GRAVETTE — A 12-year-old Gravette girl last month won a Taekwondo national championship for the second year in a row.
Savannah Barnes, who lives west of Gravette with her parents Stephen and Cheryl Barnes, is homeschooled. She took first place in point sparring in her age group (12 and 13 year-olds) in the 2012 World Taekwondo Alliance National Championship July 20 in Memphis, Tenn. She received a trophy and a WTA black belt.
The next day, July 21, Savannah took second place in point sparring in the World Pioneer Cup championship, receiving a medal. Both competitions were held at the Cook Convention Center at the Memphis Marriott Hotel and featured demonstrations by advanced instructors as well as a power board breaking competition and a patterns contest by various ages and skill levels. Competitors came from 17 different countries and 23 states.
Savannah comes from a very athletic family. Her father, Stephen, played football and basketball at Gravette. Her sister, Daralyn (Barnes) Thompson, was a cheerleader at GHS until she graduated in 2008. Her mother, Cheryl, started Taekwondo last August and is training for her first formal competition in September.
Cheryl says Savannah has been interested in martial arts from a very young age. Her uncle, Stanley Yingst, who also does Taekwondo, used to pretend he was sparring with her when she was only 3 or 4 years old and “she just loved that. Then she saw Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee movies and she was hooked.”
Savannah trains every day except Sunday at Northwest Taekwondo in Centerton, and her hard work pays off. Her instructor is Jack DeSousa, a fifth-degree black belt, and Cheryl appreciates the fact that he also teaches his students many great moral values, like respect, honesty and integrity. He also teaches a self-defense class which Savannah and her mother attend.
“It’s a great school, very family-friendly,” Cheryl says. “Savannah started training there in August, 2010, very shy and had low self-esteem. I’ve seen her change into a very confident young lady. Northwest Taekwondo was heavensent as far as I’m concerned.”
The young competitor had a dream come true in April of this year when she earned her black belt. Now she is working on her second-degree black belt.
Her mother is working toward a black belt and says, “Hopefully, I can be half as good as she is when I’m a black belt.
“It’s so cool to watch her at tournaments with the other competitors, before and after they’ve competed. Win or lose, she’s a great sport. She’s very courteous and respectful. But during the match she’s also very serious, putting into action all the things she’s learned. We are so proud of Savannah.”
The World Taekwondo Alliance was established in 2002 and is comprised of many of the original pioneers of the sport. Savannah met several masters of the art at the Memphis competition, including Grand Master Kong Young Il, Grand Master Nam Tee Hi, Grand Master Scott Mc-Neely and Grand Master Robert Hardin.
Grand Master Nam Tee Hi is famous for his demonstration before the South Korean president where he demonstrated punching 13 roofing tiles with a single blow. The president was so impressed he decreed all the country’s armed forces would begin training in Taekwondo.
“These men are amazing. I know it thrilled Savannah to get to meet them,” Cheryl said.
Now the mother and daughter are training for regional competition in Branson in September.
“It’s hard work but very rewarding. Not to mention a lot of fun,” Cheryl said.
Savannah plans to pass the martial arts on to future generations. Her sister is pregnant and she will become an aunt in November. She plans to teach her little niece to love Taekwondo and, more importantly, how to defend herself.
News, Pages 9 on 08/01/2012