Training and Competing Together Keeps Family Close

By Dan Gunderman

School bells have rung, signaling the end to a long week. The Patullo siblings are making their customary trek to the ATA Legacy Martial Arts School in Hillsborough. 

Showing their appreciation for the school, they help clean the mats, then don some martial arts attire and grind through Taekwondo training. Afterwards, they stay behind and work through other classes as instructors. ATA has become their second home.

But Michael, 16, and Stephanie, 13, are not the only Patullos who have discovered the comfort and rewards that result from a regimented workout routine like taekwondo. Their parents, Nick and Laurie, also come down to ATA throughout the week to train.

Led by school owner of three years, Jorge Lee, the Patullos have become versed in virtually all parts of the taekwondo they practice. Michael and Laurie both excel in the traditional form, while Nick also focuses on sparring and Stephanie on extreme weapons usage.

Nick and Laurie did not start training until about a year after their children began in 2010; and as a family, they began competing in 2011, staying fairly local until this season.

“Joining the ATA Legacy Martial Arts School has been one of the best decisions we have ever made as a family,” said Laurie Patullo. “Our kids made it clear which school they preferred for the following reasons, ‘Mr. Lee makes you want to be there, but he doesn’t let anything slide. He barely knows us, but he expects the best from us.’”

Also exceedingly noteworthy, was their latest trip to an inaugural district tournament held in Pennsylvania with competitors from all of the northeastern states (Maine through West Virginia).

“All four of them (the Patullos) qualified,” said Jorge Lee. “In order to do so, from July to July, they had to participate in local tournaments and earn points toward the title.”

Each Patullo left the June tournament with district titles; Nick even left with two. Michael and his mother won in the traditional form, while Nick won in traditional and sparring and Stephanie in extreme weapons.

“As a result, the black belts among us, Mike and Steph, have been invited to compete in the World Tournament of Champions in Little Rock, Ark., on July 12,” said Laurie. “We are all excited to meet the world’s top competitors!”

The competition is similar to the District Tournament, but on a much larger scale, with 40,000 athletes making the trip to Little Rock—it's the largest convention in the entire state of Arkansas, according to Lee.

And although the parents are not eligible to compete in the World Championships, they look forward to potentially doing so in the future, and for rooting on their children in the coming weeks.

Reflecting on the young Patullos’ time at ATA thus far, Lee said, “Michael has developed a lot in the school during the past few years. Those are important years anyway, to kind of grow as a young man. His confidence has definitely been boosted overall.”

“And Stephanie, she’s a very intense competitor,” he added. “She wants to be the best.”

The young Patullos are on track to test for their next black belt degree, and their parents are also well on their way to achieving taekwondo’s illustrious feat.

“I just love working with them as a family,” said Lee. “Seeing them grow as individuals and become stronger, more confident, has been great. The family even mentioned they’ve grown closer, have more in common and spend more time together now. It’s so rewarding to see.”

So the next event on the Patullo agenda is the thrilling Arkansas trip, but more generally, Laurie said it best when adding, “In keeping with the ATA motto, to compete is to win!”