By Steve Bigham

Some 160 competitors converged on Newtown Middle School this past weekend for what is believed to be the largest karate competition this town has ever seen. The school’s “A” gym was packed with both kids and adults taking part in a number of different events.

The annual World Tang Soo Do Association’s Region 9 Championships were hosted by Newtown Academy of Karate, which is owned and operated by the Porco family of Newtown. Competitors from all levels – even black belt – participated in events that included creativity, forms and controlled free sparring.

Many of the competitors were trained at the Newtown Academy of Karate. Others traveled to Newtown from different parts of New England.

Proceeds from the event went to pay for scholarships for high school seniors who are training in the art of Tang Soo Do. Newtown High School senior Donald Rowe, 18, was selected to received $500 from the Region 9 scholarship to be applied toward his college education. Donald is an honors student and a member of the NHS drama club.

Last Friday night, the event kicked off with a clinic and a visit from Grand Master Jae C. Shin of Philadelphia, who started the World Tang Soo Do Association, has trained 10,000 black belts and is credited with teaching Chuck Norris a thing or two about martial arts.

Mike Porco, who also owns Porco Construction of Newtown, took up karate in 1965 as a means of self-defense while growing up in Bridgeport. Today, he is head instructor and is in training to someday become a master of martial arts. When his son, Mike, Jr, was seven, he urged his father to teach him martial arts. Before long, little Mike’s friends were coming over to the house with dreams of someday earning their black belts.

In 1986, Academy of Karate began holding its classes in the hall at the Sandy Hook firehouse and the Porco family has been teaching “respect, discipline, confidence and self esteem” ever since. This year, the academy celebrates its 15th anniversary. Today, both Mikes are third-degree black belts. Silvia Porco is a second-degree black belt.

The academy takes part in many activities throughout the year, many of which help raise money for different causes. These charities include scholarships, health awareness and sickness prevention. It also runs different programs at different times during the year, including women’s self defense, which enable women to become better aware of their surroundings and more in tune to what their own capabilities are.

The academy recently opened up a second karate facility in the Sandy Hook center along Church Hill Road.

Master Jae C. Shin

In 1968, Master Jae C. Shin traveled to the US as a representative for the Korean Soo Bahk Do Association. He formed the United States Tang Soo Do Federation in Burlington, New Jersey. The traditional and classical art was quickly accepted and soon grew in popularity throughout the US and other parts of the world. It has become one of the world’s most respected traditional martial arts organizations.

Grandmaster Shin is one of the leading figures of martial arts in the world today. He was born in Korea in 1936 and began his long and distinguished career in martial arts at age 12. During his childhood, an unknown monk initially inspired in him a strong desire to learn martial arts. Later, he joined the Seoul Moo Duk Kwan central gym and began serious study under Master Hwang Lee, founder of the Korean Moo Duk Kwan system.