Two Stafford Middle School martial artists competed against athletes from more than 40 nations at the 2026 WKU World Championships in Berlin, bringing what the district called "incredible success" back to Stafford. The tournament drew roughly 2,400 competitors, according to WKU.

Students Anthony Haas and Keith Valdez traveled to Germany with their instructor, Grand Master Rommel Gargoles, for the weeklong tournament held Aug. 3-9 at Berlin's Estrel Hotel. Stafford Municipal School District celebrated the trio on social media on Wednesday, Aug. 12, one day after the 2026-27 school year opened.

The district did not release specific medal counts or placements from Berlin.

But the Stafford Kickstart Kids program's track record suggests the pair arrived ready: at the 2025 World Martial Arts Games in Oslo, Norway, Valdez won seven gold medals and Haas earned five golds, one silver, one bronze and the Junior Black Belt Overall Weapons Grand Champion title, according to Kickstart Kids. The Stafford team's combined haul in Oslo totaled 29 gold, five silver and one bronze.

Gargoles, a multiple-time karate world champion who also runs G Force Martial Arts in Stafford, has built the program into a consistent national and international contender. In May 2025, the Stafford Kickstart Kids Demo Team won the Texas state championship. At the 2024 Spring Qualifier, the squad collected 50 gold, 44 silver and 32 bronze medals and sent 88 competitors to regionals.

Kickstart Kids is a Texas Education Agency-recognized physical education program founded by martial arts champion and actor Chuck Norris in 1990. It operates in 58 public schools statewide, enrolls about 8,349 students and is offered free during the school day.

Haas and Valdez now return to classes at Stafford Middle School, where the fall semester began Tuesday, Aug. 11. The next major milestone for the Kickstart Kids organization is a "Lasting Legacy: Tribute to Chuck Norris" event scheduled for Sept. 24.