Martial Arts competitors from across the north-eastern United States and Canada were getting "a kick" out of Syracuse on Saturday, as the North Area Family YMCA hosted their annual Open Martial Arts Tournament. Hundreds on competitors and supporters gathered at Northside Baptist Church in Liverpool to share the love of martial arts, and to fully understand how far they've come in the sport.
"It builds character," says Sensei James Coker, presenter of this particular event, "so they get out there and they're just one on one. It shows them what they can do and what they can't do and what they can work on."
And it also gave some of the younger performers a chance to see some of the best, like Andrea Tyrrell, a young world champion who travelled all the way from Toronto to perform. Coker says the positive influences of the sport often translates into school life and a child's people skills.
"They have the concentration here because they have to work on it so hard, that it just carries right over to their school work. They first need to be able to respect each other, and they need to respect themselves in order to respect others. They learn that right here."
Click on the video link to see some of the competition, including multiple trophy winner Andrea Tyrrell.
