Episode 210
Ep. 210 - World Championship Week 2026
This podcast episode centers on the imminent World Championships, a highly anticipated event within the martial arts community. As we prepare to embark on our journey to Phoenix, Arizona, we express our excitement for the forthcoming activities, including the Songahm Cup. Throughout the episode, we emphasize the importance of community engagement and encourage attendees to connect with us during the event. We also highlight the opportunity to feature notable athletes and instructors, thereby enriching our podcast content with diverse perspectives. Additionally, we take a moment to introduce our Athlete of the Week, who exemplifies the spirit of dedication and ambition in martial arts, setting the stage for future accomplishments.
Takeaways:
- The podcast episode highlights the significance of the upcoming World Championships, emphasizing its prestigious nature within the martial arts community.
- Listeners are encouraged to engage with the hosts at the event, fostering connections and community among participants.
- There will be live streaming of the Songahm Cup, ensuring that those unable to attend can still witness the competition's excitement.
- The episode features interviews with international athletes, showcasing their dedication and cultural pride in representing their countries.
- The hosts express their commitment to providing valuable content from the World Championships, including insights from various martial arts figures.
- Listeners are reminded of the next episode's hiatus, with a return planned after the championship event to discuss outcomes and experiences.
Transcript
Its World Championship week.
Speaker A:Let's get going.
Speaker A:Welcome to the ATA Nation podcast.
Speaker A:Instructors, students, parents, masters of Songam Taekwondo.
Speaker A:Welcome Back to the Ata Nation podcast.
Speaker A: for Phoenix, Arizona for the: Speaker A:I'm there for all of it.
Speaker A:It's gonna be an amazing time.
Speaker A:If you, most of you are on your way there right now.
Speaker A:I have seen so many Facebook posts, Instagram, all the things that are showing people flying there, driving there, on their way.
Speaker A:The pilgrimage to World Championships has begun.
Speaker A:So couple of things I want you to know about.
Speaker A:Number one, if you see me there, stop me, say hi.
Speaker A:I'm going to be there, hopefully recording some episodes with some guests.
Speaker A:I've got some athletes of the week I want to meet out there, maybe some other other individuals, some instructors, some masters.
Speaker A:Hopefully we can get some content out there for you guys.
Speaker A:We're also going to be streaming live the Songam cup.
Speaker A:So we have the prelims and then the finals are going to be two different days.
Speaker A:So make sure you are subscribed on YouTube and Facebook to the ATA martial arts pages so you can catch those live.
Speaker A:If you're not there or if you're there but you just can't get a good seat, we're going to be there.
Speaker A:I've got some of our brand ambassadors going to be roving reporters for us at the Songam Cup.
Speaker A:So really excited.
Speaker A:It should be good.
Speaker A:Just gotta count on that Internet access while we're there.
Speaker A:That's the, that's the key.
Speaker A:So actually that reminds me, I've got some of our international team members that I want to introduce.
Speaker B:My name is Shikantragwen.
Speaker B:I train at 1AMartial Arts in Tucson, Arizona State.
Speaker B:I'm honored to represent Team India at this year for Sangam Cup.
Speaker B:I'll be competing in sparring and combat sparring.
Speaker B:I'm excited to compete against some of the best athletes in the world and representing my country.
Speaker B:See you at Sangam Coffee.
Speaker C:Hi everyone.
Speaker C:My name is Sanjna Bhavikati and I'm a 5th degree black belt in St. Louis, Missouri at Rise Martial Arts.
Speaker C:I've been doing ATA for 20 years and I am so excited to be representing Team India at the Sangam cup this year.
Speaker C:Being selected to be on this team means a lot to me because I am so proud of my culture and I'm so excited to represent it on this big stage and I'm also excited to be a role model for other Indian students who are training around me.
Speaker C:I can't wait to see you all there.
Speaker C:I'm so grateful for the support from my instructors, my family and my friends.
Speaker C:And I can't wait to get the competition spirit on.
Speaker C:Let's go, Team India.
Speaker A:Hopefully we will get to interview some more awesome international team members while we're there in Phoenix before or during the live of the Song Cup.
Speaker A:Going to be exciting.
Speaker A:Now we also have our athlete of the Week that we don't want to miss out on.
Speaker A:Now, as I mentioned that next week, the ATA brand ambassadors are taking the week off of the Ambassador corner, and thus we won't have an athlete of the Week.
