Martial artists of every age filled Han's Martial Arts in West El Paso on August 22, competing for a shot at the national championships during the Moo Do Texas Regional Tournament. The event doubled as an official black belt point qualifier, meaning competitors could earn points toward landing a top-eight spot in their division at nationals, and it drew a notable hometown guest in undefeated boxing champion and El Paso police officer Stephanie Han.
According to KFOX, the tournament pulled in martial artists of all ages from across the region to compete in poomsae, point sparring, continuous sparring, weapons, and board breaking. The station's coverage included footage shot by KFOX14/CBS4 photojournalist Mariana Ramos, who provided an inside look at the tournament action. Competition wrapped with an evening awards ceremony, and per the Moo Do Taekwondo Association, the day extended into a community gathering at El Paso's historic Charcoaler Drive-In on N. Mesa Street.
A Milestone for a Newly Affiliated Dojo
The tournament marked the first-ever competition hosted at Han's Martial Arts since the school officially affiliated with the Moo Do Taekwondo Association two months earlier, in June 2026, per the association's records. The affiliation expanded Moo Do's regional footprint into West Texas, and the August event served as a debut showcase for the West El Paso school under its new national banner. The day before competition began, Han's Martial Arts hosted official regional black belt testing, where candidates were evaluated under Moo Do national leadership for international Kukkiwon black belt certification, the group's event listing notes.
Han's Martial Arts sits at 6910 N. Mesa St. and was founded in 2018 by Master Abie Han, a three-time IKF World Kickboxing champion and professional middleweight boxer. A 2019 Hoodline ranking counted Han's among El Paso's top martial arts dojos, pointing to a curriculum blending Taekwondo, kickboxing, Hoi Jeon Moo Sool, and self-defense. The Han family's standing in the local combat sports world extends well beyond the mat: the tournament's host family served as grand marshals of West El Paso's 28th Annual Rotary Independence Day Parade in July, a nod to their long history in regional combat sports.
National Leadership and a Hometown Champion in the Crowd
Two of Moo Do's most prominent figures made the trip to West El Paso for the tournament. Master Amitis Pourarian, an 8th-degree black belt who co-founded and serves as vice president of the Moo Do Taekwondo Association, holds a master's degree from Stanford University and is a former U.S. National Taekwondo Team member. Also featured was Master Paul Olson, an international world champion coach whose students have won gold medals at global competitions and even performed on America's Got Talent, according to the association.
Among the local names in attendance was Stephanie Han, an El Paso Police Department officer and undefeated professional boxer described by KFOX as a two-time world boxing champion. Han successfully retained her WBA lightweight world championship in January against former UFC champion Holly Holm, a follow-up to the title run Hoodline first covered when she captured the belt with a first-round knockout at a home event. Her appearance at the tournament placed one of El Paso's most recognizable athletes alongside the sport's national leadership on the same competition floor.
Points on the Line for Nationals
For the competitors themselves, the stakes went beyond trophies. Moo Do designated the Texas Regional Tournament as an official point qualifier, meaning martial artists could accumulate points across the year at regional events like this one in hopes of qualifying for the top eight in their division at the national championships. That points system is what turned a single Saturday in West El Paso into a stepping stone toward a much bigger stage for the region's Taekwondo athletes.
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