A group from Manx Taekwondo’s Douglas and Onchan Trinity clubs travelled to Bradford last week to take part in a rigorous sparring and poomsae (patterns) competition.

The 14 youngsters aged between six and 26 years old competed against clubs from all over the UK, which included more than 600 competitors of all levels and abilities.

The students have been training hard in the lead up to the weekend and they were all excited to put their hard work into action against some of the country’s top taekwondo clubs.

With the competition only being on the Sunday, the group enjoyed a trip to Chester Zoo the previous day which showcased the feeling of camaraderie amongst the youngsters, with the older kids including the younger ones in their jokes and activities.

This continued throughout the weekend and was encouraging to see, plus it was also a chance for the parents to get to know each other and to share any anxieties about the competition the next day.

The main event took place on the Sunday at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre and at first the sheer size of the venue seemed intimidating to some.

However, once the group was herded into the main hall and seated together, it all seemed to calm down.

The mix of ages and experiences in the group added immeasurably to the experience, as did the invitation to warm up with London-based team Kixstar Dragon Taekwondo in the lead up to their matches.

It was a hugely exciting experience for some of the younger members of the club who had never fought in a competition away from the Isle of Man, never mind one of this size before.

They were led admirably by the older and more experienced pupils who showed stamina, drive and respect throughout.

The club promotes mutual respect, support and teamwork, all of which appeared in droves throughout with each club member cheering one another on whether in victory or defeat.

Each pupil gained valuable experience from the entire weekend, not only by watching their own club members compete but also experiencing the enormity of it themselves.

If you would like to find out more about Manx Taekwondo, search for the club on Facebook.