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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
CONGRATULATING CHANG BROTHERS TAEKWONDO ACADEMY FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT THE 2017 USA TAEKWONDO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
WHEREAS, Chang Brothers Taekwondo Academy (CBTA) was established in 1983 by Grandmaster Ki Jin Chang and his three younger brothers: Ki Oh, Ki Hoon, & Ki Jang; and
WHEREAS, Grandmaster Ki Jin Chang first began learning martial arts under his father and then began his Taekwondo training at age eight, and later when he came to America in 1979, he continued his training at various schools. He taught martial arts to hundreds of students at Northern Illinois University before founding Chang Brothers Taekwondo Academy in 1983 in Hanover Park, IL. He went all over the Midwest performing demonstrations and furthering the development of Taekwondo in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Grandmaster Chang went on to coach at the state, collegiate, national and even international level. In 1995 he was chosen to be the head coach of the US National team for an international competition; and
WHEREAS, Grandmaster Chang helped thousands of children and adults during his time as Master of the school to better themselves through martial arts. Grandmaster Ki Jin Chang passed in 2006 and left a legacy that is Chang Brothers Taekwondo Academy and that legacy is now carried on by his son Master David Chang; and
WHEREAS, Master David Chang started Taekwondo at 3 years of age under the tutelage of his father and has over 25 years of Taekwondo and martial arts experience. He has taken over the Chang Brothers legacy with goals of furthering the path that his father began; and
WHEREAS, Chang Brothers Taekwondo Academy is committed to providing high quality martial arts instruction to peewees, children, teens, and adults by merging the values of traditional martial arts with the new aspects of modernized Olympic Taekwondo enabling students to use the teachings of martial arts in all areas of their lives; and
WHEREAS, Chang Brothers has one of the most active competition teams in all of Illinois. Their Olympic Sparring, Sports Poomsae (Forms), and newly added Demo Teams compete annually at the USA Taekwondo State and National Championships as well as other high level local and regional competitions and have won numerous medals and championships at these events; and
WHEREAS, Chang Brothers Competition teams recently competed at the 2017 USA Taekwondo National Championships in Detroit, MI from June 29th to July 6th and had a highly successful competition winning a total of 13 medals (6 Bronze, 3 Silver & 4 Gold) in both Olympic Sparring and Sports Poomsae competition as well as a competitive first Demo Team competition, 27 athletes in all; and
WHEREAS, competition team members included: Santiago Espinoza, Saiyuri Thammavongsa, Andrei Salud, Eduardo Morales, Sitalia & Sorran Mitchell, Jasmine Alanis, Francis Santiago, Jackie Gutierrez, Marcela Castillo, Bryant & Brandon Bactat, Alexia Ceci, Karolina Bosek, Kristofer Silva, America Cervantes, Gissell Tellez, Michael Kim, Kevin Cao, Jesus Gutierrez, Julian Chagoya, Ranbir & Puran Gill, Stefani Morales, Mia Schoening, Jose Banuelos, and Eduardo Quintana; and
WHEREAS, Chang Brothers athletes who brought home medals included: Santiago Espinoza (Bronze in Blue Belt Dragon Poomsae, Saiyuri Thammavongsa (Bronze in Green Belt Dragon Poomsae & Gold in Green Belt Dragon Sparring-Lightweight), Andrei Salud (Silver in Green Belt Dragon Poomsae & Gold in Green Belt Dragon Sparring-Lightweight), Eduardo Morales ( Bronze in Red Belt Youth Poomsae), Sitalia Mitchell (Bronze in Red Belt Youth Poomsae), Jasmine Alanis (Gold in Red Belt Cadet Sparring-Bantamweight), Francis Santiago (Bronze in Red Belt Junior Sparring-Light Middleweight), Jackie Gutierrez (Silver in Black Belt Tiger Sparring-Middleweight), Marcela Castillo (Silver in Black Belt Ultra Sparring-Fin-weight), Bryant Bactat (Bronze in World Class Black Belt Junior Sparring-Fin-weight) and Alexia Ceci (Gold in World Class Black Belt Senior Sparring-Welterweight); and
WHEREAS, Alexia Ceci, the 2017 US Women’s National Welterweight Champion, is the 1st World Class Black Belt Senior National Champion under Master David Chang, and the only adult black belt National Champion from Illinois this year. The victory qualified her to compete for the US National Team at trials competition early next year; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of the fantastic results of the entire Chang Brothers Taekwondo Competition Teams at this year USA Taekwondo National Championships;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Cook County Board President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners do hereby congratulate Master David Chang and the entire Chang Brothers Taekwondo Academy Competition Teams on an outstanding 2017 National Championships and wish him and the entire CBTA community continued success in the future; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceedings of this Honorable Body and that a suitable copy of this Resolution be presented to Master David Chang in honor of Chang Brothers Taekwondo Academy’s outstanding achievements.
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