WKA World Championships Review

From an interview with the local paper

The WKA World Kickboxing Championships drew to a close on Friday after a week of competition. The Tournament saw thousands of competitors from all over the world descend on Orlando Florida for one of the most prestigious martial arts tournaments in the world.

Instructors Adam Paterson (23) and Gary McGuire (27), form the Alloa School of Taekwon-Do (PUMA) based at the Alloa West Church Hall, were part of the Scottish Kickboxing Squad that Jetted off to Orlando a fortnight ago. The boys were confident ahead of the competition after their ITF World Championship Gold Medals last year.

The competition earns this prestigious reputation by being open to all styles of martial arts. National squads are selected form qualifying competitions in the respective countries which ensures only the best in the world are there to compete. The Alloa's Instructors earned their place in the Scottish National Kickboxing Team via the WKA Open selection tournament back in February.

The Duo travelled out ahead of the official weigh-in on the Sunday. The competition began the following day with both lads in action Gary, a local plumber, was first on the mats and successfully battled his way to the quarter finals of the tournament with impressive wins over a Welshman and Canadian. He was unfortunate not to make it into the medals after narrowly being defeated by an American opponent. He told the Advertiser, “I beat myself, in the end it came down to fitness and for me it just wasn’t there, elimination rounds are fought over two 2min rounds and by the end of the second I was exhausted. I was clearly ahead in the fight but he sneaked it in the last few seconds”. Despite missing out on the medals it was an excellent performance from the 27 year-old that beat the 2007 WKA World Champion on his way to the Bronze medal at the XIV ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships a year ago.

Adam was the next to take to the mats and faced a strong German opponent in his opening bout. Adam said, “My first fight was tough, it took me a round to get into the match but after getting my second wind I took control and got the win”. There was no let up in the standard of opponents in his quarter final match Adam faced an Irish competitor who was fresh from winning the prestigious Irish open. After two rounds it was the Alloa Lad that proved to be the better, He said “this was one of the toughest matches of the day as we were both similar in style, however having a few rounds under my belt I was able to outclass him.”

With a Bronze medal guaranteed the 23 year old Taekwon-Do Instructor was feeling confident in his semi-final match. He faced a Canadian with a win sending him to the World Championship Final; however after two hard fought rounds he watched the decision go against him. “I was absolutely gutted, I thought that my semi final match was by far my best performance of the day, losing didn’t even enter my mind”. He said “It was made worse when one of the judges told me he couldn’t believe the other two judges scored it to the Canadian ( Who went on to win the Gold), but that’s what sometimes happens you’ve just got to accept it and do better next time.” The boys are using this as experience and are both aiming to take gold at the 2008 WKA World Championships in Spain next year.