I think it would be a big pain if you missed this episode.

Let's get started, sir.

I will live with perseverance in the spirit of Taekwondo, courtesy for fellow students, integrity within myself, and to become a black belt leader.

Welcome to the Ata Nation podcast.

Instructors, students, parents, family of Ata Nation, thank you for tuning in.

This is episode 143 of the Ata Nation podcast.

We couldn't do it without you guys.

Thank you so much for the support.

We are back with another excellent episode, interviewing one of the athletes of the week.

These interviews I'm just enjoying so much because we get to hear from the just the regular Taekwondo student out there, the regular ATA athlete that is just out there going beyond the belt.

We have so many stories of just everyday students going beyond the belt with their athleticism, with their training, with their goals.

And I think it has been so much fun to highlight these individuals.

Today we have on the episode Ms.

Addison Payne.

So let's get right to it.

Special guest interview, ATA Nation.

We have another awesome athlete with us today.

This is Ms.

Addison Payne.

How are you today, ma'am?

How are you?

I am wonderful.

So first of all, tell us where you train, who your instructor is, and what rank you are.

I train at World Class Martial Arts in Henderson, Nevada.

My instructors are Senior Master Trish Kurtz and Chief Master Ken Kurtz.

And I'm a secondary level.

Well, awesome.

Congratulations.

That's awesome.

Now what?

I see you have this awesome ATA Max shirt on.

Did you.

Have you gone to one of the Max gatherings before?

Yes, I've gone to the Max gathering two and three.

Oh, so you were at the one we just had.

How was it?

What did you think of it?

It was so much fun.

I love going to ATM Max.

There's such a great experience and definitely, like, good learning experiences.

Nice.

Now, speaking of atmx, if you know you're competing, you're doing all kinds of things.

What's your.

Your top, your favorite competition event that you like to do?

I definitely like creative weapons.

I feel like would have to be.

My number one creative weapon.

So what's your weapon of choice?

Double checks, Double chucks.

Very good.

So, and creative version, not the extreme version.

No, I don't.

I'm not usually a tricker.

I like doing, like, the speed and the actual technique of things.

Nice.

Easier for me to do.

Creative.

Excellent.

Oh, I love that.

Very good.

Okay.

And I've been asking most of the athletes if we all love all parts of Taekwondo.

We love to train.

It's all cool.

But if there was One event that you were like, I'll skip that one.

What event would that be?

Oh, my gosh, that's really hard.

Good answer, good answer.

I don't know.

I probably have to say one of the XMA events.

Okay, like, again, like what I said, I'm not really like somebody that flips.

Not a big tricker.

But the creative stuff you like.

So what is it about the creative that you really enjoy?

I like how it's like you get to make up your own thing, you get to do what you want, but it's more like, it's more on the martial arts side of things.

Like, it's still a form, you're still kicking, you're still like hitting somebody.

You're not like just doing like a dance or a gymnastics kind of like.

Yes, very cool.

I love that.

I like it.

Good, good.

So what kind of, you know, you're one of these athletes that they're highlighting out there.

You know, you're a great example for people.

What kind of goals are you setting?

Maybe short term goals or long term goals in your martial arts training?

One of my goals is definitely a world champion in any event, but I also want to become a master when I'm older.

That's like, definitely one thing I'm.

I love, like, teaching the kids.

I love, like, helping instruct class.

So definitely a master.

Oh, that is a great goal.

I can't wait, Like, I can't wait, like, to sit and be able to watch some of the people that I've interviewed, like, as kids or whatever, go on and become masters and be like, I remember them when they were there.

Oh, that's going to be so cool.

Well, that's an excellent goal.

I love it.

I want you to keep training hard, make sure you achieve that goal.

Now, I've been asking all of the athletes, what does it mean to you to be an athlete that goes beyond the belt?

To me, being an athlete that goes beyond the belt is going beyond competition and beyond rank.

Because what ATA is about is like going through those life skills like discipline, having belief in yourself, having that confidence.

And I feel like a lot of people that go to competitions, they forget, like, you're supposed to have that good attitude no matter what, always being kind, always cheering on everybody, no matter what.

I love that.

That's fantastic.

You're right.

Sometimes we get into this, you know, we get to competitions and we get, we get amped up and we get excited and we forget, like, hey, this is about more than, you know, competition.

It's about the People that we're.

We're trying to become.

And I can tell that you are a great example of that for ATA Nation.

Is there.

Is there any advice you would give to maybe a big competitor, somebody who is wanting to become a world champ or whatever, but might be, you know, a little down or maybe a little frustrated in competition or whatever?

What kind of advice would you give them?

Kind of that beyond the belt advice to keep moving forward?

