Buffalo Grove Brothers Head to National Taekwondo Competition

Two Buffalo Grove brothers, Jordan and Alec Garland, recently competed in the Illinois State Tae Kwon Do Championships in Vernon Hills.  

Jordan Garland, a third-grader at , took first place for group Poomsae, third place for Poomsae, and first place for Board Breaking at the USA Taekwondo (USAT) competition and now qualifies to attend nationals. This will be Jordan's third national competition.  

His 5-year-old brother, Alec, took first place for Sparring and second place for Board Breaking. Alec also qualifies for nationals. Alec attends preschool at the . He has been taking tae kwon do since he turned 3.

USAT is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of Tae Kwon Do in the United States. Qualifying at a state level USAT championship is the first step young competitors must achieve to what could lead them to the Junior Olympics.

The Garland brothers have been training at White Tiger Martial Arts Center in Wheeling and study Tae Kwon Do under Head Master Shik Lee. They dedicate themselves to practicing and competing in Tae Kwon Do in addition to their other interests. Alec enjoys taking hip-hop dance, as well as baseball, and Jordan enjoys his school book club and choir. Jordan is also a junior instructor at White Tiger Martial Arts Center, and enjoys assisting in their Tiny Tigers classes.

Competing in the Illinois State Tae Kwon Do Championship were nearly 700 athletes from six states around the Midwest. The boys will compete in the Junior Olympics this summer in Dallas, Texas.

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