Speaker A:And honestly, I. I was really pleased because I need to take the week off also because we're going to be in Little Rock or, excuse me, in Phoenix the whole time.
Speaker A:And I just.
Speaker A:It's crazy.
Speaker A:So we will not have an episode of this podcast either next Monday, but we'll be back the following Monday with another episode and hopefully some great content from World Championships, because I'll see you there.
Speaker A:Now let's get to our athlete of the week, ATA Nation.
Speaker A:We are here with another amazing athlete of the week.
Speaker A:Sir, can you introduce yourself for us?
Speaker D:My name is Salman Patrick.
Speaker A:And where are you training out of?
Speaker A:And what belt are you?
Speaker D:I'm training out of World Class Martial Arts in Las Vegas and I'm a purple belt.
Speaker A:Oh, congratulations.
Speaker A:I'm.
Speaker A:I love having new color belts or not new color belts, but having color belts on the show is so great.
Speaker A:So here's a question.
Speaker A:How'd you get started in martial arts?
Speaker D:I started doing judo when I was 8, and then I wanted to get back into it when I was 12 and my dad found this studio.
Speaker D:It was called World Class and we thought it had judo, but it didn't, so we joined.
Speaker D:And then I found out it was Taekwondo, and then I fell in love with it because I used to go every day, even though I was leadership and not in Legacy.
Speaker D:But then the owner gave me Legacy, so then I go there every day.
Speaker A:Oh, that's awesome.
Speaker A:That's so cool.
Speaker A:When.
Speaker A:So you started judo when you were younger?
Speaker A:How much judo did you take?
Speaker D:I was only 8, so like maybe an hour a day.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And you came back, found out this was Taekwondo instead of judo.
Speaker A:That's a.
Speaker A:Those are quite different arts.
Speaker D:Yeah, I found out I was pretty good at kicking.
Speaker A:So then you're in the right sport.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker A:What's Your favorite kick?
Speaker D:40.
Speaker A:It's good.
Speaker A:Good.
Speaker A:Okay, so you're you know, you're doing all this training.
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker A:You're loving Taekwondo with all the kicks, all the things.
Speaker A:What, what.
Speaker A:What parts of Taekwondo like, are you really loving?
Speaker A:Obviously, there's so many parts with weapons and sparring and forums and all the things.
Speaker D:I like doing.
Speaker D:Extreme in extreme Sparring is great too, but my favorite part is teaching classes.
Speaker A:Okay, very cool.
Speaker A:So you really enjoy getting in there and getting to help other kids?
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker A:Very cool.
Speaker A:Okay, so you said you're a purple belt.
Speaker A:We're looking at, you know, what kind of goals that you've got, like a whole world in front of you of, you know, legacy and competitions and black belt and all those kind of things.
Speaker A:What kind of goals are you setting?
Speaker D:My goal is to run a school someday and then open up my own.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:That be for someone else or my own studio.
Speaker A:I love that.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Have you.
Speaker A:So you're right in helping in classes, doing all those kind of things, learning your own material.
Speaker A:When's the goal to test for first degree?
Speaker D:What, do you have a date set next June?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Perfect.
Speaker D:Nice.
Speaker D:That'll be so we can start the new year off as a black belt.
Speaker A:Yep.
Speaker A:Start the new tournament season.
Speaker A:Have you done some tournaments already?
Speaker D:Yeah, I actually got state champ in forms and sparring, and I got district champ in forms, weapons and window forms, combat and sparring.
Speaker B:Nice.
Speaker A:Congratulations.
Speaker A:Can't complain about that.
Speaker A:What form are you competing with?
Speaker A:Very cool.
Speaker A:Okay, what's your.
Speaker A:What's your favorite part of Chunjong 2 and your least favorite part about Chunggung 2?
Speaker D:My favorite part is sometimes around kick sidekick.
Speaker D:It's either good or bad on each given day.
Speaker D:And my least favorite part is the ending.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:The low X front kick, high block.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay, Cool.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And you said, are you doing a weapon?
Speaker A:What's your.
Speaker A:Your go to weapon?
Speaker D:I do double checks.
Speaker A:Ah, nice.
Speaker A:That's a good one.
Speaker A:I like that.
Speaker A:I like it.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker D:A weapon is commas.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Your xma weapon is commas.
Speaker D:Yeah.
Speaker A:Very nice.
Speaker A:Do you do.
Speaker A:So you do commas for both creative and extreme or just for extreme?
