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.”

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.

Chief Instructor, Mitchell Church, of Performance Martial Arts Academy announces that eleven of his students recently competed in the Atlanta Warrior Classic.? This is an American Taekwondo Association sanctioned event that draws martial artists from across the country.

The event, also brought to you by Charley O?Corley?s, be held on January 30 at Mathis City Auditorium, 2300 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, GA.? Doors will open to the public at 6:00 pm.

Highlights of the card include a title fight featuring Tony ?Ringworm? Ritter.? Dicky Wilson will make his professional debut.? Shaun ?The Stallion? Gay will make his return to the cage.? Brett ?Bedtime? Chism (of Valdosta) will face a tough opponent in the main event.

Other amateur fighters in this show include Brent ?War Machine? Johnson, Kelly McCarthy, Lee Hendrix(Team Performance), Israel Mitchell(Team Performance), Tuzer Chism (brother of Brett Chism), Jarvis Stallings, Brett Cole and several other Moody Air Force Base airmen.

Tickets range from $29 to $100 each. Several cage-side seats, within an arm?s reach of the cage, are still available.? Tickets are available at:
Money Depot ? 229.245.8622
Family Pizza ? 229.560.2871
Southland Pawn ? 229.244.3346
Hall?s Fitness ? 229.559.3373

The after fight party will be held at Charley O?Corley?s.? Food and drinks at the event will be served by Loco?s.

The event is sanctioned by the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission.? The card is subject to change.

Each session begins with stretching followed by a? a highly intense cardio workout.? Then we begin the art of ground and pound, and submission techniques.”? Of course not all members in the class are competitive fighters,? but there are a few whom fight for Team Performance like Lee Hendrix and Israel Mitchell.? If you are interested in the MMA classes offered at the Performance Martial Arts Academy please contact Mr. Church at (229) 242-1173.

This is a closed class, meaning all whom train or observe must obtain permission from Mr. Church.

Those wishing to fight as an Amateur, must have a complete Physical & Cardiovascular clearance by their Doctor, and fill out the appropriate paperwork from the Georgia State Athletic & Entertainment Commission.

above photo features Team Performance Members:? left to right – Mitchell Church manager/trainer – Glen Sibley corner man – Lee Hendrix amateur fighter

5th Degree Black Belt and Chief Instructor of?Performance Martial Arts Academy, Mitchell Church?announces that Glen Sibley?recently?competed at the American Taekwondo Association’s “Holiday Classic Regional Tournament”, held at the Cashman Field Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Church reports that Sibley who is a green belt competed in a ring against competitors 3 to 4 belt ranks higher then himself.?? Mr. Sibley?won 2nd place in Songahm Weapons with his Double Ssahng Jeol Bong (nunchukas), and a 2nd place finish in Sparring.

Mr. Church adds that Sibley has a good chance of? becoming State Champion in all seven events for the 2009-2010 tournament season.

The 15 students of Mr. Mitchell Church?s Performance Martial Arts Academy of Valdosta and Lake Park all made remarkable showings in their events.