I would definitely say keep pushing through because I know there are, especially as a black belt, competing and trying to be the best of the best.

It's definitely.

There's definitely going to be adversity and obstacles and just keep pushing through to overcome that.

Have confidence in yourself, because I know it can be hard sometimes, but it definitely does get easier when you.

When you win.

Yeah.

Yeah, exactly.

It takes some time, though, right?

Have you gotten any world titles yet?

I have not.

Nope.

So still working.

I mean, like I said, I.

Yeah, I would talk to a bunch of athletes recently, and some of them have gotten them and some of them have, you know, trying year after year after year.

And you, you know, it's just that perseverance and the.

What you learn as you go through the journey as well.

Awesome.

Well, Ms.

Addison, I really appreciate your time today.

I know you've got a.

Are you off to spring break?

Is that what I hear?

Yes.

Yeah.

Awesome.

Where are you guys going?

Anywhere fun for spring break?

Oh, we are.

We're going on a cruise.

A Mexican Riviera cruise.

Oh.

Oh, that sounds great.

Well, you'll have to do some, you know, like, forms on the deck, you know, making sure you're.

You're doing some.

Some.

A little bit of training while you're out on the cruise.

Yep, definitely.

Excellent.

And then will we see you at spring nationals in Texas?

I will be there.

Excellent.

Well, we want to thank you for your time and thank you for inspiring ATA Nation with just your example and your competition.

We really appreciate it.

Thank you so much.

I'm telling you, so awesome to hear from these athletes all over the place.

I'm excited to meet a bunch of these athletes.

I've only met them as we've interviewed online, and I'm going to be out as spring nationals in just a couple of weeks.

I get to see some of these awesome athletes in person.

Now I just got, like, moments before started recording this episode, I got an email from ATA headquarters.

And I don't know if you guys have seen this or heard this, so I want to pass it along.

Now.

This is only going to work for you.

If you are hearing this live and if you're not hearing this when it comes out, you need to make sure that you hit the subscribe button on YouTube.

For ATA martial arts, you need to hit this subscribe on your podcast player, whether it's Spotify, whatever.

For ATA Nation podcast, you do not want to miss those.

But this was just announced.

They are doing a test extension of late registration or Spring Nationals.

Usually late registration ends and then you cannot register again until you get on site.

Okay, so this is brand new.

It's a test to see.

But if you haven't registered for Fall National.

Excuse me, for Spring Nationals yet, you need to try and get registered before you go.

You will save some money.

Okay, so late registration will reopen at the standard late registration rate, not the on site price level.

So you're going to save money.

Okay, this is just a trial.

It says right now this is only available for Spring national, so don't count on this later on.

If you late register on ATA easy sign up, which you can do right now.

And I think it says you can do that up until like I think it says even like the 14th of April.

Don't, don't quote me on that.

You might need to go over and head out and check that out just in case because I don't want to.

I don't want you to come and yell at me.

If you didn't get your late registration done on time now, you probably should have just registered, you know, on time, but I know sometimes you don't know.

So this, this test of late registration is open until Monday, April 14th at noon Central Time.

Monday, April 14th at noon central time.

That's like right up until it.

That's, that's pretty awesome, guys.

That's pretty amazing.

Okay, so now what you'll need to know though is that your ring assignments will not be posted online for late registration because this is past the time they can put all that in.

And you'll have to pick up your competition and judging assignments at the ATA help desk when you get there to Fort Worth.

They're still going to be doing on site registration, but black belts who register online will receive half points and there's a $50 registration fee extra on top of late registration stuff.

So just be aware of that.

Check this out.

If you are, you know, you weren't sure you're going to go to Fort Worth, but now you're like, I need to go.

I need a couple extra points.

It's a good weekend.

I can go do it get that early?

Not early, late, late registration.

But still, you're going to save money over being on site registration.

So I'm going to encourage you to do that.

I just got that email.

I wanted to bring that information out to you guys.

That's going to take care of it for today.

Ms.

Addison Payne, thank you so much for being an awesome guest.

Awesome interview.

We are going to be back next week with another Athlete of the Week.

Don't miss it.

We'll see you soon.

Get out there.

Go beyond the belt.

Thanks for listening to another episode of the ATA Nation podcast.

Be sure to subscribe and share with your ATA family.

That subscribe button go down.

Smash it.

But hey, also we're going to continue to be showing these Athletes of the Week out with the Junior Brand Ambassadors.

In addition, we are going to be bringing out some other episodes, talking to some other people here and there.

I've got a really neat thing I am planning with Master Bentley that I'm excited about.

Got some other episodes coming up as well.

So make sure you hit subscribe so you can see all of those.

Until next time guys.

Sit out there, do some more.