The Words of the Rapada Family |
The 4th National Peace King Cup Martial Arts Open Tournament
Emiljun "EJ" Rapada
August 12, 2007
New Jersey, USA -- The 4th National Peace King Cup Martial Arts Open Tournament was successfully held on August 12, 2007, at the Woodrow Wilson Middle School Gymnasium. The tournament was participated in by various martial arts schools across America. Most of the competitors were Tae Kwon Do experts but other martial arts styles competed, too, such as Aikido, Shin Do Ryu, Jui-Jitsu and Karate.
The tournament was the first ever martial arts competition in America that allowed diverse martial arts school to compete using the Tong-Il Moo Do rules. This event draws a lot of martial arts enthusiasts especially from the East Coast, where the majority of the participants came from.
During the opening program, Rev. Barry Geller, the District Leader of New Jerusalem Family Church of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, blessed the event with his invocation while Honorable James Anzaldi, the City Mayor of Clifton, New Jersey, gave a welcoming address. Master Shota Iwasaki, the President of World Tong-Il Moo Do Federation USA Chapter and the Chairman of the 4th Peace King Cup, read the message of Dr. Joon Ho Seuk, the Founder of the Tong-Il Moo Do, followed by the Oath of Sportsmanship by Master Raymond Siler of Tang Su Do, New York.
The first event was the Free Sparring Competition; Master Siler was the official referee and the judges were: Dr. David Burton of Bridgeport University; Master Larry Benaloga of Unified Martial Arts Academy, and Mr. Isagani Purganan of the Tong-Il Moo Do -- New York.
Later, the Form Competition and Team Demonstration were staged. The judges were: Master Devin Lewis of Eternal Life School of Martial Arts, New Jersey; Master Edward Busque of Tong-Il Moo Do, New Jersey; Master Khan of Ali Khan Tae Kwon Do, New York; Dr. David Burton of Bridgeport University, Connecticut; and Master Solomon Pavlou, New Jersey.
The winners of this national competition will represent North America in the 4th World Peace King Cup Martial Arts Open Tournament in South Korea on November 1-10, 2007.
The tournament was sponsored by the World Tong-Il Moo Do Federation, International Educational Foundation, Martial Arts Federation for World Peace, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification of New Jersey and Sheiks Family Fitness Center. It was made possible through the help of the Filipino Community of New Jersey, with the generous support of other sponsors and donors.