Kick in the Door

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Kick in the Door
World-class martial artists come to Ormond Beach
2005-10-04
Article Written by: Bryan Munson

Kicking and Screaming. It's that Will Ferrell movie no one bothered to see. It's the hedonistic toddler's secret weapon. It's an end-zone dance and an expression of glee on a late Saturday night - after the bar. It's James Brown.

But if you've ever been to a karate tournament, kicking and screaming is something entirely different. Martial arts takes kicking and screaming above a funky high C to a place where purpose and balance transform it into a moment of clarity. Where mind and body fuse movement and memory into a solid core of focus and power. It becomes that elusive snapshot in life that many of us experience, but few can sustain. Not to say an end-zone dance is devoid of all that, but could Terrell Owens break bricks with that little two-step? Probably not.

On September 17, the Ormond Beach Middle School played host to a similar display of focus and power in the form of the FAME 2K Dynasty Challenge. Sponsored by Unified Tae Kwon Do (based in Ormond Beach) and Florida's FAME 2K competitive circuit, the Dynasty Challenge drew 135 martial artists from dojos throughout Florida and Georgia.

"There's a lot of raw talent in this particular area," Head Instructor Chris Guidry of Unified Tae Kwon Do said. "We saw there was no immediate local stage for these kids to compete, so we decided it was time to bring an event here. I really think Ormond and Daytona are ready to become a major part of Florida's martial arts scene."

Guidry, a 1st degree black belt, is Unified's head instructor at their New Smyrna location. It took the combined effort of Guidry and Master Sean Racki (a 4th degree black belt and Guidry's instructor) to bring the tournament to Ormond Beach. While both were pleased with the turnout, they hope future Dynasty challenges will bring more people to the tournaments as competitors and spectators.

"The FAME 2Kcircuit is the largest in Florida and easily one of the most accessible," Guidry said. "They have 117 different divisions based on age, rank, and gender, and any style is welcome to participate under FAME's rules. What's great is that there's something for everyone at these tournaments. Every style brings the unique aspects of their art and fans notice that. Some styles have a lot of flashy techniques in their forms (predetermined sequences of moves taken from a given style), whereas others are grounded in a more traditional approach. The point sparring and weapons forms are always exciting, too."

World Champion Alex Lane in white

A number of the kickers and screamers who competed at the Dynasty Challenge arrived in Ormond Beach with world-class credentials. At 19, Alex Lane of Longwood American Karate is one of the sport's fastest rising stars in point fighting. After earning his black belt some years ago, Lane has spent most of his time training in and around central Florida at various schools.

"The more time you spend training with other people, namely ones who are better than you, the better you become," Lane said. "You learn to adapt and move differently."

Lane's participation in the sport and his "strict" upbringing have helped him reach the level he competes at today. In December, Lane heads to Hungary to battle for the WAKO (another major competitive circuit) amateur point fighting championship. Following in Lane's footsteps is sixteen-year-old Joe Stapf. A tenacious fighter, Stapf heads to Russia soon to compete in the IAKSA 154-pound weight class point fighting championships. Stapf brought home a bronze medal in team fighting and musical weapons during last year's Switzerland competition, but this year he's set his sights higher and hopes to return home with some even shinier hardware.

Joe Stapf

Also on hand for the Dynasty Challenge were Elizabeth Sipes of Team Straight Up, Katie Smith of Team Yoshukai and Terri Jacoby of Team Elite. Sipes, Smith and Jacoby have all been seen on ESPN and are widely known for their electric performances - Sipes and Jacoby for their ferocious bo (a long, wooden staff) routines and Smith for just about every event she enters.

At only 14, Sipes, has a second degree black belt in American karate and the equivalent of a green belt in jujitsu. Last year in Switzerland, she took home two bronze medals for musical weapons and open weapons. Smith, meanwhile, will soon be heading to Canada to defend her IAKSA World Championships in musical forms and traditional forms. Watching Smith's performance feels like all the surrounding energy is drawn to her center point (the knot on her belt) and exploded outward with each move. The kicks and screams in her kata strike at imaginary opponents with a unique precision and passion - like being James Brown doing an end-zone dance on a late Saturday night in a24-hour Toys 'R Us but not being allowed to touch anything.

"The Dynasty Challenge was named in homage to the great dynasties of the past," Racki said. "A dynasty was a family that built an empire of greatness and we seek to do the same thing by building a phenomenal tournament. We want everyone to represent their art at our tournaments."

Unified TKD plans to have more events in the future, and invites all the surrounding communities to support local martial artists any way they can. For more information about Unified, surf to www.utkdfl.com. Schools are located in Ormond Beach, New Smyrna and South Daytona/Port Orange.

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