Kelly Gough - Northern Open Championships
I really enjoyed taking part in the Northern Open Championships, which this year was held at Eastwood Community Centre in Nottingham. On the day I entered two events, patterns and sparring. Unfortunately I didn’t win anything in the patterns division but I did win a silver trophy in the women’s adult sparring division. My final fight was against the 2007 world champion who won gold.
Competitors came from all around the country as far away as Devon. At this competition there wasn’t as much pressure as the other competitions I compete in because although people travelled from different parts of the country it was only a small competition. There were approximately 200 competitors.
At a competition under the P.U.M.A (professional unification of martial arts) rules they are usually set out so the lower grades do their events first because they are often younger and a bit too impatient to have wait for their event to start. Every competitor performs his or her patterns first then their sparring after. We use qualified referees and judges at all times and have to wear our official doboks (suits). We use a knock out method because if everybody were to fight everybody else we would be there forever.
There is also a number of other events including high kick that only the juniors can take part in, breaking boards for the adults and weapon patterns. In some of the other competitions there is also an event called musical patterns were any grade can make up a pattern of their own and perform it to music.
In P.U.M.A competitions we also have an event for our “little pumas” where children aged 4 – 6 who do TeaKwon-Do can also compete.
Since competing I have made lots of new friends.