Seventeen students from Sean Gilham’s Impact Martial Arts in Clanton competed in the 21st Annual Central Alabama Martial Arts Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 10.

Of the 17 students, one earned a gold medal, eight earned silver medals, 12 earned bronze medals and 13 earned participation medals.

The tournament was held at the Helena Sports Complex in Pelham and hosted more than 200 competitors from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana and other states.

Gilham, Impact Martial Arts owner and head instructor, said his students (ages 4 to adult) competed at top levels in the martial arts categories of forms, sparring and competition weapons.

“As an instructor and a martial artist, I am proud of all that competed,” Gilham said. “After months of hard work and preparation for the hard competition that stood before them this past weekend, they will take the experience of tournaments as both a learning and motivational tool to further their training.”

The tournament results for Gilham’s students are as follows:

•Angeline Cox, age 4 – third place in forms and one-steps.

•Dennis Mitchell, age 5 – third place in forms and sparring.

•L.B. Cox, age 6 – third place in forms, first place in one-steps.

•Elijah Crawford, age 6 – third place in forms, third place in one-steps.

•Yahir Fernandex, age 8 – fourth place in forms, fourth place in one-steps.

•Donovin Norcross, age 8 – second in forms, third in sparring, fourth in weapons.

•Mason Zuelzke, age 9 – second place in forms, second place in sparring, third place in weapons.

•Jackson Hayes, age 9 – fourth place in forms, fourth place in sparring, fourth place in weapons.

•David Fernandez, age 10 – third place in forms, fourth place in one-steps.

•Daniel Montes De Ora, age 10 – fourth place in forms, second place in one-steps.

•Abigail Powell, age 11 – second place in forms, second place in sparring.

•Jared Shields, age 12 – third place in forms, second place in sparring.

•David Mitchell, adult – fifth place in forms, second place in one-steps, fourth place in sparring.

•Kelly Hayes, adult – fourth place in forms.

Gilham described forms as a pattern of movements that showcases a student’s technique, stances, self-expression and attitude.

“The biggest thing, too, is confidence,” Gilham said. “(They are) getting in front of not only the judges and their peers, but also the hundreds of people there watching.”

One-steps are transitions between a form and free sparring, or fighting with pads.