Colorado Martial Arts News

Open Colorado Cup Tournament: A Day of Triumph and Unity

Posted on April 24, 2025 by admin 2

April 19, 2025 | 300 Competitors | 20 Teams

What an unforgettable day for the martial arts community! On April 19, Warriors Martial Arts proudly hosted the Open Colorado Cup Tournament, bringing together nearly 300 martial artists from 20 teams across Colorado. The event was nothing short of a spectacular showcase of skill, determination, and sportsmanship.

A Triumph for Teams

Our team shone brightly, earning 10 Gold Medals, 4 Silver, and 6 Bronze—a remarkable achievement! Beyond the medals, our team exemplified the true spirit of martial arts by maintaining respect and composure, even in challenging moments. “I am super proud of everyone showing up to compete, giving their all, and accepting the outcome no matter what. Great job, team!” shared Coach Alex Clary from Reunion TKD School.

Diverse Events, Unmatched Energy

The tournament featured a wide array of events, including:

Taekwondo
Olympic Sparring
Grappling
Demo Performances
Board Breaking

The Olympic Sparring and Grappling Matches were especially thrilling, filled with energy, precision, and heart. Meanwhile, the Board Breaking event captivated the audience with powerful strikes and unwavering focus. Special applause goes to the A.L.L TKD Demo Team, led by Coach Olympian Burb Kunkel, for their awe-inspiring performance that left everyone in the crowd amazed.

“Excellent tournament, with positive experiences all around,” said Coach Daniel from Shin’s Academy.

“This tournament was exceptionally well-organized. Fantastic work, everyone!” said Daler Latipov, UFC coach.

Community Celebrations and Gratitude

The day was made even more special by the camaraderie and support shared among participants and spectators. Coach Trent Alberst from Han Lee Tkd expressed, “I wanted to say thank you again for hosting us all yesterday. Parents and kids only had wonderful things to say about the tournament. We are very grateful and will definitely be back in the years moving forward.”

London Olympian Farhod Negmatov described one of the sparring matches as “one of the most exciting sparring matches in this tournament,” underscoring the high level of competition and talent on display.

Top Teams of the Tournament 🥇 1st Place – Warriors Martial Arts 🥈 2nd Place – A.L.L TKD Team (Colorado Springs) 🥉 3rd Place – Kick Colorado

Coach Jody from Kick Colorado praised the event: “Thank you, Warriors Martial Arts, for building our athletes’ confidence and spirits today by hosting a wonderful tournament. As always, our 20 students and families left with smiles and some amazing memories.”

A Big Thank You to Our Community

The success of this event would not have been possible without the dedication of every athlete, coach, judge, and family member. “Our team performed very well; we had been preparing for this event. It was good to see awesome coaches and talented CO athletes. It was one of the best and most exciting tournaments. I see many schools in Colorado like Blue Dragon, Shins TKD, Universal TKD, Iron Horse, and others getting much better,” said Kamil Latipov, head of Warriors Martial Arts.

This tournament was more than just a competition; it was a celebration of the martial arts community’s spirit, talent, and unity. We are honored to have hosted such an incredible event and look forward to welcoming everyone back next year for even more unforgettable moments. Thank you all for being part of the Colorado martial arts family!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged #warriorsmartialarts, aurora, colorado, Denver, fun, grappling, kids, martial arts, opencoloradocuptournament, Taekwondo, tournament, USAT | Leave a comment

Colorado collegiate taekwondo teams compete at NCTA, Day 3

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Jesse Hughes

Marlborough, MASS —

the Colorado collegiate taekwondo teams wrapped up fighting and poomsae at the NCTA Championships in MA on Sunday.

the University of Colorado Boulder teams competed in 3v3 sparring and 3v3 poomsae.

The 3v3 poomsae event was held first. It works like this, there are three competitors per team. Each competitor performs one at a time and is followed by another from the opposing team. Each round has a winner and whoever wins the most rounds wins the match. If there’s a tie, the judges consider the competitors score.

Anjail Misra, Sean Shi and Maclane Bany performed Taegeuk 3 against a team from Liberty University and won.

