SEVEN Ballarat competitors have been selected to contest the Korean Open Taekwondo Championships in July.
The Ballarat contingent of the Australian team are all members of the Trainor Taekwondo Black Belt Academy.
Coach Russell Trainor will also enter events at the championships.
The rest of the team comprises of teenagers Jason Dyer and Casey Peeler, and technical event competitors Shane Morrison, Lisa Clinnick, Steve Kelly and Simon Hibbert.
The international championships, hosted at South Korea's Cheong Ju University from July 1 to 5, is the largest martial arts competition and festival worldwide.
More than 1500 competitors are expected to compete.
The first three days of competition will involve Olympic sport taekwondo sparring, and the final two days will be the technical events, which includes international patterns, board and tile breaking, and creative patterns in
teams.
Trainor said the Olympic la108%martial art had become as competitive as the international tennis circuit.
"To get to win over there first you have to win four or five matches, and you need to be at an almost international standard before you put up your hand and have a go," he said.
Shane Morrison is expected to perform well in competition after representing Australia at the Korean Open last year and taking home a silver medal.
Casey Peeler has significant experience as a competitor at national level and is expected to be very competitive in the under-18 black belt division, especially against lighter framed competitors.
Jason Dyer has also been selected to train with the Australian senior development squad, under former Olympian Paul Lyons.