Episode 211
Ep. 211 - Did you survive Worlds 2026?
The World Championships have concluded, and we are eager to share our reflections on this extraordinary event. Our experiences were enriched not only by the competition but also by the camaraderie observed among participants, instructors, and attendees alike. The remarkable diversity in team jerseys and the palpable enthusiasm of competitors were particularly noteworthy highlights, underscoring the global nature of our martial arts community. Additionally, during the episode, we shall present a captivating man-on-the-street segment, showcasing the thoughts and sentiments of various athletes. As we look ahead, we encourage everyone to prepare for the upcoming events and to mark their calendars for the next World Championships in 2027.
Takeaways:
- The World Championships experience was profoundly enriching, showcasing diverse cultures and exceptional talent.
- Traveling for the World Championships involved significant logistics, including extensive time spent at airports.
- Engagement with fellow martial arts practitioners at the World Championships fostered a sense of community and camaraderie.
- Participation in the World Championships is highly encouraged, as it offers invaluable experiences and opportunities for growth.
- The episode featured an insightful interview with a dedicated young athlete who shared their journey in martial arts.
- Future episodes promise to delve into upcoming events, including Fall Nationals, enhancing listener engagement.
Transcript
We made it back from World Championships.
Speaker A:Let's talk about it.
Speaker A:Welcome to the ATA Nation podcast.
Speaker A:Instructors, students, parents, masters of song on taekwondo.
Speaker A:Welcome Back to the Ata Nation podcast.
Speaker A:This is episode 211.
Speaker A:I just got back from not just World Championships, but a week gone on vacation as well.
Speaker A:So I've been home for less than like 36 hours in the last 14 days or so.
Speaker A:It has been amazing.
Speaker A:World Championships, what did you guys think?
Speaker A:Was it just a great time?
Speaker A:The song on cup, the.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker A:The toc Just.
Speaker A:There was so much.
Speaker A:Man, did you guys see those jerseys for all the different countries?
Speaker A:Man, those were awesome.
Speaker A:Some great stuff from WMA in there, guys.
Speaker A:World Championships was so amazing.
Speaker A:If you missed out, guys, I am so sorry.
Speaker A:You need to make plans right now.
Speaker A: com and get the dates for the: Speaker A:Don't miss it.
Speaker A:Make your plans now.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:It was so much fun.
Speaker A:I love seeing all kinds of people that I just get to see every time I go to World championships in a national event.
Speaker A:I had some travel issues.
Speaker A:I spent extra time in an airport on the way there and then extra time in an airport on the way home.
Speaker A:But all of it very worth going to world Championships, which actually I got a little man on the street interview I want to show you now.
Speaker B:Okay, these guys are all getting ready to compete.
Speaker B:What division you place?
Speaker B: This is: Speaker B:1517 Second, third degree.
Speaker B:Okay, now this is not for worlds.
Speaker B:This is a random on the suite questionnaire.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt weapon or Excuse me.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Red belt.
Speaker B:Red belt.
Speaker B:Round up.
Speaker B:Oh, I'm sorry, you're wrong.
Speaker B:That's not the right answer.
Speaker B:Okay, favorite color belt, weapon.
Speaker B:I mean, favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Purple belt.
Speaker B:Purple belt.
Speaker B:That's a great choice.
Speaker B:Okay, favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Ooh, color.
Speaker B:Red belt form.
Speaker B:Red belt.
Speaker B:Oh, that's a popular one.
Speaker B:Okay, favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Purple.
Speaker B:Okay, super purple.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker A:I think green.
Speaker B:Green.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Also green.
Speaker B:Also green.
Speaker B:Okay, let's see what this guy says.
Speaker B:Favorite color, belt form.
Speaker B:Song on four.
Speaker A:Oh, okay.
Speaker A:I think you're the first one to.
Speaker B:Say song on four.
Speaker B:I like it.
Speaker B:Good choice.
Speaker B:Let's go harass some other people real quick, see what they think.
Speaker B:Okay, here we go.
Speaker B:I need a favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Song of one.
Speaker B:Song of one.
