2025 Club Championships - Results

The News!

KENMORE wins the 2025 Championship Trophy in a record-breaking landslide with 12 gold — 10 silver — 7 bronze, a whopping 7 gold ahead  of long-time rival  (and defending champion) NEWMARKET, who could only manage 5 gold this year!  Congrats to Master Shirly and TEAM KENMORE!

KENMORE, somewhat surprisingly with 57 players, narrowly wins the 2025 PLAYERS TROPHY with 68.42%! TOOWOOMBA, needing only one more medal was a close second with 62.5%. It's a familiar story unfortunately for Instructor John, suffering the same fate in 2024.  Congrats to Master Shirly and the team!

Sam Yang 2025 Club Champion!

Sam Yang highest kick 255 cm!

Master Shirly Sieh highest kick for the female division at 235 cm!

6 Teams

Poomsae
Power Breaking
High Kick
+26 black belt officials!

PHOTO ALBUM
 & VIDEO
INCLUDED BELOW

Report Summary

23rd CHAMPIONSHIP!

This is the 23rd Club Championship event! We thank our host and sponsor — Grandmaster Bradley — thank you for making this event possible!

For a complete history on past winners you can click here: Past Events

THE TEAMS

The Sun Bae KMA Taekwondo Championship was held at Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, Australia, Saturday 11 October 2025. The teams are:

• Team Newmarket: Master Shirly (defending 2024 Champions) (34 players).
• Team Kenmore: Master Shirly (runner up 2024) (57 players).
• Team The Gap: Instructor Nicole & Master Ben (defending 2024 Players Trophy) (25 players).
• Team Toowoomba: Instructor John (8 players).
• Team Middle Park: Instructor Brendan (20 players).
• Team Mt Gravatt: Master Ben (23 players).

Our players enjoyed perfect weather conditions, warm and comfortable, a light sweat veiling the usual nerves.  

The poomsae division (patterns) was conducted on three courts  — 166 players — all Sun Bae students. This is an invitation only event for Sun Bae members.

Six teams competed in knockout style, in 23 divisions, the eventual winner requiring a broad range of player performance.

The largest division this year was Yellow - Juniors (under 10) with 24 players, won by Shubhika Khurana.

PATTERNS — EXPLAINED

CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

Matchplay patterns — knockout until a victor is declared.  The largest division required five matches to win, another two matches afterwards to declare the Club Champion — a true test of fitness and mental strength. Luck of the draw is no stranger to the event, sometimes with the possibility of facing the eventual club champion in the first round. How is your karma?

The Championship Trophy only includes the contest for patterns. The winning team is declared by the highest number of gold medals. Silver and bronze are still utilised, but only in the event of a tie (refer to 2022 result!). A medals tie is decided upon the lowest number of DQ players. Failing that, a further tie is decided upon the lowest number in a team. 

PLAYERS TROPHY

The Players Trophy is decided upon the highest percentage (per team capita) of medals won: gold, sliver, bronze. It includes all events: patterns, high kick, tile break! 

Example: 10 medals from 20 in a team = 50%.

The Players Trophy is designed to afford smaller teams a stronger chance to compete. This winner was KENMORE — fielding 57 players —  narrowly snatching the Trophy from Toowoomba by one medal.

Every player entered is important.

CLUB CHAMPION — INDIVIDUAL

One champion per rank: black, red III, red, blue, yellow and white.

Each final is represented by the best in junior, intermediate, adult and masters.

Note: Club Instructors are not allowed to compete in the patterns or be crowned as "Club Champion" (for obvious reasons). 

FULL REPORT BELOW

POWER BREAKING — ROOF TILES — EXPLAINED

Power breaking is tested on terracotta roof tiles — only for black belt students. Sun Bae uses Terracotta tiles because they remain consistent in strength over time, unlike cement tiles which are very easy to break when they are new (and unbreakable when they are old).

It is important NOT to attempt any breaking without your instructor. SEVERE (even life-threatening) injuries can occur. The tiles,  even once broken, can be quite sharp and can cut the wrists or fingers. It is dangerous and only professionals should attempt.

Every year our players are faced with a decision upon how many they should stack. Too many and you can lose power, as it sits too high. Not enough and you might be left wondering! 

The player is awarded a bonus tile on their score if they completely break a stack — thus assuming they would have broken one more. Strategy is key!

It is always an exciting event, with spectators treated to a great display of traditional martial arts. Notably, there were three entrants for female and three entrants for male. 

