The International TaeKwon-Do Federation provincial championships will make a rare appearance in Prince George this spring.
Provincials will be held May 31 at Duchess Park secondary school and will bring together 250 to 300 competitors.
"We'll have everything from first-timers - little kids, moms and dads - right up to national champions, western champions and former provincial champions," said Jordan Boudreau, head coach at Family TaeKwon-Do, which will serve as host. "It's a pretty broad scope, which is good. It lets everyone know that taekwon-do is for everyone, not just super athletes."
Both local clubs - Family TaeKwon-Do and Freedom TaeKwon-Do - will be represented at the B.C. tournament. Boudreau said it has been several years since provincials have been held in Prince George.
Taekwon-do is a Korean martial art which teaches self-defence through punches and kicks.
"It's very dynamic so you'll see a lot of big, high kicks," Boudreau said. "There's also going to be power breaking and special techniques at this event. For the power breaking, the competitors will test themselves against stacks of breakable boards, basically just seeing who has the most power in their punch or kick.
"And then the special technique is more the dynamic aspect with the really high kicks, the spinning kicks and a lot of aerial techniques. It's definitely one of the most challenging events to be in. Only a select few can do it but it's really exciting to see those guys fly through the air."
For spectators, admission is free, or by donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The JDRF is Family TaeKwon-Do's official charity and will have an information table on site.
"My goal is that we do spark a bit of interest in the community to come down and watch and see how beneficial martial arts can be," said Boudreau, who holds a fifth-degree black belt in taekwon-do. "Not just taekwon-do, but any martial art in general is a great opportunity for people to get involved."
