SPRINGVALE'S Nuvolari Seneviratne became the taekwondo state champion last week when he won a gold medal at the State Netball and Hockey Centre.

Seneviratne, who trains at Joon No's Martial Arts in Dandenong, said speed and power, his greatest assets, helped secure his 11th gold medal.

Despite an injury, after winning the Victorian senior technical event, Seneviratne continues to hone is martial arts skills to prepare for the national titles, planned for Perth later this year.

"While I'm injured I train two days a week and usually put in more hours."

The 20-year-old started taekwondo when he was 15. He is already state champion and won his national title in Adelaide in 2007.

He hopes to be selected to represent Australia in international competitions one day.

"The secret of a good taekwondo move is in the execution of the skills.

"My strength is speed and power, but I find the grace aspect and rhythm part of it challenging.

"It all needs to come together because the judges are strict and ou must perform to the criteria set out.

"There are two sides to taekwondo, the fighting side and the technical side, which is underestimated. It is hard to develop technical aspects to perfect a technique.

"The poomsae [floor work techniques] are complicated as techniquesa are combined into various combinations of movement in systematic patterns.

"The martial art, which originated in Korea, is a disciplined sport. That part is fun and enjoyable but the challenge is to push oneself."

Written by Linda Jones