Jason Lindstrom of Patient Warrior kung fu school in Kewanee recently competed in a national martial arts competition and brought home gold and silver medals.
Lindstrom has been studying and perfecting martial arts since he was little.
“I really started taking it seriously when I was about 26 years old,” he said. And 26 years is about how long he’s been teaching martial arts.
Lindstrom holds ranks in tae kwon do and kung fu, but he primarily teaches Shaolin Chuan Kung Fu, a legendary Chinese martial art that focuses on rigorous physical conditioning and emphasizes self-defense, discipline and unity of the mind and body. Lindstrom says there are only three schools in the country that teach this style of kung fu.
By having rank in tae kwon do, he was eligible to compete at the USAMA Spring Regional. This was a qualifying event for nationals and was open to students and masters of all ranks. He won at the Spring Regional, which led him to be invited to nationals.
Lindstrom competed as part of the USAMA team. The team consists of 16 different schools, and Lindstrom’s is the only school that is not tae kwon do. He was also the only school at nationals that is not primarily tae kwon do.
The 2026 UTA (United Taekwondo Alliance) Grand Nationals took place the weekend of June 26-27 in Tulsa, Okla. The tournament featured a wide array of martial arts divisions, culminating in an awards weekend with more than 100 medals won by participating regional leagues. There were 360 participants total, with six to eight competitors in each division. Ages ranged from five to 78, proving the dedication and discipline it takes to become a martial arts master.
With his first time at nationals, Lindstrom brought home three gold medals and one silver medal. He won gold in the traditional forms division, weapons division and creative forms division. He won silver in creative forms in the over 50 division.
“I felt like I had something to prove since it was all tae kwon do,” Lindstrom said, “and competing in the creative divisions gave me an opportunity to showcase kung fu.”
His gold medals are on display in his school’s window and the silver medal he won was gifted to his dad since the competition landed on his birthday.
He hopes to compete in nationals again next year and plans to bring some students along with him.