On the note of tradition, roof tiles were always part of the original black belt testing in the 1960's, 70's and 80's. Sun Bae has continued this tradition late into the 90's whereupon it became very hard to actually find the right roof tiles. Sun Bae now keeps its reserve of tiles just for the Championship.

FULL REPORT BELOW

HIGH KICK — JUMPING FRONT KICK— EXPLAINED

The club record is 284 cm.

Players compete in seven divisions: split into male, female and midgets (both girls & boys).

The high kicking is always a crowd pleaser, with much barracking and encouragement, the room thundering to elevate each player! It is a must-see event, worth begging mum and dad to stay!

FULL REPORT BELOW

Team Patterns - Championship Trophy

Results & Medals

There were 166 pattern (poomsae) players this year. Most divisions were heavily fielded. Four judges per court. Ties decided by the Head Of Court (fifth judge). These close contests can often prove the difference, especially this year with only one medal separating the winner in both the Championship Trophy and the Players Trophy. 

FIRST & SECOND PLACE — TEAM KENMORE & TEAM NEWMARKET

A familiar rivalry! Since 2020, these teams have placed first and second with the running score at 3 — 3! 

First place was won by Team Kenmore. Second place went to Team Newmarket. However, it was not even close.

The defending champions, Team Newmarket, failed to dominate the first division — black belt. Last year they managed a clean sweep. That feat was similarly swept (under the rug) with the gold shared evenly, one apiece, between Team Toowoomba, Team Kenmore and Team Newmarket. There were many new black belts this year, heating up this division. Notably, the division was judged by guest master, Yun Seong-weon. Master Yun is a 7 dan Kukkiwon black belt and 1st Class WT International Poomsae Referee (a World Championships and Australian Open judge). There was no hiding and in return, the Sun Bae Dan performance was notably of high standard.

The event seemed little less than a battle royal between Team Kenmore and Team Newmarket, collectively securing 17 out of the the 23 gold up for grabs. However, the underdogs of the day with only 8 players, Team Toowoomba, snuck their way into the battle securing three solid gold and one bronze (seemingly whilst no one was looking). They must have good water up there in the hills! Perhaps though, they need a bigger bus? 

And yet, the other teams did not disappoint, Team Middle Park and Team Mt Gravatt securing a total of six and five medals respectively. If only they could convert those into gold! At the other end of the scoreboard, it was hardly a straight-forward affair, a three-way tiebreaker required for 4th place. Team The Gap eventually triumphed, sliding into 4th place with the most silver.      

Team Newmarket dominated the Blue Belt division, adding Olivia Day to their long list of Club Champions. Yet, in response, Team Kenmore dominated the Red Belt, Red III Belt, White Belt and Yellow Belt divisions, adding Victoria Figueira de Oliveira and Meegan Tatnell to their Club Champion list. That is in addition to Sam Yang, already securing his place earlier in the day as Black Belt Club Champion. And even though the Yellow Belt Division was swarming with Team Kenmore, Kuenleg Pelzang of Team Newmarket emerged as Club Champion, well done!

Some mild scolding is required, of course, for members who did not enter. There are usually not many divisions which are left unfielded, but this year there were medals left up for grabs in Blue (adult), Red (masters), Red III (junior) and White (adult). Whilst it may not have impacted the winning result, it seems there likely might have been wriggle-room in deciding the places. After all, it is a team event and a full team has a better chance to succeed. A plain example that every match matters. 

Congratulations to Team Kenmore on their Championship win and to Team Newmarket on runner-up and to Master Shirly who unashamedly is the Master for both teams.  

THIRD PLACE — TEAM TOOWOOMBA

Team Toowoomba are back on the podium after a dry stretch (last podium 2022) with three gold medals and one bronze — securing third place! With just eight players, we can only take off our hat to this courageous team. However, it must be said, perhaps they should have fielded more? Nonetheless, Instructor John has opted for quality over quantity and has been somewhat rewarded. But oh, what could have been.

Added to their list of Club Champions is Orion Yong (Red III), whose performance was nothing short of solid. Once he increases his flexibility and kicking height, he might well prove quite a force in the black belt division. We must also mention Midori Mihara, who made it all the way to the final for Black Belt Club Champion, losing on a split decision to Sam Yang. This is her first championship in the Black Belt Division. Notably, she was Club Champion in 2024 for Red III Belt. We also congratulate Sarah Buchanan from Blue Belt Masters for her gold.      

