Day 3
Detroit, MI

6 AM the alarm clock rang and I did not want to get up…. But today was the last day of competition.  Team trials, the most nerve racking day of my entire life.  The pressure on the competitors was unbearable.   Roll call was at 9:45 am for me and we were supposed to compete by 10:15 am…. 6 hours later we started to compete.  I made it pass the semifinals (top 8).  Wasn’t that lucky and did not end up placing this year.

 Grandmaster on the other hand did not have it so bad.  His roll call was around 12:15 pm and did his forms around 9:00 pm.  That was the longest 5 hours of my life.  Another competitor scored extremely high and I was freaking out.  Then grandmaster’s turn was up and I started taping his forms.  Glad my video camera had stability control because I could not stand straight or stay stable.  As the first score posted up I thought i was going to pass out.  8.4… .2 higher then the highest competitor.  As the 2nd form was being performed I felt a knot in my throat as I waited for the finish and the results.  Grandmaster just had to maintain the same score and it was a sure thing.  As the score went up… another 8.4 and the crowd went crazy.  I was screaming like crazy because I just realized Grandmaster will be representing the US for the 3rd time at the World Poomse Championships in Turkey.  Congratulations Grandmaster!!!!  We will be comming home tomorrow morning .  We can’t wait to come back home because we miss all of you very much.  If you want to call Grandmaster to congratulate him his cell phone number is (714) 865-0113.  See everybody soon.

 Master Vo

Day 2
Detroit, MI

It was an early day today waking up at the break of dawn to make sure we were there before 8:30am.  Very chaotic morning, divisions were wrong, referees had no clue what was going on but it was a good day for Grandmaster and I.  Grandmaster got a Gold Medal in the Open 51+ Poomse.  I also got a Gold Medal in 5th dan Lightweights and Open 19-32 Poomse division.  Total Tom Vo’s Taekwondo medal count :  4 Golds.

 Tomorrow Grandmaster and I will be competing in the US Team Trials for the World Championships this year.  I will update the website as soon as I have results.

 Master Vo

July 1
Detroit, MI

Master Vo’s Blog for Tuesday July 1st 

Greetings from Detroit!!! I just wanted to share our experience here with our Taekwondo family.  We arrived here at 5 pm on Monday and took off over to the weighins.  I was very happy to be 135.8 lbs (cutoff is 136.4 lbs).  Happy because I made weight??? no… Happy because I can eat again!!!!  We went back to rest to prepare for the next days competition.  I had 14 people in my fight division and just my luck… I had to fight the current US National team member and did not do too well.  I lost my first fight and that was the end of that.  Grandmaster did much better as he went on to defeat a fighter from Michigan.  Grandmaster received a Gold medal and is the current 2008 US National Champion.  Congratulations Grandmaster!!! 

 I have 2 events tomorrow and grandmaster has 1.  Stay tuned and I will post updates as I get them. Thank you for all the support back home and we will bring back as many medals as we can.

 Master Tom Vo Jr