Three other local martial artists find success at Top 10 World Championships

Mark Webb, Jennifer Powell, Ali Vialdores and Brittany Johnson, all of Performance Martial Arts in Valdosta, recently competed at the Top 10 World Championships in Little Rock, Ark. From left to right: Mark Webb, chief instructor Mitchell Church, Jennifer Powell and Ali Vialdores. Not pictured: Brittany Johnson.

Adam MacDonald The Valdosta Daily Times

VALDOSTA — VALDOSTA — Four members of Performance Martial Arts in Valdosta traveled to Little Rock, Ark. last week with the common goal of becoming a world champion in Taekwondo.

When the Top 10 World Championships were over, TitleTown had its newest champion in Ali Vialdores, a former Valdosta State football player who won the world championship for sparring in the men’s first-degree black belt division.

Last year, Vialdores entered the Top 10 World Championships ranked No. 1 in the world in sparring. However, it was his first trip to the World Championships, and the pressure of being the favorite and an injury led to a second-round exit.

Not this year.

Vialdores entered the Top 10 World Championships this year a little more under the radar, ranked fourth in the world in sparring, and he was determined to enjoy the moment this time around. He did, and it resulted in the first of what he hopes are many world championships.

“Everything slowed down,” Vialdores said about his final sparring match. “The first person to five wins, but if you haven’t made it there yet, they throw in a yellow bean bag to signal the match is over with. I remember that yellow bean bag took forever to land. You could hear the Chariots of Fire music playing. While it was taking forever, I looked at the score and realized I won.

“It all hit me. It was great.”

While Vialdores was the only member of Performance Martial Arts to claim a Top 10 World Championship this year, three of the school’s other members that competed exceeded or matched their world rankings.

Mark Webb, a former world champion who was ranked third in weapons, narrowly missed becoming the weapons world champion in the men’s fourth- and fifth-degree black belt division. He finished tied for second, then won the tie-breaker over last year’s champion.

Judges awarded Webb scores of eight, nine and eight, with nine being the highest score possible.

“I was thinking, ‘I just won this thing,’ because that’s a near impossible score,” Webb said.

However, one other participant registered scores of eight, nine and nine to win.

“Having been world champion before, there’s not as much joy in second,” Webb said. “I was pleased with how I did. I don’t feel like I was robbed or anything. I think most people out there are going for the gold medal, the one Mr. Vialdores has. So yes, it’s good to get second and be second in the world, but I wanted to win. I think it rubs off on you here in Valdosta.”

Jennifer Powell, who was ranked third in sparring in the women’s third- and fourth-degree black belt division, finished third in the world in sparring.

Ironically, Powell admits that she isn’t very fond of sparring and that she likes the forms competition much better.

“I am really good at protecting myself,” laughed Powell. “They have taught us that at this school. With all of the self-defense you learn, I think from a sparring standpoint, I’m more defensive. I can protect myself well, and find that open spot where there’s nothing else I can do but punch and kick.”

Powell is a multiple-time world champion, having previously won titles in first- and second-degree black belt competition. She said her goal is to win a world championship in every belt level. Next year could be her last chance to win as a third-degree, because she will be testing for her fourth-degree belt at the same tournament.

“I’ve never met three more determined people in my life than these people,” Performance Martial Arts chief instructor Mitchell Church said of Vialdores, Webb and Powell. “I’ve been around some of the best martial artists in the world, and I know a lot of good people, but these are very determined people.”

Performance Martial Arts’ other participant in the Top 10 World Championships was 13-year-old Brittany Johnson, a Valdosta Middle School student. She finished third in sparring in the girls’ second- and third-degree black belt division. She entered the competition ranked seventh.

Johnson is a straight-A student who runs track and plays on a travel basketball team.

“For her to have her hands in that many fires, and to still place third in the world (in the junior division), that’s pretty awesome,” Webb said.

Vialdores, Webb and Powell all agreed that the reason for their success is Church’s training.

“Usually about two or three weeks before Worlds, when you’re in the Top 10, Mr. Church starts really picking apart the things you need to fine tune,” Powell said. “He’s trained you all year to do as well as you can in the tournament, and then he takes those parts at the very end and says, ‘This little tweak is going to give you that extra edge.’”

Church shrugs it off.

“They’re being modest,” Church said. “I’m very fortunate to have students that train as hard as they do, and are that committed.”

“When you have people like these guys, I love these guys to death. They’re really good people. It’s easy to teach them when they want to learn. I learn from them, too. Every one of them is different. I wish every one of them could win a world championship, but realistically, they’re not. They’ll get it. Next year we’ll have more, I’m sure.”

VALDOSTA — Scott Stauffer, formerly of Valdosta, was recently inducted as a Chief Master into the American Taekwondo Association.

The ceremony occurred at the 2010 World Championships and was made official by ninth degree black belt, Grandmaster Soon Ho Lee.

This is a high level of achievement and reflects Chief Master Stauffer’s dedication to teaching martial arts.

Stauffer taught in the Valdosta area for a total of 25 years before moving to Charleston, S.C. He is currently instructing children and adults in the pursuit of achieving their black belt degrees in taekwondo.

