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Welcome to the Ata Nation podcast.

Welcome back, Ata Nation.

This is episode 156 of the Ata Nation podcast.

I really appreciate you tuning in.

I hope you got to check out our live episode.

We did.

What an amazing lineup of guests.

Episode 155.

You can find the whole thing on YouTube.

Head over to the ATA Martial Arts YouTube page and watch it.

It was fantastic.

We had great guests, amazing stuff.

Senior Master Isaacs jumped in at the end to talk with us as well, on top of all the other things.

So if you missed out on that, make sure you go back and watch it.

Head over to YouTube and check out that episode.

Now, as this episode comes out.

This episode comes out on June 27.

It is the last day to get regular online registration pricing for the World Conference seminars.

So make sure if you haven't registered for that, if you want to get a good money deal, you need to go and register as soon as you hear this.

Hopefully it's not too late.

You heard this after that?

Well, sorry.

So Worlds coming up, all kinds of amazing things, guys.

We also, I believe now I, I've got, I've got messages here and there and everywhere, but I am 87.35 sure that we're gonna have a, a special live episode of the ATA Nation podcast next Tuesday.

Right.

I think that's July 1st, maybe with Senior Master Tyquan Lee from ATA headquarters.

I think he's got some announcements and things you want to talk about.

Get ready for Worlds.

So we're going to do a live episode next Tuesday, I believe at noon.

That'll be.

You can find the information about that.

You will head over to atanation podcast.com live or you can see some stuff on the ATA Facebook social media itself as well.

So don't miss out on that.

Now let's get to our amazing athlete of the week, ATA Nation.

I'm excited to have with us another awesome athlete of the week, Mr.

Kane Church.

How are you, sir?

I'm doing phenomenal.

How about yourself?

Wonderful.

Now, I don't think many people are going to wonder, uh, but can you tell us where you're from and where you train?

I'm from San Diego, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, and I train with my dad, Chief Master Church.

That's, yeah, I, I, I, I assumed people would know, but you know, there might be some people out there that don't know, so.

Hey, sir, you're one of these athletes of the week.

And before we get into my regular questions.

You just got back from the athlete development camp again?

How was AD camp this year?

It was a phenomenal experience.

I got to fight with a bunch of people and train with a bunch of different athletes, and it was just an overall great experience.

Everybody loves running outside in June in Arkansas, right?

It's perfect.

Oh, it's lovely.

Yes.

Everybody loves the heat down there.

It's so much fun.

Thank you, Senior Master Isaacs, for always making people run outside.

So that was.

We saw some videos online.

Looks like an amazing camp, working all about culture.

I'm gonna have my regular question, but I'm gonna guess I know the answer.

Favorite event to compete with at a.

Tournament, it has to be sparring.

There's no question.

Has it always been sparring for you?

Have you always been a sparring guy?

Yeah, I've always been a sparring guy ever since I started and since I've been a kid.

Yeah, that's.

So I'm gonna guess then.

Well, let's.

Before I go to that.

Traditional sparring, your favorite, combat sparring, next to it.

Is it close or is it way ahead?

Traditional sparring.

Traditional sparring is way ahead.

Way ahead.

It's like a conversation for me.

Sparring has always been my favorite sport.

Well, I mean, it comes naturally to you.

I'm guessing there's.

There's that family dynamic where you're.

You're basically born into it.

Yes, sir.

Your dad is kind of a sparring machine.

He.

He knows what he's doing, so.

Oh, 100.

So now I'm gonna guess again.

I think I know the answer, but if you had to pick an event that you're, like, not my favorite to do at tournaments, what would that be?

I would have to say forms.

I'm shocked.

Just because that one.

That one part of Taekwondo has always been the hardest.

Weapons a little bit better.

I like weapons.

Forms has been hard, though.

I'll say that.

Well, and I love.

You know what?

When we do these interviews with people, I think it's great to hear people have things that they love and things that they're struggling for them, because that's life, you know, like, not everything is going to be super easy for you.

There's parts that are harder, and that's normal.

You know, I think one of the joys of Taekwondo is the.

The fact that it's not all easy.

You know, some of it's like, hey, I got to work a little harder at this.

So you said weapons is close in there.

What.

What's your go to weapon.

What do you enjoy doing?

My.

My go to weapons.

The sword.

I've won two world titles consecutively with it so far, so.

Oh, I really like it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Traditional or one of the extreme creative things?

Traditional.

Traditional.

Traditional.

Are you extreme a creative guy at all?

No, I respect those guys.

I could never do that stuff.

You're a traditional guy.

That's.

So I'm going to guess you.

You seem like you lean more towards, you know, Chief Master Church's side of sparring and things.

Senior Master Church's side.

You're not.

She's.

That forms that kind of thing.

Not as.

Not as much.

You?

Not.

Not as much.

Very good.

Hey, you know, there are lots of athletes out there.

We're getting ready to go to world championships.

You know, season has ended.

You guys just went through athlete development camp.

What kind of goals do you have that might be for this season or even just, like, looking forward to the future as an athlete?

What are you looking for as you set those goals?

I have a couple goals, especially this season.

One is to win the world title for sparring again, as well as win the world title for weapons.

And then another goal is to make sure Team USA wins the world title again.

Excellent goals.

Those are fantastic.

I'm really excited to be watching the team sparring again.

The International Song Cup.

So much fun to watch the different competitions, different countries come together.

I think Team USA won, like, all but one last year.

Was that correct, I think.

Or did they get all of them last year?

No, I think we got all of them.

I think there was one year recently that I think they got.

They.

There was one that another country got, but I'm trying to stoke this rivalry.

There's not an actual rivalry, but I'm trying to stoke one between Team USA and Team Mexico and the Team Philippines.

Just.

Just because I think it's fun, though.

Oh, yeah, it'll definitely be fun with the.

This year with their addition.

They have phenomenal fighters on their team.

Do you guys have any?

I was thinking I saw that there might be a fighter or two from your guys's school on one of those teams.

Is that right?

Yes, sir.

Noah Mercado.

He's going to be on their team.

Excellent.

Very cool.

Well, I love that.

So let's look at you are.

You've been a lifelong martial artist.

You've been doing this long time, if I'm not mistaken.

You've got some educational things, some things outside of Taekwondo that you're doing that you're.

You're part of what kind of goals if you're looking outside of Taekwondo.

Are you.

You're setting, are you.

What, what are you in school, out of school?

What?

Where are you school wise?

I'm currently in school.

I'm.

I attend the University of San Diego.

Okay.

Really?

It's actually a beautiful.

It's a beautiful school.

One of my current goals is to actually graduate.

I'm going to be a senior this year, so last year.

And then after that, I'm going to apply what I've learned into the Taekwondo schools.

Nice.

Excellent.

So, Mr.

Church, can you tell me what's it mean to you to be an athlete that goes beyond the belt?

For me, it just means living as I do, leading when I can, being a great example to everyone around me and just actually just being who I am, someone who is honest.

Oh, I love that.

Yes, I like that.

Like being true to yourself, being authentic.

That is a great way to be a champion.

Beyond the belt.

I love it.

Well, sir, I really appreciate your time today.

Thank you.

Especially for making time after getting back from athlete development camp.

I know you got to be exhausted and I'm sure you're right on to training and getting ready for Worlds in just a couple weeks.

So thank you so much for your time today, sir.

Oh, thank you.

This is awesome.

We want to thank Mr.

Church for his time ata Nation podcast.

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It.