Edition:
June 16, 2006
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The Friday Flyer Assistant Editor
The Battle Club of Canyon Martial Arts dominated at the 2006 Elite Tae Kwon Do Championships held in Oceanside on June 3. In a field of 800 entries from all over the Western states and Mexico, eight of 14 fighters placed 1st, four placed 2nd and two placed 3rd in the full contact Olympic-style fighting. This gave the Battle Club the grand trophy for student wins.
Battle Club Director Steve Harriman notes there were several highlights in the day’s competition “just like out of the Karate Kid movie.”
Kelly Gentry, an 11-year-old brown belt student, was bumped up two divisions to black belt. After beating her first black belt opponent, she was fighting in the finals and winning her bout – but with 20 seconds left in the last round, attempted a spin kick and twisted her ankle. Looking like the Karate Kid, she attempted to keep fighting on one foot but finally had to bow out. After a trip to the hospital, it turned out her foot was broken.
Another 11-year-old, Jessica Zermeno, who has developed a powerful kick in spite of one leg being smaller than the other, fought a world champion fighter but lost on a decision. The champion’s father later told Jessica’s mother, Georgia, nobody had ever given his daughter such a tough fight.
Steve Roso, 11, fought an exciting match that ended in a tie and went into overtime. He landed a jump turn back kick to win the round and 1st place, “just like the movie Karate Kid,” says Steve. This was Steve’s 4th Olympic gold in a row.
The fighters who won first place include Jacob Perron, Steve Rosso (undefeated), Jakob Zermeno, Heather Zermeno, Ruby Hernandez (undefeated, third gold medal in a row), Nathan Baker, Rocco Harriman and Zack Newton. Winning 2nd in their categories were Casey Capola, Kelly Gentry, Jessica Zermeno and Rosiestar Hernandez. River Harriman and Andrew Maldonado each captured 3rd.
Another Battle Club member, Chris Radstad, couldn’t fight because of leg surgery but assisted Steve as a coach.
In other Battle Club news, on Friday, June 9, Battle Club member Jerry Davis, 40, won a King of the Cage fight at Soboba Casino. On June 10, Battle Club members Robbie Valdez, 17, and Vernon Blake, 22, won their matches at the Rebel Amateur Boxing Tournament in Riverside. Robbie won on a third round knockout, while Vernon won on a third round decision.
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