Speaker B:Hey, classic.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Purple bone.
Speaker B:That's a very popular one.
Speaker B:Very popular.
Speaker B:Here we go.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:I'm gonna go with Brown belt, brown bell.
Speaker B:I'm sorry, you're incorrect.
Speaker B:That's not the correct answer in my opinion.
Speaker B:That's okay.
Speaker B:Here we go.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Red belt.
Speaker B:Red belt form.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:Green belt.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt form.
Speaker B:There two white belts.
Speaker B:It's smart.
Speaker B:Smart song on one.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:Favorite color belt forms.
Speaker B:World championships.
Speaker A:I hope you guys enjoyed that man on the street.
Speaker A:I've got a couple more of those coming for you in the next couple weeks.
Speaker A:A lot of fun talking to students and instructors across ata nation at world championships.
Speaker A:I also got to be.
Speaker A:I got to share the stage with a movie star and almost get her to commit to being on the ATA Nation podcast.
Speaker A:Ms. Hannah Zeitung was my co presenter at the h or the awards gala that we had for the licensees.
Speaker A:I got to help present an award.
Speaker A:That was really fun then as well.
Speaker A:So a lot of cool things at world championships this year.
Speaker A:If you missed it again, go redshirt.
Speaker A:Get there.
Speaker A:You got to be there.
Speaker A:It's so much fun.
Speaker A:Now we have our athlete of the week and afterwards, a couple announcements on who we've got coming up on the next episode.
Speaker A:So let's get to it.
Speaker A:Ata nation, we have another awesome athlete of the week with us today.
Speaker A:Hey, ma', am, can you introduce yourself for us?
Speaker C:Hello at nation.
Speaker C:My name is mackenzie dahell.
Speaker C:I am a first degree black belt from highland, indiana, and I go to region ata.
Speaker A:Region ata.
Speaker A:That's the kogliniuses, right?
Speaker C:Yes, sir.
Speaker A:Very awesome.
Speaker A:Great people over there.
Speaker A:Hey, we'd like to start with how did you get started in martial arts?
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:So it was.
Speaker C:I was about 10 years old, my mom found out about region ETA in our town and she called and was like, hey, I want my child to try out.
Speaker C:They gave us free trial that we could go out and try.
Speaker C:So I went.
Speaker C:I was super nervous.
Speaker C:I wasn't very confident at the time.
Speaker C:I was very timid and I did run off a bit upset.
Speaker C:Nervous.
Speaker C:But my coach, my very first coach, coach Lizzie, came back and told me everything would be okay and she brought me back on and after I got off, I told my mom I want to sign up.
Speaker C:And that day I signed up and.
Speaker A:Seems to have gone pretty well for you.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:So are you a big competitor at tournaments?
Speaker C:I am a big competitor, yes.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker B:What's your.
Speaker A:What's your favorite event?
Speaker C:I would say my favorite event would have to be extreme forms.
Speaker C:I do, I do like that I get to create my own form.
Speaker C:I like.
Speaker C:I don't have to worry about the rules of.
Speaker C:Of creative.
Speaker C:I get to use tricks, especially with, like, using BO staff as well.
Speaker C:Like, it's so much fun to just toss it up and show what you can do.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you do open hand and weapon or just the weapon?
Speaker C:I do open hand and weapon.
Speaker C:I do a lot of bows.
Speaker A:Very cool.
Speaker A:And your go to weapon is the BO staff?
Speaker C:Yes, sir.
Speaker A:Yeah, because you get to chuck that thing around and do all the fun, right?
Speaker C:Yes, sir.
Speaker A:What about.
Speaker A:Okay, if we had to pick an event that was, like, maybe not your favorite event, what would that be?
Speaker C:I would say not my full favorite event.
Speaker C:Would have to be probably sparring.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:I'd say sparring is fun.
Speaker C:It's just there was many times throughout seasons where I would just get hurt a lot, and, you know, it was very difficult, but I always jumped back to it.
Speaker C:I always kept on it.
Speaker C:I always wanted to keep up with sparring.