Anjail Misra performing Taegeuk 3 at the 2025 NCTA Championships

Another CU team of two blue belts and one red belt went up against a duo from Tufts University.

Jasper Shen performs Taegeuk 6 for 3v3 poomsae at the 2025 NCTA Championships

Jasper Shen, pictured performing Taegeuk 6, Abigail Bishop, and Summer Levin advanced as another team to the finals but came up short to the MIT team, clinching silver.

the 3V3 sparring is also a first for the NCTA championships, dividing teams into three with each athlete being from a different weight category. Fighters get a one on one match with their respective weight class and win the team’s match based on best two out of three.

among color belt 3v3 sparring, the first group of woman who took to the mats on Sunday- Ca’maree Dickerson, and Reagan King threw down in the women’s green belt division for, fighting in Heavyweight and Middleweight, respectively against a team from UVM.

Ca’maree Dickerson went up first, winning her first round with a headshot. She stole round two with a final score of 1-0, handing CU their first win of the day.

Reagan King spars her opponent from UVM during 3v3 sparring at the 2025 NCTA Cup

Reagan King threw down next. She won the first round in her match, after a 2-2 draw. King took an early lead in the second round with a headshot that would carry her to a 5-3 win, advancing CU to the next round.

In men’s sparring, blue belt Brendan Connors and red belt Jeremy Dreher, fighting in middleweight and lightweight categories, had their first match against a team from MIT. A team of black belts, no less

Dreher took the first matchup of the fight and went up against a black belt. In the first round, Dreher managed to get in two good punches and while the round was 2-2 at the end, the judge awarded the round to Dreher.

In the second round, he took a wicked kick to the head and lost the round 0-7.

Dreher came back in round three were evenly matched in a furious display of kicking, exchanging headshots and cut kick tussles, but a one point deficit was all that was needed to lose the final round, and his match, 3-4.

Connors took the spotlight in the second fight, in the first round he took on a speedy little guy who gave him a run for his money, but within the last ten seconds, Connors scored a headshot to win the round 5-3

The second round was more of the same, a lot of legs slapping against bodies but not the Daedo. And Connor’s just couldn’t get on the board, for a final score of 0-7.

It was all or nothing for the final round, when Connors came out the gate swinging with a flying double front kick. But the MIT opponent stood strong and steady, and even with a fiery clash towards the end, Connor’s would lose 7-4, ending the match.

a gallant exhibition nonetheless.

green belts Grayson Richard, Gavin Hermann, and Danny Alemayehu fought against three red belts from NorthEastern Taekwondo in men’s lightweight, middleweight, and heavyweight, respectively.

The boys put up a good fight, but they couldn’t cash in and lost in the first matchup.

Grayson Richard sparring his opponent from Northeastern Taekwondo at the NCTA CUP

The three black belts, Alyson Ayers, Kaliyah Saunders, and India Rockey, made up the sole black belt sparring team for CU, competing in Middleweight, and Heavyweight categories. Rockey was an alternate.

Rockey fought her first fight and sadly lost, but since the opposing team was only one athlete. The girls moved on.

They went up against another Northeastern Taekwondo team.

Saunders went first. She landed a stellar headshot with 30 seconds left on the clock and won the first round 5-0.

In the second round, She went on defense deflecting a series of high kicks but lost the lead with 15 seconds left on the clock. She lost that round 21.

Khaliya Saunders (blue) punches her opponent during 3v3 sparring at the NCTA Cup

By the final round, Saunders managed to sneak in a crescent kick to take the lead. And after a tense final few seconds, managed to stave off the Northeastern athlete to win the round and thus the match.

Aly Ayers went up next. She established dominance in the first round with a barrage of lighting-fast cut and ace kicks. She got one point for pushing her opponent out of the ring and exchanged a tit for tat head shot with the other opponent and would hold onto to win 4-3.

In the second round, Ayers took a quick lead with a shot to the body, and snuck in a clean crescent kick before overwhelming her with attacks that would ultimately knock her down. Aly won the second round 11-1, Allowing the team to advance to finals.

CU went head to head with Texas A&M for the final matchup, which started with Kaliyah.

