Please help. I take about 4GB of low-light action photos every 2 months at local belt testings for my TaeKwonDo academy. http://www.katytkd.com

Because the light is so bad in these gyms and because using a flash during an exam would be inappropriate (especially for the number of pictures I take at the events), I have to maximize my settings to the best of my abilities: ISO1600 at F/1.8

My goal is to have quality action photos that are not blurred but still retain as much image quality as possible. After the event, I use Photoshop to increase brightness and contrast, fix color from the lights and use Noise Ninja to reduce noise from the ISO1600.

Does anyone have any advice or experience they might lend to help improve my taking photos at these events? Thanks.