The Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center hosted the Brenda J. Sell Classic last month where dozens of Taekwondo practitioners came together in Plant City to participate.
Brenda Sell holds the title of Grand Master — a title that was held by her late husband Edward Sell as well — earned through 52 years of Taekwondo of training in addition to her position as president of the U.S. Chung Do Kwan association, founded by Edward Sell, the oldest Taekwondo association in the United States.
Brenda Sell began training at 14 years old and is currently a ninth-degree black belt in the practice, the highest ranking American female and second-highest ranking female Taekwondo practitioner in the world. She also became the first female to be officially recognized by the World Taekwondo Headquarters as an international official in 1987. Throughout her time in Taekwondo she has repeatedly broken barriers in a sport that had long been traditionally male-dominated.
The annual tournament was originally created by Brenda Sell’s late husband Edward Sell to honor not only Brenda Sell herself, but the impact women have made on Taekwondo. In addition, as a breast cancer survivor herself, Brenda Sell holds the annual tournament in October to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“The Brenda J. Sell Classic was started by my late husband 21 years ago,” said Brenda Sell. “One day he came to our leadership and he said, ‘We always lift up the men and lift up what they do because men have always been the leader and Taekwondo’s been a man’s sport. But I want us, every year now, to take a day and develop the Brenda J. Sell Classic to honor my wife for her accomplishments. She’s always been in the background and I want to bring her to the forefront.’ We’ve held the Brenda J. Sell Classic every year since and I’ve tried to take that a step further. Yes, they honor me, but then I also want to honor all of the females in our organization that are taking that lead and not stepping back. Spreading the benefits of Taekwondo like building confidence and courage and discipline and focus and respect and love. Love for people, that’s so important to be able to make it through this life. So today is not only honoring me, but honoring them.”
Around 115 competitors and over 40 officials were in attendance for the annual tournament.
The USCDKA is headquartered in Lakeland but began instructing at recreation centers as Brenda and Edward Sell traveled. The first recreation centers in the area to house their instruction were the Planteen Rec Center and Lakeland Rec Center, and while the Sell Team Academy of Taekwondo now resides permanently in Lakeland, instruction has continued in Plant City at the Planteen Rec Center, currently under Master Steve Reynolds.