The first round of the first match started with a lot of front leg fencing that Kaliyah used to push her opponent out of bounds. But she took a hit to the head. With mere seconds left on the clock, she punched her opponent, who also fell down. Despite a 7-7 score at the end, the judges gave the win to Texas.

In the second round, she got a punch halfway through followed quickly by another. She continued to score points through punches to get a 4-0 lead with less than 10 seconds left on the clock, and despite an unnerving few exchanges at the end, she managed to take the round to thunderous applause.

So it all came down to the third round. She took a couple of heavy hits to give the other girl a five nothing lead. But sadly, couldn’t pull through and the round ended 7-1. A loss for the heavyweight fighter.

despite the loss, the girls went on to win silver, the first CU team to medal in the 3v3 sparring event at the NCTA Cup.

Jesse Hughes is the editor-in-Chief at ColoradoMAnews.com. He can be reached at his email: jchughes93@gmail.com

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Colorado college martial artists brawl at taekwondo nationals, day 2

Posted on April 13, 2025 by Jesse Hughes

Marlborough, MASS –

Colorado’s collegiate Taekwondo teams threw down with other student athletes from dozens of schools on Saturday, at the 2025 National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships hosted at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA.

The University of Colorado, Denver University, and University of Northern Colorado teams competed in sparring competitions at all belt levels.

CU seniors Allyson Ayers and India SarahRose Rockey won third place in women’s featherweight.

Ayers dominated her first match. She mercilessly clocked her opponent with a series of front leg attacks and head shots to win the first round 18-8. She’d keep her opponent off the board in the second round to win 3-0.

Ayers went on to give another impressive performance in the semi finals against her longtime rival Lauren Harrington from the University of Portland. Ayers took silver for sparring in the 2024 championships, where she beat Harrington.

But, in the second round, with just 21 seconds left on the clock, Harrington was up 3-0. That’s when Ayers swiped her with an outside to inside crescent kick to the head to even the score. Alas, Harrington scored a punch to take the round.

This is Ayers’s last year with the CU team, she said while she was disappointed she couldn’t knock Harrington off like last year, she was happy with her performance. “Honestly, I might continue coming to NCTA after I graduate,” Ayers said.

CU’s Allyson Ayers, pictured right, and India SarahRose Rockey, stand on the NCTA podium holding the CU Buffs Taekwondo flag after winning third place in women’s featherweight sparring.

In the color belt crowd, CU’s Jasper Shen and Brendan Connors faced off in the finals for men’s light/welterweight sparring. The two fought viciously against their opponents to make it to the top,and impressed the crowd with their fighting skills.

The two sized each other up in the first round, before engaging in a series of knee checks and blocked kicks. Connors and Shen exchanged head shots to even the score at six halfway through the first round. A penalty call on Connors ultimately ended with Shen taking the W.

“I was just kind of trying to find openings… it was just in the heat of the moment, I’m just trying to see what would work,” Shen told Colorado MA News.

CU’s Jasper Shen throws an axe kick at his teammate Brendan Connors in the senior blue belt light/welterweight sparring division. Credit: Nicholas Torres

In round two, Connors scored two head shots, including one that caused Shen to stumble and fall, and got a penalty from Shen to take a 7-0 lead. One body shot by Shen and a punch from Connors later, Connors took round two 8-2.

“I had to completely change what I was doing in the second round,” Connors said.

During round three, Shen took an early lead over Connors with a crescent kick to the back of the helmet and scored two points off him due to penalties.

Shen would continue to lead Connors over the next minute and a half, scoring a series of head shots that would give him a 13-7 lead. “With like 30-40 seconds left, I was like ‘I’ve got some ground to make up’”, and that he did.

Connors quickly retaliated with a barrage of body kicks that would bring the score 14-12, he got four penalties in total for the match to bring Shen’s lead up just slightly.

With just seconds left on the clock, Connors’ coach, Luiz Nuñez, challenged what looked like a kick to the back of Shen’s head, but that was rejected by the refs, handing Shen the gold medal, final score: 16-13.

CU green belt Gavin Hermann scored a bronze medal in the bantam/feather weight category. He fought three people in a division of 14 to take third place, after three fights.

