Scott Levine
Associate Editor
September 12, 2008 09:46 pm
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CLINTON — To understand Clinton residents Troy and Maria Kelly’s success in martial arts, all one would have to do is gander at a photo recently taken by their father, Greg.
Lined with medals, cups, trophies the size of a full-grown man, the driveway became more of a showcase for more than a decade’s worth of hard work, rather than a piece of pavement designed to be driven on daily.
In the middle of the more than 200 awards, stood Troy and Maria, staring simultaneously into the camera. This snapshot shows only a glimpse into what encompasses their lives daily.
“This is my lifestyle,” Troy, the 18-year-old third degree black belt, said. “I want to live like this. If I could, in reality, do this 24/7, I would. I love it that much.”
More than a month ago, Troy and Maria competed at the USSSA martial arts trials to become a member of that team. Troy earned a first alternate position, while Maria attained a spot on the second degree and above girls division in the teen range.
The competition used Olympic sparring, something neither Maria nor Troy had much experience with.
“I really had to learn to kick differently, and use more power and timing,” Maria said.
Olympic sparring and regular sparring feature a few differences. Although the technique is the same, Olympic scoring is one point for body blows with punches and kicks and two points for a kick to the head.
In regular sparring, competitors earn three points for kicks to the head, two points for a kick to the body and one point for a body punch.
Maria, also a third degree black belt, said competitors must “jar” the body more in order receive points in the competition.
“Really in Olympic sparring, the point is to break the other person’s ribs,” Maria said. “In regular sparring you can get like 300 points, but in Olympic, it generally doesn’t go over 15.
“You’re exhausted during Olympic sparring. But when you finish, and see that scoreboard flashing your color on the screen, that feels so great. You want to scream, YES! But then you’re exhausted for the rest of the day.”
The Olympic sparring consists of two, 2-minute rounds, with a 30-second interval between rounds. Competitors wear protective chest protectors and head, feet, shin and forearm gear.
In order to stay in shape and outlast the opponent, it takes a rigorous workout regime, something Troy and Maria both possess.
“I teach and train, it’s pretty much a full-time job,” Troy said. “I do cardio, probably run about two miles, then I get my sit ups and push ups in. Then I go train, and work on my punches and kicks, working on being more physical, because that’s what Olympic sparring is all about.”
Maria, a Clinton High School sophomore honor student involved in drama and archery, said her schedule is cramped, but there’s always room for martial arts.
“The majority of what I do is martial arts,” Maria said. “I come home, run two to five miles, do stairs, do sit ups and push ups and then I eat. After that, I go train, and do more cardio, sit ups and push ups, and then work on my punches and kicks. It’s pretty intense physically.”
The intense workouts started 13 years ago when Greg, a 26-year National Guard veteran, gave Troy two options on how to work on his coordination – either join a dance studio or practice Taekwondo.
Troy hung up his dance shoes and the rest is history.
“He needed something to teach him grace,” Greg said. “Well, being a boy, he chose Taekwondo.
“So when I took Maria one day to pick up Troy, she said, ‘Dad, I want to try this.’ So we hung up her dance shoes too and picked up a staff.”
Troy and Maria compete in several different categories, featuring sparring, regular and weapon form exercise and board breaking.
During the board breaking exercise, Maria said they’ve patterned their routine after an Internet clip they watched featuring aerial moves, such as flips, to put on more of a show while breaking boards.
Maria said they are the only competitors at tournaments to attempt acrobats during this category.
“I set my standards way above what they should be,” Maria said. “I set them pretty high…higher than what I know I can do.”
Troy also shoulders those same expectations. It took him until he was 16 to achieve what he had been so close to claiming during many facets of his career – a grand championship.
At that point, Troy squared off in the adult division, facing someone much older than him in the sparring competition. Troy won, giving him a grand championship to add to his already cluttered collection of first place achievements.
“I would always be the second person at the grand championship,” Troy said. “Right when I got it, I felt relieved. Not really excited, but just extremely relieved that I finally got my championship.”
Maria also has a grand championship, hers coming in martial arts form competition.
For now, Troy and Maria continue to concentrate on their martial arts career. Troy is a master instructor at the Millennium Martial Arts in Preston and Morrison, Ill., while Maria continues her goal of one day becoming an astronaut.
Ultimately, though, both have their eyes set on 2012, when the summer Olympics return, this time in London. Both have decided to try to make the USTA team, the Olympic qualifying team.
In order to make the team, Troy said they’ll have to train in their facility, and then if they’re good enough, they’ll ask them to try out.
But until then, it’s all about martial arts, and the drive to continue to canvas that driveway with more awards.
“Ever since I’ve started, I’ve loved this sport,” Troy said. “You don’t sit on a bench. You’re doing something all the time. It’s a good sport for everybody, even for kids who don’t play sports, or if they want to learn self defense.
“You’re doing it for yourself. You don’t have to do anything; you’re there for your own reason. And that’s what makes it great.”
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