Proud to be representing the USA and bringing home the Silver Medal from World Competition in Seoul Korea, the Academy of Life and Leadership Taekwondo Competition Team (ALL TKD) is rich with the feeling of success. After traveling to California and achieving 1st place in Nationals, and then winning 1st place at the U.S. OPEN Hanmadang this year, they were enthusiastic about their chances of winning an international medal. Olympian Barb Kunkel, Coach Kristi Glaze, and Coach Scotty Glaze saw the team gain recognition in Korea World Competitions in 2011 and 2012. They watched heads turn and crowds cheer at those extraordinary performances, which won Silver and Bronze.
As competitors poured in this year, world-class athletes, coaches, and judges looked for ALL TKD again, knowing they would present even more difficult combinations of taekwondo, gymnastics, and board breaks while dramatically portraying a story to their audience once again. While carefully chosen music stirred strong emotion, new choreographed moves and actions spoke a clear message of “We Can Change Fighting to Friendship.” The crowd responded with cheers of excitement as the climax of the story line unfolded and fighting was replaced by peace. By using team insight and intelligence to incorporate acting skills into their over-the-top performance, they not only convinced the judges that they are a winning team, but they broke the language barrier and sent an important message to the World.