“I believe I put forth 110%…” Hermann said, “I got more head shots than I had anticipated, those tend to be my weaker side, so getting in all of those head shots was a really big thing for me.”

In women’s color belt fighting, Bhavana Chauhan took silver in the blue belt feather weight category.

CU blue belt Bhavana Chauhan kicks her opponent from the University of Texas so hard that her helmet flies off. Credit: Nicholas Torres

In the semi finals, Chauhaun came out of the gate swinging in the first round, with a cut kick that turned into a clinch. But the opponent in blue held her ground, before scoring her own cut kick to the head. Chauhan answered with a head shot of her own. The first round ended in a draw – but the judges ruled in favor of Chauhan’s opponent, for the number of kicks she got, effectively handing her the round.

Round 2 started off with another aggressive cut kick that played out just like the first round, the two athletes exchanging cut after cut while patiently feeling each other out. But blue got on the board with a punch. After a few exchanges, Chauhan couldn’t cash in and ended up losing.

While the disappointment of losing the gold medal was tough, she remained a good sport.

“She was just a good opponent,” Chauhan said. “Well she got a few points in… and the first three fights kind of took it out of me. That’s no excuse, but she was a good opponent.”

University of Denver also had four competitors place in sparring. According to Denver head coach Sean Jung, Charlie Khunosombat, a black belt, got third place in the men’s fin weight category. He also said Tawnia Ayala Ramos and Lauren Tapper, both green belts, also got third place in their respective divisions. And one yellow belt, Trajan Rehder, also placed third in the light/bantam category.

Perhaps the less exciting but more heartwarming part of today’s story was the University of Northern Colorado’s club, a team that’s more a duo than anything.

The two UNC athletes made their way to Massachusetts to compete in this year’s events.

UNC senior Alexander Hunter fought proudly in the black belt featherweight division.

In his second round, Hunter scored two headshots for a 6-2 lead, before his opponent struck back with a spinning hook kick to the head.

He put up a fierce struggle in the end, but the bear’s foe managed to land a roundhouse kick to the head, ending the round 12-9 and thus the fight.

Holly Ackerman, a blue belt and senior at UNC, also competed this weekend in breaking and sparring.

She told Colorado MA News that she was grateful for the CU team coaching Hunter and herself in the sparring components, and was just grateful for the community assistance.

Ackerman told us that while she didn’t do as well as she would have liked to, she was just happy to be a part of the events and had fun doing it.

On Sunday, athletes will compete in the 3v3 competitions, we’ll have more on Sunday night.

Jesse Hughes is the Editor-in-Chief of ColoradoMANews.com

He can be reached at his email: jchughes93@gmail.com

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Colorado collegiate taekwondo teams make waves at Nationals, day 1

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Jesse Hughes

Marlborough, MASS. –

Collegiate Taekwondo athletes from the Centennial State made a loud impression Friday at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA where the 2025 National Collegiate Taekwondo Association Championships kicked off.

Three teams from the University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, and University of Northern Colorado stepped on the mats Friday morning, medaling in all three major categories of the day: Poomsae, demonstrations, and board breaking.

CU Boulder’s Demonstration Team picked up a silver medal for their first catch of the day; the team’s third consecutive medal over the last three years.

“It feels pretty good, we always come back with something new,” Demonstration Coach Kaliyah Saunders told Colorado MA News. “Every year, more and more people come up to us… literally this girl came up to us and was like ‘I’m your biggest fan, I was waiting for your demo this year.’ It just makes me see how I can push the envelope even more.”

Another first for the CU team was when Gabriela Gallelli took bronze in Poomsae for her demonstration of Taegeuk 3, making her the first female color belt athlete to medal in the club’s history.

“At first, I was kind of shocked… I didn’t really believe that I got it, but I was really happy about it” Gallelli said.

Another bronze was awarded to CU’s Summer Levin, a Freshman at Boulder, for her breaking demonstration Friday afternoon.

Colorado’s smaller clubs shined brightly, too.

University of Denver head coach Sean Jung said two pairs of Poomsae athletes, Taylor Kazan and Mitchell Norsen, as well as Annie Rodes and Carter Norsen, advanced to semi finals.

