Sixty competitors of all ages and levels of ability descended on the Nicola Valley on the weekend for the Merritt Friendship Taekwon-Do Tournament.
The one-day event was hosted by the local Coquihalla Taekwon-Do Club, and held at the Merritt Secondary School gymnasium.
The competition was divided into two segments — patterns and sparring.
There were a total of 15 athletes from the local club participating, ranging in age from five-year-old Nate Ware to 44-year-old Dean Thompson.
Coquihalla Taekwon-Do head instructor Ed Nedokus was very pleased with how all his members did. For many, it was their very first competition.
Nedokus also wished to thank Dominos Pizza for their strong support of the event.
Taekwon-Do is a Korean martial art that places a strong emphasis on kicks, speed and agility. It was developed in the 1940s and 1950s.
The Coquihalla Taekwon-Do Club trains on Mondays and Thursdays at the Cadet and Youth Hall on Coldwater Ave. in Merritt. Classes run from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
For more information, call 250-378-2186.
