From fourth dan to yellow tip, hundreds of taekwondo enthusiasts will converge on Forster later this month for the annual invitational championships hosted by international master, Fay Shacklock.
Sixty local students from Fay’s Forster Taekwondo Academy, which runs classes in both Forster and Pacific Palms, will compete against schools from across Sydney, the Hunter, Central Coast and New Zealand.
The event will be held at the Great Lakes College, Forster campus from 9am until 4.30pm on May 26.
The six event program will be judged by two time Olympic referee Sam Loiacano and guest judge Jacko Ta’ala, a former head of the New Zealand karate team now training their elite special forces.
Both attended nine championships since it began 12 years ago.
Contenders will include novices to Commonweath Games and World champion competitors, and for the first time elders from Tobwabba’s Ninnja Nannas.
Fay said competitors could enter up to four events, from fighting, breaking, self defence, and patterns.
She believed competing at a high level was an excellent way to develop skills.
Spectators are welcome to attend with organisers asking for a gold coin donation which goes towards running the competition and expenses.
The action begins at 8.30am on Saturday morning in the Forster Campus hall.