Rhodes and Carter Nrosen, finished 6^th in semis out of 32 pairs.

Kazan and Mitchell Norsen finished 13^th out of 32 pairs.

Talia Mehaignerie, A junior at the University of Denver, told us she was flabbergasted when she placed third in Poomsae for Taegeuk 3, in a bracket of more than 30 athletes.

“Looking at everyone else from the beginning, I thought they were doing amazing,” Mehaignerie said when asked about the competition, “I had absolutely no expectation that I could compete at that level… obviously, I was super proud of myself.”

She also noted it’s hard to balance student-life and being an athlete. “It’s just mostly a lot of scheduling… it’s just a balancing act.”

Among the 700 student athletes at the NCTA Championships this year, many are gearing up for Saturday’s sparring competition.

CU Head Coach Ivan Pagan fired up the buffs for a weekend of fighting, telling us they’re ready for the fight.

“I’m super pumped… we’ve been working hard, everybody knows we’re coming. We’re here.”

Sparring for all belts, and high school athletes, will start on Saturday at 9:00AM EST.

On Sunday, teams gear up for the new 3V3 sparring competition.

Jesse Hughes is the Editor-in-Chief of ColoradoMANews.com

He can be reached at his email: jchughes93@gmail.com

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Under New Management

Posted on January 9, 2025 by Jesse Hughes

To our Readers:

For some time, Colorado MA News has been inactive and recently was put under new management to reinvigorate the site. Plans are in the works to give it a fresh start, with a focus on regular digital content. As I write this, I’m working with local martial arts school owners with the intent of becoming the progenitor of that rebirth.

Over the coming weeks and months, I intend to add new administrators and reporters to the site to help create new content with new editorial standards. We will continue to report on Colorado martial arts news, with an emphasis on feature stories about rising stars, tournaments, and eventually create new social media pages to help promote this content. I’m hoping that with time, we can even go as far as live streaming local tournaments and perhaps even seminars. Anyone with interest is asked to refer to the become a reporter link on the home page.

These are preliminary ideas and as we head boldly into this new year, 2025 will be the next chapter in the history of Colorado Martial Arts news. I’m currently based in Portland, Maine and Philadelphia so I’ll be working remotely. But with several projects in the works, it would appear my compass is pointing West, meaning I could relocate back to the Centennial State as early as the summer. I will be in touch with everyone involved to potentially make that happen sooner.

Nonetheless, rest assured that this is the time to start creating content and promoting your own schools. If you have any other questions, you can email me at my personal email address: Jchughes93@gmail.com I will try to respond to your inquiries as soon as possible and look forward to getting to know you all.

Sincerely,

Jesse Hughes

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The Open Colorado Cup Tournament on December 16th emerged as an unparalleled success!

Posted on December 17, 2023 by admin 2

Kamil Latipov, CEO of Warriors Martial Arts, praised the tournament’s impeccable organization, highlighting the timely start of events and the athletes’ numerous engaging matches. Coach Daniel from Shins Academy expressed excitement and readiness, while Master Victor from International Taekwondo gave the competition a resounding endorsement. Coach Anthony of Universal Taekwondo credited Coach Kamil for orchestrating an amazing event that brought joy to students.

Gold medalist Laraa from Golden Taekwondo extended a recommendation to all, emphasizing the tournament’s appeal. Gratitude was extended to USAT/COSTA and AAU judges, along with coaches, for their collective effort in elevating the tournament to a high standard. In a thrilling conclusion, Warriors Martial Arts claimed first place, True Martial Arts from Colorado Springs secured second, and International Taekwondo from Arvada earned a well-deserved third place, solidifying the Open Colorado Cup’s status as a premier martial arts event.

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Excitement Builds for Open Colorado Cup Tournament on December 16 in Aurora, CO

Posted on December 8, 2023 by admin 2

Get ready to witness the thrilling return of the Open Colorado Cup Tournament on December 16 in Aurora, CO, hosted by the renowned Warriors Martial Arts. Known for its successful track record, this tournament series promises another day of engaging martial arts action and camaraderie.

