Paul Teboe has spent most of his life teaching others the sport of Taekwondo.

He also practices what he preaches.

Teboe, who is the head instructor at Saline ATA (American Taekwondo Assocation) Martial Arts, won a pair of world championships at the 2013 Songahm Taekwondo World Expo in Little Rock, Ark. last month. Competing in the men’s age 40-49 division for fourth and fifth degree black belts, Teboe - a fifth degree black belt - won world titles in both Combat Weapons Sparring and Traditional Sparring.

“The major difference between competing and teaching is just that drive to win that takes over,” said Teboe, 41. “It’s actually a very friendly atmosphere until you get out there against someone.

“It’s a very exciting and exhilarating experience.”

The sparring competition is very similar to Olympic-style taekwondo, with points awarded for strikes to different parts of the body. In the combat weapons competition opponents use heavily padded handled weapons that are meant to mimic traditional weapons like an escrima stick or short sword.

“It’s a mix between a short sword and a stick you could use to pick up and defend yourself,” said Teboe, who won the combat weapons competition for the third straight year.

Ypsilanti’s Theresa Gritzmaker also won a world championship competing in Xtreme Weapons in the women’s age 30-39 division. It was Gritzmaker’s third straight championship.

Pete Cunningham covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at petercunningham@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter at @petcunningham.