With the summer release of The Last Airbender and the remake of The Karate Kid, a resurgent interest in the martial arts is no great surprise. Regardless of the magical quality that Hollywood spins, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have nothing on a growing number of youth who develop their respective art forms in Maple Grove.
Empty Hand, Full of Focus
“I don’t know if it is possible for a kid this age to find their ‘passion’ in life, but this has got to be pretty close,” says Connie Wetzel, mother of 12-year-old Mariah Wetzel, a second-degree black belt who can often be seen sparring with 200-pound men. Mariah began at age 8 after a class with her Girl Scout troop at the USA Karate School, headed by instructor Allan Kunstman. “Mariah has gained respect, focus, physical fitness and the ability to defend herself,” says Kunstman.
Karate means ‘the way of the empty hand’. Those who excel in it often experience a transformation in their view of themselves which propelled them toward a heightened level of focus. “Before Karate, Mariah would have typical kid moments of whining and complaining,” says Connie Wetzel. “After joining Karate, her attitude simply changed."
Little Champions Train Big
While Karate generally involves more punching, Taekwondo, the other martial art you’ll find in full force in Maple Grove, involves more kicking.
Eui Lee, of the World Taekwondo Academy, knows the benefits of beginning at a young age and started the Training Little Champions Program (TLC), the only team in the state that specializes in Olympic Taekwondo for kids ages 4–8. “We train our kids just like professional athletes with a little twist,” says Master Lee. “We just break things down to size for them.”
When Dan and Debbie Nelson adopted young children from the Ukraine, they had no idea that Taekwondo would bridge the gap of the poor developmental start their sons received in an orphanage. Their very fearful 4-year-old son Matthew began to quickly grow in confidence. “We are constantly amazed and proud of what he has accomplished since starting the program,” says Debbie Nelson. Now eight years old, he attends class three days a week. As a member of TLC, he attends additional training on two other days a week. Six-year-old Grant Nelson is following closely in his big brother’s footsteps.
The Next Level
Four World Taekwondo Academy students in particular have mastered the power of this form to an extent that allows them the honor of representing their country on the USA National Team. “Having one in a lifetime is good,” says Master Lee, one of the national team’s coaches. “To have four make the national team is really remarkable.”
Lee says that becoming an elite athlete is a slow process that takes time. “I think the main word is ‘sacrifice,’” says Amanda Bluford, a 14-year-old member of the national team. “One of the hardest things was having practice every Friday night because everything happens on Friday!” And that’s just one day, Fifteen-year-old team member Emma Clement clarifies: “We train and attend classes six days a week.”
The eldest member, 17-year-old Brenden Stroot, knows all about ‘sacrifice.’ He drives from Brainerd three times a week or more to train in Maple Grove.
With the enormous commitment that elite-level Taekwondo requires, what keeps these young people going? Pure passion. “I tried other sports—gymnastics, softball, basketball,” Caitlin explains, “but I never really enjoyed any sport as much as I loved Taekwondo.” And that love stems from all ages, shapes and sizes. “To anyone who knows me, they never can picture me as someone who loves to fight,” says Emma, who won the adult division at the lightest weight at Nationals last year at age 13.
While many people still get their martial arts fix on the big screen, the real drama will be playing out on the international scene. Watch closely—there’s a good chance that at least one of the athletes representing the United States in future Olympic Games will look familiar.
