By Madina Toure
Students at the Flushing Champions Taekwondo recently participated in two national championships in Florida and Texas, bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals.
The center, located at 141-20 Northern Blvd., sent 11 students to the Amateur Athletic Union National Championships in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., at the end of June, where 10 of them received medals. They also sent five students to the USA Taekwondo National Championships, held at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, from July 4 to July 11, with four students winning medals.
Master Michael Ro said students at his center compete at least six times a year both in and outside of the New York area.
“In the Queens region, there’s nobody really competing on that level,” Ro said.
Established nearly eight years ago, the Flushing center, which has more than 200 students, pushes students to do well not only in taekwondo but also at school and at home.
The students’ parents are required to submit forms about how their kids are doing at home and at school on a weekly basis, asking them to submit tests and other papers.
“We teach the students respect, discipline, confidence and self-defense,” he said. “Our program is pretty much to keep them on a positive route and make sure that they’re doing good at school, home and taekwondo.”
The center has 20 schools, most of which are based in Long Island. It also has schools in Brooklyn and at 213-18 48th Ave. in Bayside.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
