Haley Kong
AAU National Team Training

The AAU National Team training session was kicked off on Friday, January 15th at Master Arlene Limas' dojang, Power Kixs in Stafford, Virginia. The majority of us flew in at various times that day to either the Dulles or Reagan airports, and some very dedicated parents drove us through the jam-packed roads to the Wingate Hotel where we had time enough to throw our bags into our rooms and head directly to our first training session. After admiring the enormous training facilities and reading the inspirational quotes on the walls, we hurriedly donned our uniforms and stepped onto the mat.

In addition to the Junior and Senior teams, this year we were joined by the Cadets.  After some quick speeches from the coaches (Master Tubbs, Master Limas, Master Kunkel, Master Remarck, and Master Martinez) and brief introductions where each of us said our name, we started our workout in earnest.  For three hours we worked on various movement drills that tested our agility, balance, and recovery abilities.
 
After the training session, a small fleet of Power Kixs vans shuttled us back to our hotel.  We were on our own for dinner—while some went to Applebees, Wendy's, or McDonalds, I went with a couple others to what is perhaps the best gas station in the world: Wawa.  It was directly across the street, and it was here that we feasted on junk food before scurrying back to the hotel to avoid the curfew check.

The next day, we woke up bleary-eyed at 6am for an early morning training session.  We stumbled around the breakfast buffet trying not to eat too much before the workout, and just as we were about to put our heads down for a quick power nap, we were whisked off to a training session once again.  This time, we worked on kicking techniques for three hours.  Having to hold paddles was actually a great icebreaker because after spending hours shouting encouragement to your various partners, a team spirit begins to develop.

During the three-hour-long afternoon session, each of the coaches had his/her own station where we practiced various movements, kicks, and situational drills.  After rotating so that we trained under each coach, a representative from TrueScore provided each of us with electronic footwear.  He outfitted a couple of the team members with electronic hogus and had them fight in order to demonstrate many of the system’s features and capabilities.

Later that afternoon, we took a very awe-inspiring trip to the National Marine Corps Museum. The building was shaped to emulate the iconic image of the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima. There were some fighter planes, replicas of war scenes, paintings, firearms, and more.  We had just enough time to see all of the exhibits and to try to appreciate the wartime bravery of our soldiers. In the end, we shopped at the gift shop and then we were off to dinner at the Clubhouse.  There, we were treated to some real food -- delicious salad, pasta, bread rolls, brownies, and cake.   

By Sunday morning we were all showing a bit of wear and tear.  After warming up, another TrueScore representative spoke to us about the various electronic hogu systems.  We even got to see electronic headgear!  We resumed training, and it was much like the previous day where each of the coaches had a station.  Once again, we went back to the hotel for a quick breakfast before returning for the grand finale: a 5-hour electronic hogu sparring marathon.  Each of us got between 2-5 fights, and we left the dojang for the last time feeling exhausted yet satisfied for having learned so much in such a short few days.  

Now was the time for a flurry of last minute photos and goodbyes.  Some team members flew out on Sunday, but others of us played cards until the wee hours of the morning and left on Monday.

Many thanks to Master Limas, the Power Kixs family, and the AAU National Team staff and coaches for a truly great weekend and learning experience!

Spanish Open, here we come!