace Family Recreation Complex, 6610 Whiteway Drive

WHEN: From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 17

HOW MUCH: $3 for ages 5 and older, free for ages 4 and younger

INFORMATION: Call (813) 988-3349 or visit www.taekwondotampa.net.

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