Martial artists of all ages gathered in Carbondale to break boards and build character.

The 5th Annual Southern Illinois Open Martial Arts Classic, which occurred Saturday and Sunday, was hosted by Black’s Martial Arts Academy with special guest Grand Master Frank Dux.

Dr. Jim Thomas, president of the Alliance, an independent network of all martial artists of all styles and schools, said the event was a great way for martial artists to learn from each other.

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‘It is so cool to see the 83-year-olds out there with the 3-year-olds. It’s something everybody can do,’ he said.

Thomas said the event was also an opportunity for martial artists to earn medals in different individual events. He said the first and second place finishers in some events qualified for a larger international competition next year in Jamaica.

‘People are vying for spots on the U.S. national team,’ Thomas said.

He said nearly every area of martial arts was represented in the tournament ranging from breaking to weapons to sparring.

Dux said this tournament was nothing like the film ‘Bloodsport’ which is a film based on his experiences as a fighter. He said Carbondale’s tournament was much more controlled and relaxed.

Thomas agreed and said the main goal for the tournament was for participants to enjoy the competition and gain confidence.

‘It’s just a lot of fun and the idea is to build confidence,’ he said.

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Heather Minckler, who helped run the tournament, said it is common to see relationships develop throughout the course of the competition.

‘ ‘It’s great camaraderie, you get to know lots of different people,’ she said.

‘ She said everyone in the sport develops a brotherhood with each other after tournaments.

‘One thing about this sport is not only does it get your body working, but it gets your mind working at the same time,’ she said.

One martial artist who had his body and mind working at a high level was DJ Weldon, an 11-year-old from Pulaski who earned first place in three events.

Weldon said he started doing karate about five years ago and really enjoyed all the different competitions.

Elijah Greer, a 10-year-old from Makanda, said his favorite event was breaking.

‘Breaking is a challenge, it builds muscles and gets you ready if anyone attacks you,’ he said.

He said he enjoyed competing against other people and meeting new people.

While the competition served as a good learning experience for young martial artists, it also helped professional fighters as well.

Earl Woods, a mixed martial artist from Hamilton, Ohio, said practicing martial arts has helped him develop into a better fighter.

‘Anybody can go in swinging, it takes a real good competitor to win a contest,’ he said.

He said practicing martial arts helped him develop a stronger mental edge during fights.

‘Street fighting is where I came from and I’ll tell you I’ve learned so much these last 14 months that I didn’t know before,’ he said. ‘That makes me a much stronger martial artist.’

Woods, Minckler and Thomas all agreed martial arts is a great family activity.

‘You can teach your kids how to (defend themselves) and you don’t have to bring them up on the streets. You can teach them through discipline,’ Woods said.

Chris McGregor can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 275