Participants and spectators alike can look forward to a day filled with fun and competition. The event, characterized by its vibrant atmosphere, has consistently been a hit within the martial arts community. From novice competitors to seasoned practitioners, the Open Colorado Cup welcomes participants of all levels, fostering a sense of inclusivity and shared passion.

As a testament to the achievements of the competitors, the tournament boasts beautiful medals for individual accomplishments, grand champion trophies for the top performers, and team trophies to celebrate collective excellence. These coveted awards not only recognize skill but also symbolize the dedication and hard work invested by each participant.

Whether you’re a martial arts enthusiast, a supportive parent, or a curious spectator, the Open Colorado Cup offers an opportunity to witness the essence of martial arts in action. Save the date for December 16, and join us in celebrating the spirit of competition, sportsmanship, and the thriving martial arts community that the Open Colorado Cup has come to represent.

Registration deadline: December 13th. Secure your spot by registering online at www.mawarriors.com.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged martial arts, Taekwondo, tournament | Leave a comment

The Best Native Of Tajikistan

Posted on August 11, 2023 by admin 2

The secret of the success of the Tajik coach Komil Latipov

Tajik coach Komil Latipov is perhaps the best native of Tajikistan, a mentor in the United States, whose wards have consistently achieved high results and continue to do so at every possible level.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan August 2023- SPORTS.tj

In the state of Colorado (USA), a well-known Tajik athlete Komil Latipov has been living and working as a taekwon-do coach for a long time, and also has his own sports club in Denver. He is one of the few Tajiks who managed to establish themselves in the United States of America. He managed to realize his talent in another country and still achieves high results together with his wards.

He left to study in America in early 2005. Initially, he did not make plans to become a coach, everything changed after Comil spoke at the New York and Colorado championships. He showed good results, he was noticed, the state sports authorities offered him the post of coach of the junior team. After some time, he opened his own sports club in the capital of Colorado.

Well, the path of Komil Latipov from the beginning of his sports career to success in the United States of America in the coaching field was not easy. He put in a lot of effort to achieve results and prove himself.

A good athlete is a good coach

It’s no secret that a good athlete does not always make a good coach. There are a lot of such examples in Tajik sports. But this does not apply to Komil Latipov, who was a great fighter and has now become a successful mentor. What is the secret of success? Luck? Luck? Education? The answer is simple – everything in general.

In his coaching staff at the sports club, there are consistently nine to ten coaches who are engaged in activities aimed at instilling a love for sports in children and young people.

– People come to us with pleasure to practice, and different sports, not only taekwon-do (WT), because the stable and serious work of our coaches gives results, Masha Allah, and everyone wants to learn this or that sport. Of course, I myself give a lot of time not only to office work, but also to classes with the wards.

What is the secret of success? Me and my coaches in the gym go through a lot of seminars, advanced training courses and trainings aimed at improving knowledge in different sports. I train and train myself, – says Komil Latipov in an interview with Sports.tj.

According to him, the coach is engaged in self-education, goes to seminars, takes exams. Without it, nowhere.

**Each ward is like a king!**
– Sports in the modern world are developing with great force, the rules are changing, approaches and strategies are being updated, and you need to know all this. At the same time, we treat each student, and we have more than 200 of them, with reverence, each approach is individual, each ward with us is like a king!
Al-Hamdu li-Llah, we are doing everything so that children fall in love with sports, so that they systematically go towards their goals, solve problems – this is the main secret of success. Therefore, we have the best results at various levels. Also, the key to success is the atmosphere that reigns in training and classes with us, – says Latipov.
At the same time, the mentor has a very difficult and busy working day. According to him, it starts at 7.30 and ends at 8 pm. And so six days a week. And on Sunday there is also office work.
– You have to pay attention to everything, there are a lot of worries and things to do. To achieve a result, it is important to be flexible, try to keep up with everything and everything. I want to note that I myself learned a lot from my coaches, who played a big role in my development – these are Mirsaid Yakhyaev, Ismatullo Khodjaev, Bill Pottle. Many thanks to my friend and brother Sukhrob Raufzoda for their support.
And, of course, I am grateful to the Almighty for my father Ismatullo Latipov, who always supported me and helped me in everything.
I am very grateful to my relatives, family, friends for their support. Without all of you, I would not be who I am. Of course, such support and experience that you get from mentors always play a role in the work of a coach, – our interlocutor noted.

