Forge Martial Arts will host its second annual tournament for all ages and skill levels next Saturday at the Recreation Center.

This regional tournament will bring people from across the state, as well as from the St. Louis area, Minnesota and Colorado with over 100 competitors expected.

Owner Tonya Bolte said she was approached last year about hosting the tournament since there are usually four regional tournaments with one in each region of the state.

“Generally, most people think taekwondo is just for kids, but you can start at any age and with any degree of skill level,” Bolte said.

At Forge, the youngest are 3 years old and range all the way up to their 60s. The most popular ages for classes and tournaments are between 9 and 12.

Making an impact is important to Bolte. She said a 4-year-old has changed the dynamics of her day care by getting the other kids to do better at following rules.

Others are the shy kid who five years later is a black belt and is joining the Navy or the type of kids who have gotten better at handling problems in a noncombative way.

Sarah Schmitt’s now 10-year-old son had been taking classes for three years. Now both are involved and planning on competing at the tournament, and she has noticed a positive boost for her son.

“Taekwondo has taught him a lot about respect and perseverance along with a much better attitude,” she said.

The regional tournament is open to the public and will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. next Saturday.

Correction: This story has been revised to correct an attribution error.

Reach reporter Nate Clark at [email protected].