Elite Karate Dominates South Texas Open

San Antonio College—a good teacher leads students to perform at their best during his/her absence.

This was the case at the thirteenth annual South Texas Open on September 26th. Master Raymond Hsu, owner and head instructor at Elite Martial Arts, was unable to attend the tournament due to previous international commitments; however, his Elite Martial Arts team of thirty students excelled at the South Texas Open.

Master Ou, Mr. Everardo and Master Hsu’s eldest daughter, Sabrina Hsu who is a second degree black belt, served as ring coaches this year. Inside the ring, Elite Martial Arts was represented by top performances from Diego Polanco who won Grand Champion in poomsae and Jake Rivera took home second place in sparring.

The tournament had 350 participants from 50 different schools across Texas, including referees from out of state. Jorge Delgado, a third degree black belt from Elite Karate, served as one of the leading judges. The tournament, an all-day event, is a requirement for Elite Martial Arts Tae-Kwon-Do students who want to advance to a black belt. Nicholas Dahmer, six years-old and the youngest Elite Martial Arts participant, was joined by a variety of Elite members, including Arianna Escondon—first place in adults competition and Nayeli Diaz—second place in teen competition.

Master Raymond Hsu, a seventh degree black belt, oversees all classes, including the adult lessons at Elite Martial Arts. His career in Tae-Kwon-Do began in Taiwan, where he first taught as an instructor. While his interests are vast, his passion in martial arts led him to open Elite Martial Arts fifteen years ago in San Antonio. Today Elite is home to a wide demographic of students. From daily classes, afterschool camp to summer camp, Elite serves as a second home to many students, of whom 26 proudly wear a black belt or higher.

Master Raymond Hsu and the Elite family congratulate all of this year’s tournament participants, and look forward to 2016.