**Coach’s Pride**
Komil Latipov entered the sport at the age of 11. I tried myself in various types of martial arts, but taekwon-do eventually became the meaning of life.
– I was born and raised in Dushanbe. After graduating from the 14th school, he entered the Tajik National University at the Faculty of Law. He started playing sports at the age of 11. Most of all I was interested in sambo and kickboxing, and then I began to seriously engage in taekwon-do. He became a repeated winner and prize-winner of the national championship, as well as a number of international tournaments.
In particular, among my achievements was the second place at the Central Asian Games in 2003, playing for the national team of Tajikistan. But now I am more proud of my students. I am proud of the players who win prizes not only in US open tournaments, but also in other major international competitions.
In 2013 I got married. Before that, they had known my wife Gulnoza for about two years, at one time my sister introduced me to her. My soulmate has nothing to do with sports, but he has a very positive attitude towards it. She, of course, was ready for the fact that I spend most of my time in the gym, and for a long time I train not in Tajikistan, but in the USA. My students and I go to various competitions not only in the States, but also in Latin America. She supports me in every possible way and treats my occupation with understanding and respect.

About the start of coaching

Komil Latipov left for Colorado in 2005, and the main reason for leaving was to continue his studies in the States.

– Went to Denver (Colorado) to study, while continuing to practice taekwon-do. When I left Tajikistan, my family and friends were sympathetic, because I planned to return in a year. But after the expiration of this time, I told my family that I wanted to stay in the USA.

They didn’t want to let me go for a long time. Now I come to Dushanbe every year and visit my relatives and friends. In the USA, in addition to my studies, I began to take an active part in various competitions.

In particular, he won the Colorado state championship, became the winner and prize-winner of open tournaments of other states and the US championship. I did not make plans to become a coach, everything changed after I successfully performed at the New York and Colorado championships. After that, sponsors appeared who supported me. And then I opened a sports club in the state, – says Latipov.

**About dreams**
Komil Latipov also spoke about his cherished dream in his career.
– First of all, the most important thing for me is the success of my students in various tournaments. There are many competitions ahead and we will try to achieve good results in them.
In addition, I want as many of my students as possible to join the national team and fight for Olympic qualifications. I dream that one day my student will win the gold of the Olympics, – said the coach.
**Komil Latipov**
Born August 26, 1985
Black belt, 4th dan.
*Achievements:*
Colorado Champion (2008, 2009, 2011)
New York State Championship silver medalist (2005)
Champion of Tajikistan (2004, 2003)
Silver medalist of the Central Asian Games (2003)
Silver medalist of Iranian Open Championship (2002)
Silver medalist of the championship of Tajikistan (1998)
Champion of the open championship Dushanbe (1998)
Bronze medalist of the open championship of Tajikistan (1997)
Champion of Tajikistan in kickboxing (1996).

By Aleksey Korchagin (Translated from google)

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Warriors Martial Arts Students Make History at USAT and AAU National Championships

Posted on July 12, 2023 by admin 2

(Florida USA July 2-10)

The Warriors Martial Arts Elite Team made history last week, winning a total of 8 medals at the USAT and AAU National Championships in Jacksonville and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Five students won Gold medals, becoming national champions: Muhammad Ali Sardar, Andrei Haurylau, Nour Hamed, Jane Nazarova, and Siddiq Furqan. Jessica Bailey and Talia Witherspoon won Bronze medals.

The competition was fierce, with over 4,000 participants from 45 states, 5 countries, and over 900 coaches. The Warriors team trained hard for months in preparation for the event, and their hard work paid off.

The team’s coaches, **Komil Latipov, Matt Bailey, Farhod Negmatov**, and **Azim Gholami**, are proud of their students’ accomplishments. *“We are so proud of our students,”* said **Latipov**. *“They worked hard and they deserve this success.”*

The Warriors Martial Arts Team is a family-oriented team that is committed to helping students of all ages achieve their goals. The team’s success at the national championships is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students, coaches, and parents.