Sault hosting provincial martial arts tourney on October 13

Sault Ste. Marie is hosting a provincial martial arts tournament this weekend.

The 2018 Soo Dan Hapkido Open Martial Arts Championships is taking place on Saturday, October 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the local Armories on 375 Pine Street. For more details, go to the Facebook event page at www.facebook.com/events/1123945907761217.

The tournament is being hosted by Soo Dan Hapkido Cornacchio’s Martial Arts Centre. It will feature a number of categories, including open handed forms, breaking, self defence, weapons, point sparring, precision kicking, group competition, high cat fall and long cat fall. The public is invited to attend for a marginal cost of $5.

“We look forward to hosting participants from across Ontario, and we’re also excited to be showcasing our community and local martial artists,” said tournament chair Grandmaster Peter Cornacchio, who was recently appointed President of the Moo Moo Kwan Association of Canada. “Holding this event in Sault Ste. Marie is a wonderful opportunity, and I thank our volunteers and partners for their support.”

The 2018 Soo Dan Hapkido Open Martial Arts Championships is expected to attract more than 100 participants from around the province. With its visitor-attraction benefits for the community, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, is assisting event organizers with promoting the tournament.

Meanwhile, Tourism Sault Ste. Marie and Soo Dan Hapkido Cornacchio’s Martial Arts Centre also worked together to secure the Fourth World Martial Arts Championship - Canadian Open for 2019. That tournament, which is taking place July 25 to 28 at the GFL Memorial Gardens, is expected to attract more than 1,000 delegates from countries around the globe, including South Korea, Iran, France, Chile, India, Brazil, Bahrain, Malaysia, the United States and Canada.

To learn more about Soo Dan Hapkido Cornacchio’s Martial Arts Centre, visit www.soodanhapkido.com.

PHOTO: Grandmaster Peter Cornacchio, chair of the 2018 Soo Dan Hapkido Open Martial Arts Championships. Courtesy of PicOne Inspirations.