AIS Student Competes in Taekwondo Competition in Puerto Rico

By Regina Deloatch-Ratliff, Primary School faculty member

Taekwondo, an ancient Korean martial art, is fast becoming one of the most popular individual sports in the world. With emphasis on respect, perseverance and self-control, modern taekwondo is an excellent approach to staying fit and learning strong values. Atlanta International School (AIS) has many practitioners in its student body, and this April one of them was invited to compete at a competition held in Guayama, Puerto Rico.

Lonnie Ratliff IV, a taekwondo orange belt after only eight months of training at Master Pius Martial Arts, never traveled to a foreign country before this competition. Accompanied by his mother, grandmother and aunt, Lonnie made the trek to Dr. Roque Nido Stella Coliseum 40 miles outside of San Juan. All of the other participants were native Spanish speakers, and this contest was a great opportunity for Lonnie to expand his knowledge of Spanish and experience a different culture.

After winning two matches, Lonnie was awarded a gold medal at the first AAU Puerto Rico Taekwondo National Qualifier. Event director, Master Luis Peña, personally introduced Lonnie to the crowd, commending him on his skill and dedication to the sport. Lonnie’s next chance to compete and showcase his developing skills will come in July at the AAU Nationals in Madison, WI. Pretty impressive for a four year old boy!