DANDENONG taekwondo prodigy Adrian Chee struck a mighty blow for the martial arts minnows recently, travelling to Jordan to win a silver medal for Australia against the sport's superpowers in the Asian Junior Championships.

Chee was Australia's best-placed competitor in the late August meet, fighting his way to the final of the under-45kg division for 14 to 17-year-olds.

On returning home, the 15-year-old promptly claimed the Australian title in the same division at the National Championships in Adelaide from 22 to 23 September.

But it was the experience of squaring off against the ultra-professional Asian fighters that has fast-tracked Chee's development in the lead-up to next year's World Championships in Turkey.

Chee, who started training at Joon No's Taekwondo in Dandenong five years ago, said he was amazed by the natural talent and dedication of his Korean conqueror in the final.

"It gave me a really good perspective on where I am and where I need to be to succeed," Chee said.

"I still have a long way to go."
But as his instructor No recalled this week, Chee has already come a long way since starting taekwondo as a shy and skinny 10-year-old.

Taekwondo has really built his confidence and physical strength," No said, adding that Chee's listening skills were also vital to his success.

Outside of the competitive arena, the trip to Jordan was also a cultural learning curve for Chee, who took an immediate liking to the local cuisine.

While the globe-trotting teenager has already set his sights on the London 2011 Olympics, his next trip will be a training venture to Thailand and Korea in December.

No has arranged for 17 of his students to train with the elite Thai and Korean national teams, providing them with a rare opportunity to hone their skills against the world's best fighters.

Written by Paul Pickering