MONTICELLO – In just a few short days, Young’s TKD will head to the 2026 U.S. National Taekwondo Championships in Charlotte, NC. The Democrat paid a visit to Young’s dojang during a scheduled practice as the team prepares to compete in the five-day event.

Master Young has been teaching martial arts in the area for 34 years. To participate on the competition team, more is expected of the students. “For those athletes who are willing to make that commitment, which is additional days training, extra work- they have to go through a series of qualification tournaments, and based upon their performance at those, they get an invitation to nationals,” says Young.

Nine athletes qualified for the national stage. The tournament will run July 1–5, with students competing on select days depending on their age group. Nine-year-old Annaliese Nunez will be competing at nationals for her third consecutive year. Last year, she won gold. She said, “I feel good that I won a gold medal!” Nunez is a black belt and will compete on the final day of the event to finish out the weekend.

Young spoke about the intense pressure the athletes face when they step onto the stage. “A lot of the kids are learning how to perform under pressure, this tournament, this venue, it really forces them to show the best side of their training. She [Annaliese] is a great example of someone who went to nationals and didn’t do her best [the first year] but she was able to persevere through it.”

Also returning to nationals is 11-year-old Lexsen Gonzalez. Gonzalez is a red belt and has been training for close to three years. He shared how he handles the high-stress competition environment: “I just take a deep breath, drink water and listen to my coach.” Sage words of advice!

A few athletes, like Dilver Aleman, are competing at nationals for the very first time. In fact, Young shared that nearly half the team consists of first-timers. Aleman is a talented black belt who will compete in the 12–14-year-old Cadet division. With kind, respectful eyes, Aleman shared, “I feel very excited. This is my first nationals. I heard it’s a lot of fun- doing tournaments. For this one, I feel confident in myself! I’m very excited!

To help his students navigate high-anxiety venues, Young has created what he calls “makeshift stressful situations.” The team slogan is, “We have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Training for the competition team has intensified over the last six months, with athletes putting in additional hours to prepare for their big day. Young has created an ideal balance of fun and disciplined training saying, “Although it’s a combat sport, it’s a game. There are rules, points, trophies, winners and losers, but I never want them to feel that their success is medal-based; it’s performance based. If they can control their emotions, put their best effort, then the points and medals don’t matter!”

Assisting Master Young in the dojang are Coach Manny, Coach Luis, and Coach Michael. Young’s TKD also participates in cross-training with other local gyms in the Tri-State area “that are on the same journey that we are.”

Through the help and support of the community, Young’s TKD was able to outfit their athletes with team jackets and t-shirts to build camaraderie. Armed with that local support and months of hard work, Young sends his team off with a simple message: “Now it’s go time!”