ARTICLE ONE: Tuesday May 15, 2001
Cover: St.Peter’s Taekwondo students bring home six medals
TAEKWONDO STUDENTS IMPRESSIVE IN ST.PETER’S
By Grant McDaniel
The reporter
St.Peter’s – Kempie Larade’s taekwondo club operating out of St.Peter’s recently raised more than a few eyebrows when bringing back a total of six medals from a tournament held at Melvin Hibbs, Antigonish Taekwondo school.
Jason Doiron who trained under Hibbs while attending St.Francis Xavier University, brought home two bronze medals, one for sparring and a second in the forms section of the competition. Jason was awarded his black belt in Cole Harbour on May 4 by Grand Master Chong Lee, considered by insiders to the sport as the father of Canadian Taekwondo.
Jamie Mombourquette, presently competing with a blue belt around his waist, brought home gold in sparring while also nabbing a bronze in forms. When competing in Antigonish, Jamie had a superior showing for himself, in his last fight having to face a fighter with a higher degree belt than his. Jamie scored Taekwondo’s equivalent of a Technical Knock Out in that match when kicking his competitor from the canvas.
Patrick King also had an impressive showing, bringing home prestigious silver in sparring. Travis Clannon, green belt, showed his peers what he was made of by scoring a bronze in sparring.
In Taekwondo, beginning students are given a white belt to; as trainer Kempie Larade puts it, “keep their pants up.” After several months of discipline and hard work, students eventually earn a yellow stripe followed by a yellow belt. A green stripe follows that which leads students to a green belt. Blue stripes are the next plateau for students to reach, followed by a belt of the same colour. Red stripes/belts follow that which leads students to the black stripe/belt level. Kempie, a 16 year veteran to the martial arts scence, is a forth degree black belt. His is an international black belt, meaning he is recognized the world over as an instructor.
The St.Peter’s taekwondo club has been operating since 1985 and was originally established by Larry Mombourquette.
Kempie joined in 1986, one year to the day after the club came into existence.
“We are under the World Taekwondo Federation,” Kempie explains, “recognized by both the Olympic body and the Korean government.”
Taekwondo originated in Korea, and while records are sketchy, many estimate this means of self-defense was developed around the same time Christianity came into existence. The discipline was developed for sake of protection against everything from nomadic armies to the threats wild animals presented.
Times have changed. Now Taekwondo has become an Olympic sport, and as prestigious as that may sound, it has caused some critics to suggest that the sport no longer qualifies as a martial art.
With the advent of sport’s medicine, Kempie points out, “all the techniques are five times faster and hit much harder than was the case, say, ten years ago.”
However, Kempie also profiles that this is a case of scientific principles being applied to techniques that are ancient, not a case of scientific principles replacing the great legacy Taekwondo enjoys.
Issues of respect are still of primary concern to Taekwondo practitioners. Students are required to bow when entering a room in which peers are present, and instructors are regarded as “sir”.
“The more belts you acquire,” black belt Jason Doiron explains, “the more humble you are expected to be.”
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
JASON DOIRON
It doesn’t get more impressive than this: Jason Doiron of St.Peter’s Taekwondo club recently was awarded a black belt in Cole Harbour by Chong Soo Lee, regarded by insides to the martial arts scene as the Father of Canadian Taekwondo. Jason’s latest accomplishment was a coupling of bronze medals from a tournament held in Antigonish.
