LOCAL SPORTS: Area Student Competes in Tae-Kwon-Do Tournament

by Jake DeLuca

On June 4th, Jake Graff of Armstrong County competed in the Northeast Regional Tae-Kwon-Do tournament in Lancaster.

Jake is an eight year old boy who has been practicing Tae-Kwon-Do since the age of four, making him very experienced for his age. Jake has his first degree black belt and is working on getting his second degree black belt before his hockey season starts.

Before participating in the Northeast Regional tournament, consisting of thirteen north-eastern states, Jake was crowned Pennsylvania state champion in many events. In the Northeast Regional tournament Jake impressed spectators and his father, John Graff.

“Jake finished 2nd in weapons, 2nd in extreme weapons, 2nd in creative forms, 2nd in combat, 2nd in creative forms, 2nd in extreme forms, 3rd in extreme forms at districts. He was state champ in PA for forms, weapons, sparring, creative forms, creative weapons, extreme weapons and extreme forms and he finished 2nd in the state in combat, so he had a good year for sure. In 2015 he won a state championship for creative forms, this of course is all 8 and under, he is 8,” Jake Graff’s father John said.

John went on to explain the different competitions.

“The regular form is when each of the degrees (1st degree black belt, 2nd degree black belt, etc.) and belts (red belt, white belt, black belt, etc.) have different forms (poses) you have to learn and compete in. There are four traditional, four creative and extreme events. The four events are forms, sparring, weapons and combat. In creative you can do anything, for example, in creative form you make your own form and you can use whatever you learn but you can’t leave the floor, you can’t do backflips or cartwheels in creative but you can leave the floor in extreme,“ John Graff said.

Along with Jake’s success in the state and Northeast Reigonal tournaments, he also placed 9th in the world in creative forms for first degree black belts and was tied for 9th in the world for creative weapons for the eight and under division.

Jake takes classes at Crawford’s ATA Black Belt Academy in Kittanning, if you or your child are interested in martial arts, you can contact them at 724-548-8045 or online at crawfordsata.com.