Summer Martial Arts Games 2018: Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay

On the weekend of February 3 and 4, 2018, the Balneário Camboriú beachfront became a Taekwondo arena. The Jogos Marciais de Verão 2018 (Summer Martial Arts Games) brought together athletes from Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay on mats set up under tents by the sea, with a packed crowd behind the barriers. Mestre Paulo Ribeiro documented the event step by step on Instagram.

The delegations arrive

Three days earlier, on January 31, the Mestre announced that a delegation was on its way to the city for the games and welcomed them in Spanish: “Bien venidos” (Instagram). Photos from the following days show the Paraguayan flag behind the mat and medalists holding the flags of Brazil and Paraguay.

Argentina also sent athletes. On February 3, the Mestre posted a bout in the children’s black belt category, Argentina vs. Brazil (Instagram). The photo shows two children in doboks (Taekwondo uniforms) sparring under the tent, with the referee beside them and the crowd watching up close.

A mat by the sea and a packed crowd

The setting was different from a gym: a blue and red mat under white tents, referees in yellow shirts and barriers separating the crowd from the competition area. On the same day, February 3, the Mestre summed up the turnout in one word: “Packed”.

The bouts took place in the Praça Almirante Tamandaré area, the same venue shown on the poster for the 20th Open BC Taekwondo Cup 2018, which had the same dates, February 3 and 4 (Instagram). The poster presented the Open as a Santa Catarina state qualifier, worth 10 ranking points. Judging by the posts, the two events took place together; the full official schedule has not been found by this site. The story of the Open is in the article about the 20th Open BC Taekwondo Cup.

Home athletes and Brazil’s representatives

The Mestre’s team, BCTKD, also took to the mat. He congratulated one of the team’s athletes for representing the group at the games and, on February 5, posted a photo of two medalists holding the flags of Brazil and Paraguay, with a caption congratulating an athlete as “Brazil’s representative, total focus” (Instagram). Since the ages of all the competitors have not been confirmed, this site does not identify the athletes by name.

The posts do not include a medal table or results by category. What is documented is the format: international bouts, children’s and adult categories, and an event open to the public on the beachfront.

“Total success”

At the close, the Mestre thanked “all the collaborators” and called the event a “total success” (Instagram). For someone who teaches Taekwondo in a tourist city, taking the martial art to the beachfront in the middle of the summer season is a way to show the sport to people who have never set foot in a gym.

This open-event format was repeated in other initiatives by the Mestre, such as the social project Projeto Campeões do Futuro (“Future Champions”), which takes Taekwondo to schools and neighborhoods in the city.

Come and train

Want to see Taekwondo up close? Mestre Paulo Ribeiro teaches classes in Balneário Camboriú for children, teenagers and adults. Send a message on Instagram @mestrepauloribeiro and book a trial class.