JOON No's Taekwondo students left a big impression on the international scene when they left the Kumamoto International Open in Japan recently.

The team of seven students brought home an outstanding haul of two gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.

Teams of fighters from nine countries attended the international event.

Rudolph Nunes, an 18-year-old university student from Doncaster, faced a Korean opponent in the final after winning his three previous fights.

Nunes eventually won gold by outclassing his opponent with his larger physique and ability.

Another Doncaster resident, 15-year-old highschool student Taner Hikmet, went into the tournament buoyed by a stint in the Australian team that took on some of the best in the world at the Asian Championships last year.

He made it to the final against Japan and took out the gold with a huge seven-point lead.

"The students performed with a sense of pride representing not only their club but, more importantly, Australia," master Joon No said.

"They were able to gain invaluable experiences in regards to their competitive ability but also gained through witnessing some of the world's elite taekwondo athletes.

"The future for all students seems bright, with great success at state, national, and international levels of competition."

The students now have their sights on the Beijing Olympics in 2008.