Lionel Bernier | March 18, 2019
The Filipino community is well represented within the ranks of the Spirit 1 Taekwondo Academy in Winnipeg with seven adult students and their children, four adult black belt instructors (two with children), and thirty students. Spirit 1 Taekwondo Academy is unique in that it encourages and promotes the participation of parents with their children in the practice of taekwondo. Of the adult parents, four of the ladies made the commitment to train with their sons and/or daughters and two fathers have done the same one year after their children began training.
This past February 9th, Jean Villarin, Janice Amsel, Roche de Luna, Chyryl Rances, Oliver Aniasco, and Rolando Dabasol, were all promoted to the rank of green belt or green stripe. These adults all have busy careers, from an ICU Registered Nurse, a Manitoba Land Surveyor, a Professional Quantity Surveyor, a Car Body Shop owner & operator, a Canada Revenue Agency employee, an employee of Maple Leaf Foods, and of course, although not a student, our very own professional photographer, Jay de Luna.
The atmosphere on Saturdays during the three hour training sessions is serious but at the same time is lightened by the jovialness of the Filipino personality. This encourages harmonious interactions with the non-Filipino students and staff to the extent that everyone has that “feel good” aura about them when the class is finished. To inquire about joining our family at Spirit 1 Taekwondo Academy, please give Master Tam a call on his cell at 204-997-0261 or send him an email at spirit1tkd@gmail.com.
Spirit 1 Taekwondo Academy is currently the leading academy at local tournaments held by and/or sanctioned by Taekwondo Manitoba. The academy has been in first place on the medal list for the last three tournaments consecutively and has again won the top spot at the Victory Cup Championships held on March 16th. A big contribution to its first place standings are the exploits of its young Filipino students who, for the 2018 season, all won the academy’s all-star and all-star runner-up awards , with one exception. At this latest tournament, half (20) of the competitors were Filipino students who won 31 medals: 9 Gold, 8 Silver, and 14 Bronze. The total for the club was 50.
The Rumour Mill: keep your “eyes peeled” for a new Spirit 1 Taekwondo Academy branch to open soon in the north end of Winnipeg.
