If a fight breaks out on stage at the Park County Fair, don't panic: It's probably just Sunlight Martial Arts performing on the Pepsi Free Stage.
The Cody-based martial arts studio specializes in a branch of taekwondo called Cheong Deok Kwang. Owner and instructor Allison Emery said the demonstrations depend on the audience, but she likes to show board-breaking and acrobatic stunts.
“Sometimes we let the kids personalize them with different kicks,” Emery says.
Audiences will also get to see traditional poomsae (the movement patterns performed by practitioners) and self-defense scenarios.
The showcase will conclude with a stick performance, in which students show off a variety of tricks, including throwing sticks in the air and doing turkey kicks.
The studio missed out on participating in the Cody Stampede Parade this year because Emery and her mother, Bonnie, were traveling to nationals. The trip was a success: Bonnie, who took over Eagle Spirit Academy in 2006 and renamed it Sunlight Martial Arts, earned her seventh dan (a black belt rank) at nationals at age 70.
Still, Cody’s parade is a popular summertime demonstration for students, so when the opportunity to perform at the Park County Fair came up, they accepted.
“Anytime there's something to prepare for, you always practice a little harder,” Emery said.
Sunlight Martial Arts will be showcasing sparring, board breaking and other amazing moves on the Pepsi Free Stage on Wednesday at 1pm and Thursday at 3pm.
