A sixth-degree blackbelt with more than 100 students under his teaching, Ian Thokar is a respected instructor of martial arts; helping kids and adults develop and improve upon discipline, respect and self-confidence.

 

And he practices what he preaches.

 

The owner of Bridgeport ATA (American Taekwondo Association), Thokar will compete next week at the ATA world championships in Little Rock, Ark.

 

“To qualify for the tournament of champions, you have to either win districts – but for masters, there aren’t districts – or you have to be ranked in the world in the top 10,” he said.

 

Thokar qualified by placing at the 2019 spring nationals in Las Vegas.

 

“I qualified in sparring, creative and extreme,” he said. “In creative, you create your own form and demonstrate it, then they score you. Extreme is pretty much the same thing, only you can do fancier moves. I don’t do flips, but some do, and you can spin more than 180 degrees, add music and do weapons.”

 

Competition takes place July 8-12.

 

“I fly out Sunday for a full week of events,” Thokar said. “Monday and Tuesday will be my training course. It’s usually pretty hard and a physical pull on the body. Wednesday and Thursday, I’ll be competing in the tournament of champions and on Friday and Saturday, there’s an open tournament, which I’ll compete in, as well.”

 

Originally from the suburbs of Pittsburgh and now a resident of Fairmont, Thokar has competed in the world championships for the past seven or eight years.

 

“I prepare every year for it. I’ve never won, but last year was first time that I made the podium,” he said. “It’s something I’m getting closer and closer to.”

 

Although he was just coming off a three-day fast and testing to pass his mastership qualification in weapon, board breaks and sparring, Thokar earned a silver medal in creative and placed in extreme and extreme weapons at the 2018 tournament of champions.

 

He hopes to do even better this year.

 

That’s what ATA is all about, he said.

 

“I like to compete and I find enjoyment in it. I always tell my students that if they want to do really well testing and if you don’t compete, you always have to train harder,” Thokar said. “You have to push to better yourself and I don’t want to be the instructor that says ‘do this because I say so.’ I like to walk the talk, I guess you could say.”

 

Thokar first learned ATA as a self-defense tool.

 

“I started doing martial arts when I was 11 after a kid on the school bus decided to pick on me and put me in a headlock,” he said. “I tried two different martial arts and my parents and I felt ATA was the most structured and had the best program.”

 

Thokar believes it’s the culture and life skills that draws most people to ATA.

 

“I think they want to learn or improve on discipline and respect and self-confidence,” he said. “I think it’s fairly evident that we have people – especially the younger generation – who are struggling with confidence. I know I did when I was a kid. If someone had met me as a child and now, they would think I’m a different person. It helped me to become confident and find something I’m passionate about and could be successful at.”

 

Thokar and his wife Gina, who is also a blackbelt, are expecting their first child – a son – in November.

 

Follow his world championship experience at the  Bridgeport ATA Martial Arts Facebook page, where there is information on classes for children and adults.