Just returning from the July 16-17th WTSDA world championship in Greensboro, N.C. and WOW! -- A Tang Soo Do city of over 1600 competitors (probably 5000 with friends and family members) gathered under the broiling mid-summer heat thick with humidity and enthusiasm. They came from England, Germany, Argentina, Netherlands, Mexico, Chile, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Sweden, Puerto Rico, Mozambique, Aruba, Hawaii, Alaska, and every part of the continental USA. This would mark our Associations 13th biannual world championship and held for the first time in North Carolina near the site of our future WTSDA Headquarters in Burlington.Our TSDKI Chula Vista team spanned the ranks from Tiny Tiger to Sam DAN black belt and included Alexis Stoke, Mae Stoke, Kevin Stoke, Erik Stoke, Neale McPheron, Angelo Dercole, Giordano Dercole, Gianina Dercole, Barbara Bellini, Sig Luther and of course Master Larry & Leslie Dercole.
Our team arrived well prepared winning and placing in many of their respective competition categories. We collected four gold, nine silver, and four bronze medals. Congratulations!The event is a family affair and a collective effort of senior members helping and guiding juniors. Awards of Master-of-the-year as well as Studio, Instructor, and Family-of-the-year were recognized during opening ceremonies of the three day celebration. TSDKI instructors Sig Luther and Barbara Bellini took charge of the popular building fund raffle booth where hundreds of gifts donated by studios are collected and then raffled off. $6,500.00 was proudly raised for the cause.Instructor Leslie Dercole stood the honorable post as official Spanish translator MC for various speeches including the Grandmaster's opening address.
A very significant and historical feature of the event's opening ceremony was the promotion of our Grand Master J, C. Shin's to 9th DAN. This is the highest rank attainable in the Tang Soo Do system and was uniquely presented by proclamation and in front of a parade of more than 100 masters in a very emotional and ceremonial fashion. Robert Beaudoin, the association's General Secretary was also promoted to 8th DAN-assistant Grandmaster.
Equally amazing was the next day's WTSDA family picnic of approximately 800 held on the grounds of the future headquarters in Burlington, NC. There Grandmaster Shin unveiled the proposed building sketch billboard and spoke of a general construction plan.We hope someday you and your family can attend a world championship and share in the unique gathering and celebration. Until then we can plan for our own Regional Championship scheduled for this October 9th at Caltech University's Brown Gym in Pasadena, CA. There you can meet Our Grandmaster in person during his visit to our region.
Tang Soo!!
Master Larry Dercole
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