Kicking up a storm in Titahi Bay

Tough kids: From left, Tepuna Peilua, 6, Tuki Kake, 7, and Franklin Makai, 5, the youngest members of the Titahi Bay Tae Kwon Do Club, with their team-mates who swept up a host of medals at the recent National Club Championships.

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Kids in 'the Bay' are looking to make a big impact on the national martial arts scene.

After two years of inaction, Titahi Bay Tae Kwon Do (TKD) Club reopened in 2008 and now trains 16 young fighters.

Instructor Paleti Murphy says he wanted to encourage kids in the area to learn a sport and how to defend themselves at the same time.

"I wanted to encourage the kids and their families to come along and get involved. At one stage my son was getting bullied and I went up to the bullies and told them, 'If you want to fight my son you come [to TKD] and you do it in the ring'; that way it's not bullying, it's healthy competition."

He says the club has a "whanau" feel about it with many of its members getting into the sport because their parents or siblings also fight in the club.

"The club's not just me standing at the front as coach, it's about what they put into it. In sports like rugby you see the parents cheering from the sidelines, but in this sport, I get to train with my kids."

Despite being new to the tae kwon do community, the club packed a punch at the National Club Championships, held at Te Rauparaha Arena in September. Murphy says the club came away with an "astounding tally" of medals. "I was stoked with all the work these guys put in. They trained and put up with all the yelling but it all paid off."

The team took home five gold, three silver and four bronze medals at nationals.

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