Open BC Taekwondo Cup: 20th edition in 2018 and tournament history

The 20th Open BC Taekwondo Cup took place on February 3 and 4, 2018, at Praça Almirante Tamandaré, in Balneário Camboriú, Brazil, as a Santa Catarina state qualifier worth 10 ranking points. It was the twentieth edition of a tournament that Mestre Paulo Ribeiro organizes in the city and that, by 2024, was already being announced as its 25th edition.

The poster for the 20th Open

On December 20, 2017, the Mestre started promoting the event with the call “getting ready for the 20th Open BC TKD, February 2018, don’t miss out” (Instagram). The poster carried the key information:

• Name: 20th Open BC-Taekwondo-Cup 2018;
• Dates: February 3 and 4;
• Status: Santa Catarina state qualifier, 10 ranking points;
• Venue: Praça Almirante Tamandaré, Balneário Camboriú.

Two days later, he announced a Brazil vs. Paraguay vs. Argentina pairs challenge as part of the program (Instagram). The foreign delegations did come: the Open weekend was the same as the 2018 Summer Martial Games, with international bouts held under tents on the waterfront.

Where the tournament comes from: the 17th Open, in 2015

The oldest edition documented by an official source is the 17th. According to the Balneário Camboriú city government, in a note dated February 6, 2015, the 17th Open BC Taekwondo Cup was held from February 6 to 8, 2015, at the Irineu Bornhausen Gymnasium, organized by the Balneário Camboriú Taekwondo Club with support from the city’s sports foundation, the Fundação Municipal de Esportes (FMEBC). In the same note, the city referred to the organizer as “the FMEBC Taekwondo teacher, Grão Mestre Paulo Ribeiro”.

Counting back the editions, the tournament would have started around the late 1990s, but the date of the first edition has not been confirmed by this site.

21st Open, in 2019: masters from other states

On February 2 and 3, 2019, it was the turn of the 21st Open BC TKD Cup. On Saturday, the Mestre posted about the welcome lunch and thanked “Mestre Denilson, MG, and Mestre Ítalo, SP” for their visit (Instagram). On Sunday, he thanked the collaborators, “especially Mestre Gerson, technical director of FETESC”, and called the event a “total success” (Instagram). FETESC is the Taekwondo federation of the state of Santa Catarina.

25th edition, in 2024: an Argentine podium

On February 10, 2024, the tournament was announced as the 25th edition of the Open Camboriú. The post, written in Spanish, lists the results of an Argentine team: gold, silver and bronze medals in kyorugi (sparring) and poomsae (forms) (Instagram). Since the athletes’ ages have not been confirmed, this site does not publish their names.

What the Open stands for

Over two decades, the Open grew from a local tournament into a state qualifier and a meeting point with teams from Paraguay and Argentina. For the Mestre’s students, it is a chance to compete at home, with official refereeing and ranking points, before traveling to bigger championships. Learn more about his work on the Taekwondo page and on the page about the Mestre.

Want to compete or watch?

Registration for each edition is announced at the start of the year. To hear about the next one, follow and message Mestre Paulo on Instagram @mestrepauloribeiro. If you want to start training before then, book a trial class.