Potomac Kids and Teens Test their Courage at Captain's Cup

Potomac, MD – On Saturday, November 21, forty-four students from East West Tae Kwon Do in Potomac and Bethesda competed in the Captain’s Cup XXII, a highly regarded local tournament started by legendary tae kwon do athlete Grand Master John Holloway. Led by East West Tae Kwon Do Head Master, Master Parshotam Sharma, students as young as five years old competed in traditional forms, team forms, board breaking and Olympic-style sparring. Students came away with a total of 60 medals – 12 Gold, 19 Silver and 29 Bronze.

“We are so proud of all of our competitors. Competing in tournaments is very different than being in class.” said East West Tae Kwon Do’s founder, 5th Dan Master Parshotam Sharma. “During class, everyone is friends, and the students know each other very well. At tournaments, not only do the students test their tae kwon do skills, but they have to compete against people they don’t know while under the stress of competition. For our sparring competitors in particular, unlike in most sports, our athletes also have to battle their natural instinct of ‘fight or flight’. In the tournaments we compete in, it is based on point-sparring, following the rules established by the Olympic Committee along with Junior Safety Rules. Although it is point-based, however, when you’re a beginning sparrer, it can still feel intimidating and your natural instinct to run away from your fears sets in. It takes time and training to learn how to conquer those instincts. All of our competitors trained hard, demonstrated great courage and focus, made great advances in tackling their fears, and did their absolute best. We couldn’t be happier for all that they’ve achieved.”

“Competing in tournaments, such as the Captain’s Cup, has been such an enriching experience for my children,” said East West Tae Kwon Do parent Patricia Donner. “Their focus, determination, work ethic, independence and resilience have really shined through. They’ve learned how to be humble winners, and how to handle defeat. All of which are life skills that we hope they’ll carry with them for their entire lives.”

For more information on East West Tae Kwon Do, contact Master Parshotam Sharma at eastwesttkd@verizon.net or go to www.eastwesttkd.com.

About East West Tae Kwon Do

East West Tae Kwon Do has fun, friendly, and professional Olympic-style Tae Kwon Do training for children and adults, ages 4 and up. For over 30 years, East West has helped students of all abilities develop the confidence, character, discipline, and focus to become champions in life. East West Tae Kwon Do has locations in Potomac Village, Cabin John Mall, and Bethesda, Maryland and competes on the USA Taekwondo circuit on the state, national, and international level. East West Taekwondo is an official member of the World Taekwondo Federation and Kukkiwon.

Photo: East West Tae Kwon Do athlete, Hannah Donner, Poom, prepares for sparring competition at Captain’s Cup XXII.