CLUB CHAMPIONS - INDIVIDUALS

We congratulate the champions in each division. It is usually a long road just to get to the finals and once there, it is two more matches. Club Champions must be prepared for the physical endurance as well as the mental strength required to get to the end. Serious training is recommended in preparation. The Champions are:  

• Black      Sam Yang (Kenmore) [CLUB CHAMPION]
• Red III    Orion Yong (Toowoomba)
• Red          Victoria  Figueira de Oliveira  (Kenmore)
• Blue         Olivia Day (Newmarket)
• Yellow     Kuenleg Pelzang (Newmarket)
• White     Meegan Tatnell (Kenmore)

RESULTS — LINKS (CLICK)

• CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERBOARD - TEAM PLACINGS (pdf)

• INDIVIDUAL MATCH RESULTS & MEDAL (pdf)

         (matches run Round 1: top to bottom. Round 2: bottom to top. Round 3: top to bottom, etc.)

• CLUB CHAMPIONS - MATCH RESULTS (pdf)

• TEAM MEMBERS (MEDAL PLACES)

• EVENT HISTORY

Team Patterns - Players Trophy

Results & Medals

The Players Trophy includes all events: patterns, high kick and tile break. The winner this year, with a team of 57 players and a result of 68.42% was Team Kenmore. It was a wholly surprising result, considering the size of their team (smaller teams usually triumphing). Notably, only one more medal was required by Team Toowoomba to take them down. 

Team The Gap and Team Kenmore dominated the High Kick medal count, adding greatly to their chances for the Players Trophy. Yet it was Team The Gap who notably dominated the medal count in the Tile Break, surging them further forth. Unfortunately their poomsae results fell well short of expectations, in the end five short of winning the Players. It must also be said that Team Toowoomba, perhaps the greatest chance and the favourite to win, was left woefully short in the Tile Break and High Kick. It was nothing short of a missed chance, perhaps even a "golden" opportunity gone begging, securing only one poultry medal in total. 

It seems Team Toowoomba and Team The Gap let the trophy slip through their fingers this year. Fielding much smaller teams, they had a vast well of chances to take it from Team Kenmore (who really could not have improved on an already strong performance). No doubt, strategies will be updated for 2026!

Congratulations to Team Kenmore and Master Shirly!   

RESULTS — LINKS (CLICK)

• LEADERBOARD - TEAM PLACINGS

• TEAM MEMBERS (MEDALS)

• EVENT HISTORY

High Kicking

Results & Medals

The club record of 284 cm was again not challenged at all this year, the highest kick at 255 cm by Sam Yang. Last year he recorded 245 cm, but it seems he has grown 10 cm taller in 12 months! With some improvement in his stretching prowess, we might see him shadow the record next year. Kicking above the ceiling height at home is a huge achievement and our crowd was suitably wooed with every valiant attempt, a crowd favourite it seems!  

The record for the female division is 240 cm (Nicole Vickery — 2017) and Master Shirly Sieh loomed upon it this year with 235 cm.

The Sun Bae highest kick record of 284 cm set by Michael Mills remains intact. Considering it to be somewhat close to the world record, it is likely to stay where it is. For students wishing to kick higher, please concentrate on your front splits ability and set a strong work-out program three months out from the event. Don't eat lunch just before you jump, wear a lightweight dobok (and maybe think about cutting your hair).  

 RESULTS — LINKS (CLICK)

• INDIVIDUAL RESULTS & MEDALS

• TEAM SCOREBOARD

Power Breaking

Results & Medals

The tile breaking did not disappoint, in fact it never does, showing all the true skill and courage of a martial artist. The tiles used are all terracotta roofing tiles. Only black belts are permitted to enter — due to the inherent danger of breaking. 

It seemed some strategy from Master Shirly Sieh (Team Kenmore) outfoxed Steph Bennett (Team Newmarket). Steph attempted five tiles, but only broke 4. Master Shirly attempted three and demolished the entire stack. Having done so, she was awarded an extra tile (based on the expectation another would have been broken). This now resulted in a tie! the tiebreaker is decided on weight, the lightest player awarded the win. Congrats to Master Shirly for the gold!

Master Ben Vickery (Team The Gap) had taken down a full stack of eight tiles in 2024, so we we wondering why he only had seven stacked this year. Not sure what happened, but the last tile refused to break. Six tiles was enough for gold though!  

All video footage is available for this exciting event.

RESULTS — LINKS (CLICK)

• RESULTS & MEDALS — FEMALE

• RESULTS & MEDALS — MALE

• TEAM SCOREBOARD