Members of the Bermuda Taekwondo Association (BTA) have returned to the Island with a host of trophies collected at the HMA US Open Tae Kwon Do Championships, hosted by Grandmaster Jung Oh Hwang.

Master Richard A. Smith led the 16-strong team to Louisville, Kentucky, where they swept aside all competition on their way to three Grand Champion titles and 35 podiums altogether.

With Smith taking the largest contingent to the championships since being invited eight years ago, his team shone brightly against more than 800 competitors.

The youngest competitor, five-year-old Cairo Simmons, took first place in all of his events while junior Black Belt Marshall Lister narrowly beat fellow junior Black Belt Philip Smith to earn the Grand Champion trophy.

Black Belt Instructor Richard Jones sr, who is hearing impaired, and Senior Black Belt Instructor Laurie Zuill, also earned two Grand Champion trophies.

The rest of the team consisted of Black Belt Instructor Iejah Caines, Reese Jones, Noah Brady-Soares, Genesis Sampson, Shakai Hall, Nasayde Guerrero, Syriah Lottimore, Sahzay Ascento, Kofi Dill, Sanchez Simons and Jahzyah Smith.

The competition events included board breaking, forms, sparring (fighting) and weapons (Black Belt only).

"All of the Bermuda competitors did extremely well in their individual events and enjoyed the competition bringing home 19 trophies, which includes three Grand Champion trophies and 35 first, second and third place metals," said Smith.

Grandmaster Hwang has extended a personal invitation to Master Smith and his school to travel with his school in 2012 to visit China and Korea on a culture trip. There are also plans being made for Grandmaster Hwang to bring a group of students to Bermuda in 2013.