Tigers Taekwondo keeping Shafter fit and healthy

There has been plenty of news of the Tigers Taekwondo teaching and supporting the community for over a decade. Begun by Rigo Solorio, the first studio was opened in Wasco, teaching self-defense in the martial arts. The Tigers have a studio in Shafter, too.

The award-winning Tigers, headed up by Rigo Solorio and his family, have been teaching students throughout the community for over a decade, and the fruits of their labor are seen on scorecards as well as in the success of their students off the mat.

Rigo decided years ago that he wanted to get his sons into something that the family could do

together, and the studio was the result. Their sons, Alex and Brian, were a couple of the first

students they had that gained national and international attention.

Brian qualified for the Mexican National Olympic team in 2018 and was even offered a chance to live in Mexico and compete for them. Brian decided that his home was here and stayed with the family-run studio.

Alex spends his time teaching students at the Shafter studio, on James Street next to China Cuisine. They teach taekwondo to all levels of students, from beginners to high-degree belts. Alex said, "Martial arts is a great way to get fit and also a good tool to teach students discipline and also helping with their self-confidence."

"We have about 60 students that utilize the Shafter studio, but both studios are one big family. Family is a key element in the success and popularity of the studios as they unite to compete at competitions and are there for one another. "We have several students who have won titles on the state and national levels and it makes it more special to see them come from our small cities to represent them so well," Solorio said.

For those residents who wonder about the benefits of taekwondo, Solorio says that the sport not only keeps the participants in shape, it also gives them self confidence, focus and a better sense of well-being.