Teenager to take on taekwondo world
‘‘It's the first time I've been selected for New Zealand and its exciting. It became a goal for me when I was told I had the potential to do well.’’
At 15 years Ethan Murtagh is readying to take on the world.
Ethan has been selected in the New Zealand Taekwondo team for the ITF world championships in Ireland in October.
Selection for the Year 12 Upper Hutt College student follows plenty of individual effort and achievement at the Korean martial art he began as a six-year-old.
Since 2015 he has carved out a record of success at regional and national level and has now made the international grade.
In Dublin Ethan will compete in the individual and team 15-17 year power breaking, which with sparring and pattern are Taekwondo’s areas of expertise.
Power breaking involves the breaking of multiple boards, up to 18 millimetres thick, through the use of correct techniques.
‘‘A lot of it is conditioning and a lot of it is using the technique.’’
He also trailed for sparring, another area where he has proven ability.
‘‘It’s the first time I’ve been selected for New Zealand and its exciting,’’ Ethan said.
‘‘It became a goal for me when I was told I had the potential to do well.
Ethan’s pathway to world competition kick-started when he placed first in his division at the 2015 regionals and nationals for sparring.
A year later, in power breaking, he was first in the regionals and runner-up in the nationals. In December he achieved his Junior Black Belt.
In building to the worlds, since October Ethan has taken on additional weekend training including high-performance weekend camps every month.
Ethan came through Taekwondo locally, following two older brothers in beginning the sport so young.
He is now based at Petone’s Pil Sung club where he works under instructor Graham Patterson who is also his national coach.
Ethan, who recently won the Upper Hutt Young Achievers Sports Award, wants to stay in the sport and already has his eyes set on a World Cup in Australia next year and the next World Champs in 2019.