MetroFamily thanks James Davenport for submitting the following story.

Metro Area Gold Medallists Begin Quest to Repeat

(Oklahoma City) Ashli Takashima and Rebekah Davenport officially kicked off their quest to repeat as Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Champions in Tae Kwon Do. Last year both girls won their first gold medals in the AAU's National Tae Kwon Do Championships. On February 7th, the two teenagers officially kicked off the sparring season with their team from Combat Martial Arts Academy (CMAA) at the U.S.Central Tae Kwon Do Association's 23rd Annual Oklahoma Invitational. They both left the tournament with first place awards for sparring. Rebekah (Brown/Red Belt Division) added a second first-place award for forms, and Ashli (Black Belt Division) placed second in that event.

"I was excited to be back in the ring at this wonderful tournament," said Rebekah Davenport. "This was my first test to pass on the road to winning a second National Championship. I'm very pleased I passed it," she continued. Rebekah ended the 2008 competition season winning gold medals in sparring and forms at the Ft. Worth International Tournament in October of last year.

Although this was her team's official kick-off for the 2009 season, Ashli Takashima had already won gold this year. She participated as a member of the ProtecUSA All-Star Tae Kwon Do team in the Austin Friendship Invitational held in January. Ashli competed with 40 other competitors for one of ten spots on the All-Star Team. ProtecUSA is a manufacturer of martial arts equipment and supplies based in Texas.

"I always enjoy participating in the U.S. Central Tournaments," said Ashli. "The competition is strong and varied. You get a good feel for where you are at in your training early in the season," Ashli noted.

The two girls have been teammates and sparring partners at CMAA for nearly a year. They helped lead their 13-member team to ten first-place finishes and the tournament's trophy for "Best Team." CMAA's lead competition instructor, Denny Kelly, says the girls consistently display the attitude of champions. "They train hard, have positive attitudes, and consistently show respect to their coaches, teammates, and their opponents," Kelly noted.

Both Ashli and Rebekah say their training at CMAA gives them an advantage when going to tournaments. "I know that when I step into the ring at a tournament, I'm not going to face any better competition than what I have in my sparring classes," says Rebekah, referring to not only Ashli, but the other members of the CMAA team that practice regularly. "Coach Denny really pushes us to be our best, physically, and mentally," adds Ashli. "He won't let us quit on ourselves."

Both girls also say they are very glad they don't have to spar each other in tournaments. "We beat each other up enough in class," says Ashli. "It would be a real drag to have to do it in a tournament, too," she adds. "Ashli is too fast, and can hit you from almost any position in the ring," says Rebekah. "Rebekah is just flat out mean. She doesn't let up on you, and keeps coming," responds Ashli. But both also acknowledge that they have other tough sparring partners as well. "That's what I like about CMAA," explains Rebekah, "We train with a variety of practice partners that are all very skilled and quite tough. It really prepares us for tournament time."

Several of the team members will have to qualify for the AAU championships, so the team has a number of qualifier tournaments on its schedule between February and April. “You can’t just show up at nationals,” explains Master Ray. “You have to attend an officially designated qualifier tournament, and place at a certain level in your division,” he continues. Ashli and Rebekah, along with teammate David Wolfchief are all automatically qualified for this year’s championships by virtue of their gold medals from last year’s competition. According to coach Kelly, this gives those athletes the opportunity to attend some larger tournaments in the region that will have very strong competition. “It just gives them one more advantage in preparing to defend their gold medals,” he says.

However, the Ashli & Rebekah do face one significant challenge in repeating as champions – they both move up an age bracket. During last year’s season they both competed in the 12 – 13 year-old division (Ashli as a black belt, Rebekah as a green/blue belt). This year the girls will move into the 14 – 17 year-old division. They will move from being at the top of their age bracket to being at the bottom of a larger one.

“This will be a huge challenge for both athletes,” says Master Ray. “To repeat, they will both have to overcome opponents who are very likely, older, stronger, and more experienced than they are,” he adds. But, coach Kelly notes, “Their competitive drive, and their willingness to train will give them the ability to meet that challenge.”

One other challenge faced by every member of the team is the cost associated with the sport. Mas Takashima, Ashli’s father, explains, “We’ve been doing this for a long time. And it’s not inexpensive. Travel and lodging expenses, along with tournament fees, and equipment costs can mount up quickly.” In Ashli’s case, medical expenses have been part of the cost as well, as she has underwent rehabilitation treatment for lateral release surgery on her left knee in December 2007.

Rebekah’s father, James Davenport, says parents and athletes have to make sure they budget for the number of tournaments needed to prepare their children for nationals. “Obviously, the slow economy has hit everyone in some form or fashion,” he says. “Not everyone will be able to make every tournament. So we have to prioritize which ones are the best, along with which ones we can afford. And when you have more than one child competing, as several of us do, it becomes a real challenge.”

Master Ray says the cost of maintaining a competitive team is a major factor in the school’s current drive to find one or more team sponsors. “These athletes have the opportunity to achieve something really special – all of them. We want to make sure they are able to take advantage of that opportunity,” he explains. “So we are actively seeking individuals or companies who would like to be a part of this, and who want to support the best competitive Tae Kwon Do team in the state of Oklahoma.”

Until then, Master Ray and coach Kelly say the school and parents will work together to find ways to ensure their athletes have the best training and attend the best tournaments possible, in the most economical manner possible. Currently, Master Ray anticipates having between ten and fifteen athletes qualify for the AAU championships. “We’ll find a way to get them there, so they will enjoy one of the best experiences in life as an athlete – competing with the best in your sport.” Some of them, like Rebekah and Ashli, will prove to be the best.