The process of reaching an eighth degree black belt and Chief Master reflects 38 years of commitment and training to the martial arts.

He is the seventh highest ranking individual in ATA.

Next up was Mr. Sibley in the adult men’s color belt ring, Mr. Sibley placed 3rd in Songahm forms after a 5 way tie breaker, and 1st in Songahm Weapons.  In the last event of the day for our schools competitors, Mrs. Powell a 3rd degree black belt, took 3rd place in Songahm Forms.  Then after 3 hard fought sparring matches Mrs. Powell won 1st place in Sparring in her division.

The day fell to the close after that with the last of Team Performance members packing and preparing to leave, closing ceremonies brought the end to the 2010 Songahm World Championships.  But remembering that this means the new Tournament session is underway, and the excitement and new friends that we will meet along the way.

Kameron Anderson, took 3rd Place in Songahm (traditional) Weapons and won 2nd place in Sparring, after a very intense and close sparring match.  Also competing was Ryan Spaulding, in his first Worlds as a Black Belt, while I was unable to watch his performances, it was reported that he did a great job and took competitor awards in Forms and Weapons for his boys age and division. Tori Sibley took 4th in Weapons after loosing a 3rd place tie breaker, and then won 3rd place in Sparring.

In the afternoon session Ms. Brittney Johnson a 2nd degree black belt, won 1st place in Sparring for the Girls 14 to 16 age division.  Mrs. Powell and Mr. Webb competed in Songahm weapons, as of this posting I am awaiting their results.

Mr. Sibley finished the afternoon, winning 1st place in Creative Forms, 2nd place in Creative Weapons, 2nd place in XMA Forms, and 1st place in XMA weapons.  Mr. Sibley competed in the ATA’s new Black Dobak (gi) for XMA and Creative competitors.

The results of the Augusta tournament are:

4th and 5th Degree Black Belt Division:
Mark Webb – placed 2nd in Forms, Weapons, and Sparring

2nd and 3rd Degree Black Belt Division:
Jennifer Powell – placed 2nd in Forms, and 1st place in Weapons and Sparring
Jennifer Hardy – placed 3rd in Forms ,Weapons, and Sparring
Brittany Johnson – placed 1st in Weapons and Sparring

Color Belt Division:
Glen Sibley – placed 2nd in Forms, 1st in Weapons, and 3rd in Sparring
Tori Sibley – placed 3rd in Forms and Sparring, 2nd place in Weapons

The results are as follows:
2nd and 3rd Degree Black Belt Division
Jennifer Powell – 4th place in the Forms competition
Jennifer Hardy – 3rd place in Weapons and Sparring

Color Belt Division
Tori Sibley – 4th place in Weapons
Glen Sibley – 1st place in XMA Forms, XMA Weapons, Traditional Weapons competition; 2nd place in Creative Forms, Creative Weapons, and Traditional Forms competition

Pictured left to right:  Jennifer Hardy, Glen Sibley, Tori Sibley, and Jennifer Powell

Here are the results:
4th and 5th Degree Black Belt Division
Mark Webb – Triple Crown Victory,  1st place in Forms, Weapons,and Sparring

2nd and 3rd Degree Black Belt Division
Jennifer Powell – Triple Crown Victory,  1st place in Forms, Weapons,and Sparring
Jennifer Hardy – 2nd place in Forms, 1st place in Weapons, and 3rd place in Sparring
Brittany Johnson – Triple Crown Victory,  1st place in Forms, Weapons,and Sparring

1st Degree Black Belt Division
Ali Vialdores – 3rd place in Forms, 1st place in Sparring

Color Belt Division
Glen Sibley – Triple Crown Victory,  1st place in Forms, Weapons,and Sparring
Kameron Anderson – 1st place in Forms and Sparring, 2nd place in Weapons
Tori Sibley – 2nd place in Forms, Weapons, and Sparring
Paige Giddens – 1st place in Sparring

The results are as follows:
Jennifer Hardy – 2nd place in Forms, 1st place in Weapons for the Women’s 2nd and 3rd Degree Black Belt Division.

Tori Sibley – 2nd place in Forms, 1st place in Weapons, 2nd place in Sparring for the Girl’s Color Belt Division.

Glen Sibley – 2nd place in Forms, 1st place in Weapons for the Men’s Color Belt Division.

Then All enjoyed the Family Mardi Gras Parade in Lafayette, followed by the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans on Sunday afternoon.

Pictured left to right:  Jennifer Hardy, Tori Sibley, Chief Instructor Mitchell Church, and Glen Sibley.

Please wear weather appropriate clothing.? Do Not wear your favorite white T-Shirt or Sweat Suit, Do Not wear your favorite new Sneakers!? You will get Muddy, You will crawl on the ground. You will get Wet with Sweat or Rain!

Parents will stay at the Bonfire locations to stay warm and dry.? Hot-dogs and Hamburgers will be cooked and served after the Boot Camp has finished.? All those attending may bring their ATV’s and Paint-Ball Guns to use after the Boot Camp has finished.? If you have any questions please contact the main Valdosta School at (229) 242-1173.