Five members of the Kamsack Karate Club returned home from the Parkland Karate Regional and Open district tournament in Esterhazy on April 6 wearing gold, silver and bronze medals.
鈥淚t was very exciting for the competitors to attend the tournament,鈥� Matilda Kayseas, club president, said last week.
鈥淔or one student it was his first experience in a competition-style environment, and not only are students expected to remember their katas, which are detailed choreographed patterns of movements, but all the etiquette that comes along with being in front of the judges and an audience.
The kumite competition is when two students spar and score points based on strikes and kicks that come very close to making contact and blocks that are used, Kayseas explained. There are judges and a referee who determine the score.
Parker Lorenzo, in his third year of competition, having won silver and gold in prior years, won gold in kata and bronze in kumite for boys age 10 to 12 in males with purple belts category; Makayla Romaniuk won bronze in kata for girls age 13 to 16 in female brown belt; Meesha Romaniuk won silver, kata, girls 10 to 12, brown belt; Curtis Berezowski, won bronze kata, boys 13 to 16, brown belt, and Raiden Jeffery won bronze in kata for boys 13 to 16 in the category for males with yellow belts. Makayla and Meesha, sisters, also captured team bronze for kata. 聽
The Kamsack Karate Club had a very busy and exciting year, Kayseas said. 鈥淲e were happy to have Sensei Gwen Maddaford of Yorkton back and with 31 students ranging from white to purple (belts), the class was fun and diverse.鈥�
In December club members sold tickets for a 50/50 draw fundraiser in which Desiree Lorenzo won $965.
The students worked hard, and because of the size of the Club there were four students, Makayla and Meesha Romaniuk, Curtis Berezowski and Keifre Cote, who helped Sensei Maddaford (the instructor), Kayseas said, adding it was nice to see an increase in Club members this year.
April 29 will be the final class for white and yellow belt students, and May 1 will be the final class for orange, green, purple and brown said Kayseas. The testing for students will be on April 17, and this will determine if they move on to the next belt colour.
鈥淩emember to watch for us at the mass registration that will be held in the fall,鈥� she said.
