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"Central PA Tournament 2002" --
By Ms. Irena Rothaug, 10th Gup
The World Tang Soo Do Association Central Pennsylvania Tournament took place on March 16, 2002 in the State College Area High School, although the event started the evening before in the hospitality suite.
Setup to provide a welcome and food for new arrivals, Penn State Martial Arts Group members staffed the suite all night.
Early in the evening on Friday, I went over to the State College Area High School to help set up for the next day's tournament.
Putting together the tables, mapping out the rings, and hanging the flags went smoothly, largely because of the willingness of the setup crew.
People from several different studios aided in the setup, with different groups taking charge of the judge's table, the awards, the fundraising tables, and the main floor.
I returned to the hospitality suite later that night to find it bursting with people.
Significant inroads had been made into the food while I was gone, but there was still plenty for everyone.
I enjoyed the lively conversations and watching as all action paused when we received the phone call that Grandmaster Shin was on his way to the suite.
When Kwan Chang Nim arrived, he immediately captured the attention of the entire room while talking about Ki Kong.
Unfortunately, Grandmaster Shin couldn't stay long, but retired to get some rest for the busy tournament day ahead.
We left the hospitality suite fairly late that night and were up bright and early the next day for the tournament.
First stop was the hospitality suite, where we provided directions to the tournament site for anyone who needed them.
That morning, the suite was much quieter - most people had already gone to the tournament.
We remained there until about 10, and then headed off to the school ourselves.
As we pulled up, the sheer number of cars impressed me.
They overflowed the parking lot, and we eventually parked in the lot across the street because we couldn't find an open space.
This was my first tournament and, despite the crowded parking lot, the number of people attending surprised me.
Both sets of bleachers were crowded with spectators and the floor was full of people of all ages in white uniforms.
Black Belt judges sat in folding chairs on the edges of nine square rings mapped out on the wooden floor with tape.
Contestants talked on the borders of the floor as they stretched and prepared for their division to be announced.
The gym was loud, and fairly chaotic, and full of excitement.
I had hoped to be a participant, but as I wasn't feeling very well I restricted myself to observation and helping out however I could.
Penn State Martial Arts Group gave a very good accounting of itself in a number of events and after a very exciting day walked away with quite a few medals.
I've included a list of their accomplishments below.
The tournament on the whole was a big success, and I saw a lot of happy faces both during and afterward.
That night, people crowded into the hospitality suite to visit and say goodbye before they went their separate ways.
A general atmosphere of celebration permeated the gathering and everyone I spoke to came away pleased with the event.
Overall, this year's Central PA Tournament was a great success, and I look forward to helping with and participating in future tournaments.
Respectfully submitted,
Irena Rothaug
10th Gup
Results
Male 9 yr old Green/Brown Belt Forms
1st place: Yanos Ryba
Male 8-10 yr old Green/Brown Belt Sparring
1st place: Yanos Ryba
Male 14-16 yr old Red/Cho-dan Bo Forms
3rd place: Tyler Constable
Male 11-15 yr old Red Belts Weapons
1st place: Tyler Constable
Male 14-16 yr old Red/Cho-dan Bo Sparring
1st place: Tyler Constable
Female Senior White/Green/Orange Belt Sparring
3rd place: Mary-Jo Holmes
Male Adult White/Orange Belt Forms
3rd place: Muhnad Asmar
Male Adult White/Orange Belt Sparring
2nd place: Muhnad Asmar
Male Green Belt Forms
2nd place: Scott Holmes
Female Brown/Red/Cho-dan Bo Weapons
3rd place: Annabelle Smith
Adult Male Cho-dan Bo Weapons
3rd place: Aaron Pressman
Male Adult Red/Cho-dan Bo Forms
1st place: Aaron Pressman
Male Adult Red/Cho-dan Bo Sparring
3rd place: Aaron Pressman
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