Speaker D:I only do extreme.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Okay, cool.
Speaker A:You got to throw those things up and catch them and do all the spinny twirlies and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker D:Yep.
Speaker A:Okay, so in extreme, let's.
Speaker A:Let's hit this real quick.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:That is even, you know, even more different than judo when you were doing that.
Speaker A:What about the extreme really excites you?
Speaker A:What.
Speaker A:What Draw.
Speaker A:You drew your Attention to the extreme.
Speaker D:I watched Hana, when I just joined the ata, do xma and that sparked it.
Speaker D:So then I watched other people do it and then I made my own form.
Speaker D:It was horrible.
Speaker D:I didn't even have.
Speaker D:I didn't even have a song.
Speaker D:But then there's a third degree from our school.
Speaker D:She created a form for me with the mix that my teacher used to have.
Speaker D:Nice.
Speaker D:And I kind of.
Speaker D:I basically changed the entire form and made it better.
Speaker A:You like it if it's you now more, right?
Speaker A:I mean that's sometimes the thing.
Speaker D:And I like adding my own flare into my form.
Speaker A:Very cool.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's.
Speaker A:I mean that's the great part about the extreme stuff, is that you get to have your own personality, your own kind of, you know, take on the thing.
Speaker A:So that's, that's really cool.
Speaker A:I love that that inspired you.
Speaker A:What, what if we're looking towards the, you know, maybe the 26, 27 season, you're going to be colorbelt again in that division.
Speaker A:What kind of goals are you looking for maybe next tournament season?
Speaker D:I'm looking to grow because in height too, because 13, 14 and I'm only 5 3, so.
Speaker A:Ah, yep, you gotta, you gotta.
Speaker A:Well, hopefully, you know, you sprout up, you get those longer legs, you get it even more dangerous with the kicks.
Speaker A:That'd be amazing.
Speaker A:You're probably already dangerous enough with the kicks.
Speaker D:That's.
Speaker D:Sorry, that's my mom.
Speaker A:Oh, no problem.
Speaker A:What about your.
Speaker A:You said you got district champion sparring and combat or one of those?
Speaker D:Both.
Speaker A:Okay, very nice.
Speaker A:Go to sparring Attack.
Speaker A:What's your, your go to kick in.
Speaker A:In sparring?
Speaker D:Well, the Sidekicks.
Speaker D:The Classic.
Speaker A:Good answer or what?
Speaker D:X.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:Yeah, we were just working on that in our class the other day.
Speaker A:Very good.
Speaker A:What about for what's your go to combat?
Speaker D:So me and my instructor, we go and like, like how a track starts in the blocks so you can sprint at them and then I have it in the back end.
Speaker A:Okay, good, good, good.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, it's that, that speed off the the line, getting able to go in and go out nice and quick.
Speaker A:I'm with you.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Well, hey, we always like to wrap up with what it means to you to be an athlete that goes beyond the belt.
Speaker D:What it means to me is helping others, whether it be in class, outside of class, in tournaments, outside, just preparing them for whatever might come their way.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:You know what, I'm super excited.
Speaker A:I'm gonna hold on to this video.
Speaker A:We're gonna put it out.
Speaker A:You're athlete of the week.
Speaker A:But I'm gonna be able to see one day when you open, you become a master.
Speaker A:I'm going to be like, I interviewed that guy when he was a purple belt.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And now, now he's, you know, teaching all these world champs and all this kind of stuff, and I'll be like, I remember him.
Speaker A:So congratulations on being an athlete of the week.
Speaker A:And are you heading to world Championships?
Speaker D:Yes, we're going on for the seminars.
Speaker A:Very good.
Speaker A:Okay, well, hopefully I'll run into you there and we can say hi.
Speaker D:Okay.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thanks for your time today, sir.
Speaker A:Man, it's super cool to have some athletes of the week that are colored belts.
Speaker A:Super great.
Speaker A:I really enjoy that now, guys, World championships, it's going to be great.
Speaker A:I'm excited.
Speaker A:But I got to finish getting all this stuff in my suitcase and head off to the airport.
Speaker A:So until next time.
Speaker A:Remember, no episode next week.
Speaker A:We're skipping a week.
Speaker A:Catch us live for the song Arm Cup.
Speaker A:Until next week.
Speaker A:Get out there and go beyond the belt.
Speaker A:ATA Nation podcast.
Speaker A:Be sure to subscribe and share with your ATA family.