Speaker C:I always just wanted to try and, like, keep my position where I should.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Do you.
Speaker A:Do you do any team sparring?
Speaker C:I do not do team sparring yet.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:I'm thinking about it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It could be cool.
Speaker A:I. I agree.
Speaker A:It's hard to pick a one that we don't like because it's, like, it's all fun, you know?
Speaker A:I mean, there's nothing that's like, you know, I mean, it's all better than running marathons or something crazy like that.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker C:Yes, it's all fun to do, but there is, like, certain ones that you're iffy about, and then there's certain ones that you're like, oh, I love this.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:They're all.
Speaker A:There's a range, for sure.
Speaker A:Hey, if you were looking at.
Speaker A:Well, how did the last tournament season go for you?
Speaker C:It went really well.
Speaker C:I did districts, and I ended up winning three titles, which was my very third districts.
Speaker C:My first time, I didn't place.
Speaker C:My second time, I got two thirds, and this time I did get those titles I was hoping for.
Speaker C:I did really well in my creative and extremes.
Speaker C:I was getting second in forms and weapons.
Speaker C:I was placing third in combat sparring.
Speaker C:I was feeling really good about it.
Speaker A:Excellent.
Speaker A:So what were the titles you ended up with?
Speaker C:I ended up winning traditional forms, traditional weapons, and extreme forms.
Speaker A:Very nice.
Speaker A:What's your traditional weapon that you do?
Speaker C:My traditional weapon is the BO staff color belt form.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker C:I had just gotten my black belt.
Speaker C:Ma' am was like, use your red black belt.
Speaker C:Do the color belt form.
Speaker C:And I ended up going out and winning, so.
Speaker A:So will this year be Your first year in the, the first degree division?
Speaker C:Yes, sir.
Speaker A:Okay, good deal.
Speaker A:That's exciting.
Speaker A:What do you, what kind of goals do you have for this new season?
Speaker C:I would say my goals are I would like to train harder, push more to my limits.
Speaker C:I definitely have way higher limits than I did last season, and I would just really like to go to Worlds.
Speaker C:I would like to see what it's like.
Speaker C:I did go to Nationals and I did end up getting two third places.
Speaker C:So I would like to go back and, like, try again.
Speaker C:Like, I'm always open for that challenge.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Did you.
Speaker A:Are the Worlds, are you planning on going here in a couple of weeks or are you looking to start at the next one?
Speaker C:I'm looking to start at the next world.
Speaker C:So this world I will not be going to, but next world I will definitely be looking forward to going.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Get yourself in the top 10.
Speaker A:So tournament of champions this year.
Speaker A:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker A:Good deal.
Speaker A:What age division are you in?
Speaker C:I'm in 13, 14.
Speaker A:Okay, good deal.
Speaker A:I think I might have a student in that one I got to think about.
Speaker A:Yeah, 13, 14, this new year.
Speaker A:I think so.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:She'll be in your, in your group?
Speaker A:I think so.
Speaker A:Exciting.
Speaker A:Hey, before we, we wrap up here, you said you were helping in some classes.
Speaker A:I see you've got the red collar.
Speaker A:So you're legacy student.
Speaker A:What kind of goals do you have as it comes to, like, helping in classes, teaching those kind of things?
Speaker C:The goals I have when it comes to teaching class is I want to give, like, the wisdom I can, the wisdom I know of Taekwondo.
Speaker C:So if I'm like, told, hey, I want you to lead the kids through this.
Speaker C:Like, do your best, like, tell them how you would explain it.
Speaker C:I go out, I show that confidence.
Speaker C:You don't want to be, like, afraid.
Speaker C:You want to, like, show that confidence.
Speaker C:Like, deep down you can be afraid as much as you want, but you want to show confidence on the outside.
Speaker C:So you want to be like, all right, guys, so today we're going to learn a friend kick and you teach them and you show them everything you know, and then they do it right, and then you feel proud about yourself.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, that's.
Speaker A:That's great.
Speaker A:Do you have a, you know, if you're thinking about the life skills that we talk about in the ata, is there one that really, like, either you just love to, to talk about or to help teach or.
