{"id":12242,"date":"2022-05-27T18:10:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T16:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.kct.pl\/?p=12242"},"modified":"2026-09-16T14:36:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T12:36:50","slug":"coaches-success-at-the-polish-taekwon-do-championships-in-czestochowa-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kct.pl\/en\/coaches-success-at-the-polish-taekwon-do-championships-in-czestochowa-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Coaches\u2019 Success at the Polish Taekwon-do Championships in Cz\u0119stochowa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ma\u0142e Smoki coaches Gabriela Kowalska and Dariusz Pazdan achieved impressive results at the recent Polish Championships. Read the competition report and see which podium places they took.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Day 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 21 and 22 May, the Polish Taekwon-do Championships took place. Naturally, the Krakowskie Centrum Taekwon-do team could not be absent. We travelled to the competition prepared and with high expectations. For many, it was a chance to test themselves and use newly acquired skills in various disciplines; for others, it was a desire to prove their level to themselves; and for still others, simply a desire to have fun. In any case, everyone competing for medals had to overcome stress and emotions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first day of the championships, the youngest competitors took part\u2014children and juniors. After assembling at 5 a.m., we set off towards Cz\u0119stochowa, where the competition was to take place. We arrived after 7, and then everyone went to registration. An incredible atmosphere could be felt from the very beginning of the competition. As soon as we entered the hall, we greeted friends from other clubs. Alongside success, sporting friendship is what every athlete expects from competition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition began at 09:00, as usual with traditional patterns. Our youngest team showed that training brings great results, as we dominated this discipline from the start. Within the first few events, we had already won several medals. Over time, more medals followed, and the disciplines changed to speed breaking and special techniques. After that came the long wait for soft and semi-contact fights. Here too, our students were very well prepared. To such an extent that, in one soft category, Leon, Piotrek and Wiktor from the Nowa Huta section took all the podium places. There was no doubt about the verdicts in their fights. The boys had to face one another in the semifinal and final, which is always a bittersweet experience for a coach, because the joy of two first places is enormous. But why can\u2019t both of them stand on the highest step of the podium?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the children\u2019s events, it was time for the juniors. The most interesting of all the events were the traditional patterns and fights. Even at these ages, I was surprised by the level of competition. Those who wanted to stand on the podium had to reach the heights of their abilities. Although some of our competitors did not manage to win medals, they return with valuable experience, which will certainly translate into results in the future. Our young competitors performed really well, and the semi-contact training with coach Rafa\u0142 is producing tremendous results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The competition ended before 18:00, which is fantastic. The organisation of the competition was excellent and worthy of admiration. After the competition and congratulations, some competitors returned to Krak\u00f3w by coach, while the rest, as coaches, competitors and judges, stayed in Cz\u0119stochowa for another day of competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the evening, we checked into the hotel and eagerly awaited the next day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the second day, the team in Krak\u00f3w boarded the bus at 05:00. At the hotel, we slept soundly until 07:00. We had breakfast and then went to the hall. At 08:30, everyone had been registered, weighed and measured. I think everyone made their weight category and no one exceeded the limit. Perhaps with the exception of Szymon, who on Saturday, two hours before the weigh-in, was more than a kilogram overweight. But that was nothing for him. He did a few jumping jacks and the one and a half kilos disappeared as if by magic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cadets began competing at 09:00, again starting with traditional patterns as on the first day. Once again, we showed that our forms are of a high standard. There were more and more medals. That day, light contact, meaning continuous fighting, was added to the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a second, coach Darek ran from mat to mat so he could be there for everyone, but he spent the most time on mat 5. Several of our representatives had their categories there. Pawe\u0142, Piotrek, Filip, Oskar and Karol faced a huge category with high ranks in semi-contact, which made reaching the medal zone very difficult.  Piotrek and Pawe\u0142 fought bravely, only to meet in the fight for bronze. At the same time, junior events were taking place on other mats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 14:00, the official opening of the competition took place, during which awards for clubs for the previous competition season, certificates related to promotion to master ranks and instructor ID cards were presented. After this event, it was time for the senior categories. This age group also began with forms. Here too, we left no doubt, winning all the traditional-pattern events. In the men\u2019s coloured-belt category, Krzysiek triumphed; among the women, Gabrysia came first and Kaja second; and in the men\u2019s black-belt category, coach Darek took first place, with Szymon just behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that, we put on our protective gear and waited for the semi-contact fights. The fights were difficult and fiercely contested. Unfortunately, the judges often did not help during the fights, and even hindered them. This unfortunately causes considerable frustration and usually makes it difficult to keep one\u2019s nerves under control. Unfortunately, you have to pull yourself together and show class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, the fighting was excellent, and the whole tournament ended with the icing on the cake: junior and senior tag teams. Here too, it is worth considering whether the senior event should be moved from the end of the competition, when the audience is smallest, to an earlier time, when there are many spectators and younger competitors, because it is the greatest attraction for viewers, and young competitors can also see the best athletes in Poland in action\u2014often their coaches\u2014and even on the international stage. After fierce battles, two of our teams met on the mat in the fight for bronze. The team consisting of Micha\u0142 Klimek, Grzesiek Pajda and Szymon Grzebyk had to face the \u201cJezus and Friends\u201d team, consisting of Jezus\u2014Micha\u0142 Krupa M\u0142odszy\u2014and his teammates Szymon Piotrowicz and Darek Pazdan. Regardless of the result, they all high-fived one another and enjoyed the fight and the emotions created by their shared competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As on the first day, the competition ended before 18:00. We took 2nd place in the overall classification, and our competitor Szymon Grzebyk received the title of the best senior of the competition, with 2 gold medals and a silver, ahead of Nowa Huta competitor Dariusz Pazdan, with 2 golds and 2 bronzes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our competitors, who fought bravely for the highest possible results in their categories, deserve great recognition. Even greater recognition goes to the coaching staff, who were always ready to help every competitor and, despite their legs giving out from pain, did not let their fatigue show and tirelessly cheered on their students. Chapeau pas!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SENIORS 

Dariusz Pazdan<\/strong> – 1st place, traditional patterns; 1st place, light contact; 3rd place, semi-contact
Gabriela Kowalska<\/strong> – 1st place, traditional patterns; 2nd place, semi-contact; 3rd place, light contact
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tag team events\u2014events outside the ranking:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emilia Fiutowska, Kaja P\u0119ka\u0142a, Gabriela Kowalska<\/strong> – 2nd place
Dariusz Pazdan, Micha\u0142 Krupa, Szymon Piotrowicz<\/strong> – 3rd place <\/p>\n\n\n\n