All photos by Doron Horowitz ©

On Monday the 22nd of December 2008, second candle of Channuka, in the gymnasium of the city of Yoqneam, Israel, was held the fourth regional pattern competition. In it participated students from Giva'at Ada, Zichron Ya'akov, Tel Aviv, Keshet school and Yoqneam, the hosting city.

In the competition competed students aged five to adults, who competed according to age and rank. The competition was conducted in three rings, in each three referees. Each rank category performed its pattern altogether first, then every student individually. First to compete were the young color belts, and after them progressively appeared competitors possessing higher ranks including the black belts and parents that practice in the adult group in the evenings.

At the end of the first led Rabbi Noam the Channuka candle lighting ceremony, where all the competitors and parents participated. Later in the ceremony, a traditional sparring display was demonstrated for the first time in our country, by the 1st degree black belts from Zichron Ya'akov, Maya Hershko and Carmel Horowitz. The crowd was impressed and cheered with applause.

In the second part of the competition took place for the first time in Israel, a team pattern competition, with four participating teams from different clubs across the country. Each group had to perform with an original and précised pattern. The highest score was given to the adult group of Zichron Ya'akov's community center. The competition progressed in a festive atmosphere with much discipline, and was organized by the manager of the Israeli Center for Taekwon-Do area center-north, in the presence of the president of the Israel Taekwon-Do ITF Association - Mr. Danny Roth, and managers of the sport departments of Zichron and Yoqneam's community centers Mr. Avi Avitan and Mrs. Anlaya Aloni.

   

Well done to all the young and adult competitors, to the referees who judged fairly and to the parents and the crowd that came to cheer and support.

I would like to use the opportunity to invite all of you to our new website at www.tkd-israel.org! There you will find many photos from events in Israel and abroad and much more.

   

Sincerely yours,
Leonardo Oros-Duek
Secretary General of the Israel Taekwon-Do Association