Kicks and Confidence: Southwest Florida Martial Artists Find Strength, Focus and National Spotlight

Martial arts students are making their mark lately in Southwest Florida.

In July, four students aged 8 to 14 from Oak Creek Charter School in Bonita Springs will compete in taekwondo national championships for the first time. All of the students talk about how studying martial arts has given them new self-confidence, a sense of focus and discipline.

At Oak Creek, taekwondo is part of physical fitness instruction for all students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The school has 688 students. They are all taught by “Master” Martin, aka Ashley Martin. A master is an instructor who has a black belt and a high level of training and experience. Martin has been studying and training in taekwondo since age 5.

School officials said that each student, by the time they graduate, will have a belt in martial arts.

“Actually, upon their first class, they receive their white belt, which is their first step into their taekwondo journey,” Martin said.

As they move through the grades, they earn different color belts as they master different skills and progress to different levels of accomplishment.

Martin will take four students, three boys and one girl, to the USA Taekwondo National Championships from July 23-27 in Ontario, California.

They are Ezra Manrique, Gatlan Wilkening, Annilynn Lewelling and Phoenix Rackebrandt.

The team members are at the ready in a taekwondo stance during practice at Oak Creek Charter School in Bonita Springs. From left: Annilynn Lewelling, Ezra Marique, Gatlan Wilkening and Phoenix Rackebrant.

“Athletes are typically striving to place at this national championship,” Martin said. “It’s one of the highest levels that there is.”

The trip is sponsored by FORZA Education Management. Oak Creek Principal Charity Zawatski said FORZA has established three charter schools in Florida, including Oak Creek, and is soon to open a fourth school. FORZA supports the charter schools with a range of services including operations, financial services, human resources and marketing and communications.

Taekwondo originates in Korea, Martin said.

“Taekwondo literally translates to ‘the way of the fist and foot,” she said. “It is heavy on kicking. If you were to, for example, look into the Olympic-style sparring realm of taekwondo, it’s all primarily kicking. You score points based on the types of kicks that you’re landing on your opponent. There’s also a heavy focus on high kicks and more elaborate show kicks.”

“Through studying taekwondo, you learn self-control, perseverance, dedication, hard work, respect, and at the same time you’re focusing on the physical aspects,” Martin added. “Taekwondo is also about learning to defend yourself.”

Coach Ashley Martin and her team members show off their medals from a recent area competition. Top row, L-R: Coach Ashley Martin, Phoenix Rackebrant. Bottom row: L-R, Annilynn Lewelling, Ezra Marique and Gatlan Wilkening.

So all of the students are learning self-defense in addition to the Olympic-style sparring, which is what the athletes are going to be competing in at nationals.

Both Martin and Zawatski expressed their excitement and pride in the students and their opportunity to shine in the national competition.

The school provided some background on the students in a press release, and during brief interviews with Florida Weekly, they shared their thoughts about their taekwondo studies.

Ezra Manrique, age 9, is a yellow belt and began his taekwondo journey through Oak Creek’s program. He quickly advanced to the competition and demonstration teams and embraced rigorous training that earned him a place in the competition.

“I like to be in tournaments and participate,” Ezra said. He had some stage fright in the beginning, but that’s been overcome, he said. “I’m more confident now.”

Annilynn Lewelling, age 8, is a yellow belt who discovered Martin’s class at her school orientation and began taking classes at age 6. She has a passion for poomsae and sparring drives. She described poomsae as “kicks and punches.”

“Studying taekwondo encourages me in school,” Annilynn said. “And it makes me more confident in myself.” She also said it helped her make friends.

“Annilynn and Ezra, they’re probably our newest additions to the team and the amount of progress that they have shown this year is astronomical,” Martin said.

Martin said poomsae is “like a routine or a pattern of techniques that the students have to memorize. There are technical applications to it as well. So they practice techniques like blocking, kicking, striking and they’re competing against other students who are performing the same routine.”

“The one that we’re all, I think, the most excited about is Olympic-style sparring,” Martin said.

That’s when the students put on their full sparring gear, including arm gear, leg gear, chest protector and headgear, she said. They spar in rounds, and there is a point system for different kicks. They have a minute and 30 seconds to get as many points as they can.

Gatlan Wilkening, age 10, is an orange belt and has been training for nearly two years. He is known for his leadership and ambition and continuously pushes his limits with advanced kicks and techniques. Gatlan was modest about his leadership qualities.

“I help people out,” he said. “I also cheer for them, too.”

Phoenix Rackebrandt, 14, has a red belt and is an assistant coach. He already has a national title under his belt and trains with multiple masters, including his father. Phoenix also acts as a mentor to younger students, Martin said. He is aiming for a top three finish this summer.

Phoenix also said he plans to test for his black belt in the summer.

“I do taekwondo because I started from a really young age,” he said. “It’s kind of really all I know.” Phoenix said that it also helps him in life, in terms of building the person he is today.

“I think it’s helped me with school, being more aware of my surroundings and being able to read people very well,” he said.

He likes giving the other taekwondo students tips and advice as needed, as well as helping coach at tournaments.

A couple of years ago, he suffered a bad break to his arm and had to stop training for about two years, but knowing the principles of the martial art helped him face the challenge and persevere through it.

Martin said Phoenix is an assistant coach because he’s the most experienced on the team. “He’s at an age and a maturity level where I felt that he could handle the responsibility,” she said. “He just has that natural ability to help and coach younger students.”

Martin said the team has 14 members. They travel about once a month to a tournament that may be two or three hours away to get ready for the big stage at nationals. They also do numerous demonstrations locally.

“It takes time and lots of discipline,” she added.