Speaker A:And sometimes it's the same one, one that you're like, oh, that's, that's a hard One for me.
Speaker A:I gotta.
Speaker A:I gotta really work on that.
Speaker C:Sometimes it is definitely hard to teach the kids reverse sidekicks because sometimes they don't understand which way to turn.
Speaker C:And it's like, so we're gonna face this way, turn that way, and they may turn the other way, and it's like, up.
Speaker C:Let's try again.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker C:That's one of the difficult ones.
Speaker C:The easiest one I teach is the weapon form, the nunchuck form, the color belt.
Speaker C:They grasped it like that.
Speaker C:It was so simple to teach them.
Speaker A:I love teaching that one.
Speaker A:I think that's one a great color belt form.
Speaker C:It is an amazing one.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:Color belt song is.
Speaker A:Is awesome.
Speaker A:Probably my.
Speaker A:That might be my favorite one.
Speaker A:I like the single bung monkey form too, you know, can't go wrong with a good kachunga.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Well, hey, to wrap it up, what does it mean to you to be an athlete that goes beyond the belt?
Speaker C:I would say what it means to be an athlete beyond the belt for me is that over the course of three years, I have shown so much discipline.
Speaker C:I have learned responsibilities, I have learned growth and to be coachable and that you can go up to a coach and like, ask them and, like, not be afraid to be judged.
Speaker C:And beyond the belt is like going to tournaments and like, wishing other people good luck helping people out, like if they forget something or if they need, like a timekeeper or scorekeeper.
Speaker C:I'm always, like, there to be reliable on.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker A:That is excellent.
Speaker A:I know.
Speaker A:I always need timekeepers and scorekeepers.
Speaker A:That's a need for sure.
Speaker A:Pretty soon you'll be judging though, then too, you know, a couple.
Speaker A:A couple more years, you'll be judging.
Speaker C:Yes, sir.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:Well, uh, ma', am, first of all, congratulations on being chosen as one of the athletes of the week.
Speaker A:That's a.
Speaker A:A huge cool thing.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker A:And thank you for your time today.
Speaker C:You're welcome.
Speaker A:We hope you have an awesome, you know, new season in that black belt division.
Speaker C:Thank you so much,.
Speaker A:Man.
Speaker A:I've done so many of these athlete of the week interviews.
Speaker A:I head to world championships and I look around and I'm like, I think I interview that.
Speaker A:Is that the person I interview?
Speaker A:So much fun.
Speaker A:Anyways, speaking of athletes of the week and others, I got to judge Ms. Hallie Reeves in a ring.
Speaker A:She's been a former athlete of the week.
Speaker A:I think two time Ms. Maya Mo.
Speaker A:I got to judge.
Speaker A:They were both in the same ring.
Speaker A:I got to judge that one in the toc.
Speaker A:It was a lot of fun.
Speaker A:I think there were some others that I got to judge as well in the toc.
Speaker A:Lot of excitement there.
Speaker A:Too much fun.
Speaker A:Now I want to let you know, I booked right away.
Speaker A:We're done with World Championships.
Speaker A:Get a text from Chief Master Skiles.
Speaker A:He's like, hey, let me on the podcast.
Speaker A:I want to talk about Fall Nationals.
Speaker A:I was like, heck yeah, sir.
Speaker A:Let's do it.
Speaker A:So we're going to have Chief Master Skiles on next week's episode.
Speaker A:Going all through what's coming for Fall Nationals.
Speaker A:I can't wait to be in Pittsburgh again.
Speaker A:Early bird pricing is going to be over soon, so make sure you tune in to the next episode.
Speaker A:Hear all about the seminars, the training, all the things you can do it Fall Nationals.
Speaker A:And then we're going to have our Athletes Week and maybe even another on the man on the street interview with all of you as part of ATA Nation.
Speaker A:I'm excited about the new tournament season starting.
Speaker A:All kinds of amazing things coming, so make sure you're out there going beyond the Belt ATA Nation podcast.
Speaker C:Be sure to subscribe and share with your ATA family.
