Lucas Pacson stands atop the podium after winning gold in the youth boys under-30kg division. Photo courtesy Kiffmann’s Maui Elite Taekwondo

Medals won at the U.S. Open International Taekwondo Championship are just one piece of the story for Kiffmann’s Maui Elite Taekwondo athletes.

Behind the victories of Lesili “Sili” Bertelsen, Andre Jeremiah “AJ” Valdez and Lucas Pacson lies a shared foundation that shaped their paths and led to their success: discipline.

Bertelsen won a bronze medal in the Junior division in the U.S. Open after four victories, including a referee stoppage against an athlete from Jordan, two wins over U.S. competitors and a quarterfinal victory against Australia.

Valdez earned silver in the Cadet division, securing victories in four matches including wins over French Polynesia and the USA. Pacson took home a gold medal in the Youth division, defeating athletes from Japan, USA, Canada and the U.S. across his four matches.

For their coach, Miles Kiffmann, these achievements go beyond the podium. The young athletes represent the fulfillment of Kiffmann Taekwondo’s goal — instilling the value of discipline in their athletes. Discipline, as the coach describes it, is the foundation of success in taekwondo and in life.

“In taekwondo, our students are given tenets to follow throughout their martial arts journey: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, which basically means to show kindness, truthfulness, to never give up, to maintain discipline and finally to stand up for what is right, no matter what,” Kiffmann said. “We encourage students to stay the course no matter what obstacles are thrown your way.”

Kiffmann’s Maui Elite Taekwondo sent their top athletes to the 2025 U.S. Open Taekwondo Championship in Reno, Nevada, on Feb. 14-16. Three of the athletes earned medals in their respective sparring divisions including Sili Bertelsen (bronze), AJ Valdez (silver) and Lucas Pacson (gold), shown here with coach Miles Kiffmann. Photo courtesy Kiffmann’s Maui Elite Taekwondo

According to Miles, it is not simply about mastering techniques; it is about consistently giving your best effort and growing as an athlete and as an individual.

Kiffmann said these young athletes have embodied this value throughout their journey, and it’s clear their success at the U.S. Open is not simply about the medals they have earned, but about how they’ve committed themselves to the process, persevered through challenges and applied lessons from the mat to every aspect of their lives.

“If you’re not disciplined, you’re not going to get the results you want. Simple as that,” Kiffman said. “Discipline is everything and the benefits will last a lifetime. Our former successful athletes all have successful careers. The discipline during taekwondo competition affected their ability to achieve other life goals.”

According to Kiffmann, each of the boys reacted to their achievements with humility, confidence and happiness.

“It gives me confidence as a coach after witnessing their accomplishments and development as taekwondo athletes these past few years,” he said. “Taekwondo and combat sports in general take a lot of discipline to be successful at a high level.”

As Kiffmann’s Taekwondo looks to the future, the focus remains on staying calm and preparing each athlete for success with excitement and minimal pressure. Next, the athletes will head to Oahu to compete at the Hawaiʻi State Championships at Mililani High School, with hopes of qualifying for Nationals in Ontario, California, this July.

With their heads held high, Kiffmann said the goal is to stay focused on areas for improvement, continuing to build confidence through hard work and dedication — all grounded in discipline.