News
Quebec Open 2012 – NASKA’s International Gathering
For the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA), the Quebec Open provides the true international aspect to the world tour. Held in Quebec City, Canada the weekend of April 27-28, 2011, the tournament was a pleasurable mix of familiar and foreign for those who traveled from the United States or other countries to attend the [...]
Year of the Dragon: Ocean State Grand Nationals 2012
Tournaments in New England are unique because the area is a blend of old school karate and new innovation. The 2012 Ocean State Grand Nationals offered this unique combination at its 32nd Annual event held April 13-15, 2012 in Warwick, Rhode Island hosted by promoters Don and Christine Rodrigues. With 2012 being the Chinese Year [...]
Jefferson Owns Golden Gate Internationals 2012
It was new location for the best sport martial arts tournament on the bay – the Golden Gate Internationals – as it was hosted at the convenient Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, a stone’s throw away from the airport. The event was held March 23-24, 2012. With competitors from the USA, Honduras, Mexico and Canada [...]
2012 Irish Open becomes largest fighting event in the World
The 2012 Irish Open is the pinnacle of fighting and is, actually, the largest fighting tournament in the world. Nearly 2500 competitors attended this pre-registration-only event, the event’s highest number of entries in its 15 years, with a mere 175 entering the forms and weapons divisions. The rest were there for one thing; to fight [...]
Extreme Men and All Stars stand out at 2012 Compete Nationals
Compete Nationals stands out as the first 6A level World Event in the (North American Sport Karate Association) NASKA tour as well as the only West Coast event in the upper echelon of NASKA tournaments. This year, Compete Nationals was celebrating its 25th anniversary and promoters Mohamad and Amanada Jahan-vash were excited to see an [...]
Alejandro Brings Back Virginia’s Best Challenge Tournament
By Katie Thompson For the first time in nearly seven years, Edwin Alejandro’s Virginia’s Best Challenge returned to the sport karate tournament circuit on January 28, 2012. Alejandro’s EWO Team worked hard this year to promote the return of one of Virginia’s premier karate events and the results were phenomenal. If you don’t believe me….just [...]
Karns, Liu and Levine Ring in the New Year at AKAs
2012 opened with the AKA Grand Nationals in Chicago, Illinois to start the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) season. The talk of the event was Micah Karns who moved into the adult divisions this year. After dominating in the 14-17 divisions for the latter part of 2011, Karns opened up the new year with [...]
2011 NBL Supergrands crowns grand champions
The Grand Finale Super Show at the Super Grands allows competitors to receive numerous awards and watch the new world champions squaring off against one another for overall titles. After the new world championship rings are dispersed, the select few champions storm the stage and compete for the honor to be named World Grand Champion [...]
The last Grand Finale at 2011 NBL Supergrands
The last official grand finale of the Super Grands was filled with adults, vying for the right to be called World Champion. The first event of this evening was the Hard Choreographed Musical Forms division, contested by Jeff Doss and Ghandi Lewis. A slight stumble by Doss allowed Ghandi to capture his first individual title [...]
Youth on stage in Supergrands Grand Finale 4
The fourth finale was all juniors and the young guns were excited to show off what they could do. The first division up was 11 and under Hard Choreographed Musical Forms. Zach Gaona of Team International faced off against Hayden Smith of Team Strike Force for the honor of becoming champion. Gaona came away with [...]
Adult weapons and fighting dominate Supergrands finale 3
Finale three was adults-only competition and it proved incredibly exciting. The first division was the Hard Choreographed Musical competition. Jeff Doss and Josh Durbin renewed their WestPac rivalry on this night and they both performed very well. But in the end, Durbin’s tricks and flips were too much for Doss to overcome. The next division [...]
Contemporary weapons and youth point sparring in Supergrands finale 2
Day three of the Super Grands was as exciting as the last two. Creative, traditional and point fighting were all on hand for those in attendance. Raymond Daniels and Jamal Albini wildcarded their point sparring divisions and made it all the way to the finals. Jeff Doss and Josh Durbin edged Darrell “Ghandi” Lewis to [...]
Team Proper and Team All Stars dominate team divisions at NBL Supergrands
The NBL Super Grands are always an exciting end to the competition season, and that start to this year’s event proved no different. Already on the first day, Team All-Stars were knocking people out showing off who the number one fighting team in Sport Karate is. Also, Nick Cain will take the stage later this [...]
Fourth Wins for Firouzi, Daniels, Nash and Csoka at 2011 Diamond Nationals
It was bigger, it was better, it was more glamorous than it has been in the past two years at the 2011 Diamond Nationals, held September 30-October 1, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite all the economic woes being experienced in our country, Friday night was packed and Saturday was wall-to-wall with competitors. And the event [...]
2011 US Capitol Classics – Bringing Back the History
In 2010, the US Capitol Classics and China Open moved to a new location in National Harbor, Maryland at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center. The mammoth and beautiful building that encompasses the Gaylord Resort was again the setting for the 2011 US Capitol Classics and China Open. Held the weekend of August 5-6, 2011, [...]
The Battle of the Champions Ends the West-Pac Season
In the blazing hot sun of El Paso, Texas, Laco Villanueva proudly hosted the 9th annual Battle of the Champions the weekend of July 16-17, 2011. Beautiful weather and fantastic food provided a great backdrop for the fantastic competition that is always seen at Villanueva’s event. The finals highlighted to best of the event in [...]
The 2011 US Open Review
The SportMartialArts.com crew covered the US Open Karate Championships the weekend of July 1-2, 2011 at the Coronado Springs Resort in Disneyworld in Florida. The event always draws a highly international crowd and offers huge divisions surrounded by sunshine and entertainment. It was just 5:00 pm Friday evening and a myriad of competitors were EXITING [...]
2011 All Star Camp Gets Competitors Ready
The US Open Karate Championships is the most prestigious tournament in sport karate. Lately, the fighting divisions draw the most competitors and at the top of the fighting sector is Team All Stars. All Star fighters have consistently won their divisions and grand championships ever since the team was created. And to gear up for [...]
Update from Pro Rank Camp 2011
On Monday, June 13, 2011, Team ProRank kicked off their seventh annual 3-day, instructional camp. This year’s camp was held at Georgia Elite Allstar Gym. Managed by Marcel Jones, Pro Rank brought in world champions Rudy Reynon, Kalman Csoka, Stephen Renney, and Ross Levine to work with campers. Spectators believe that the instructorship was conducive to [...]
2011 New England Open Excitement and Fun
The New England Open Saturday eliminations started bright and early and progressed at an awesome pace. From start to finish, there was action everywhere. The local KRANE judges stepped up and ran the underbelt divisions brilliantly, getting all the underbelt competition completed by 1:00 p.m. The black belt divisions, including the special WAKO and continuous sparring [...]
Fierce competition: Friday Night at New England Open
The New England Open is a long-standing tournament in the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) league. The eventdraws competitors from all over the New England area and the NASKA 5A rating brings many top competitors looking for good competition and ratings points. The 2011 tournament was held June 3-4, 2011 in Marlboro, Massachusetts – [...]
Sun, Fun, Competition: Gator Nationals 2011
Starting on Friday the 13th did not bring any bad luck to the 2011 Gator Nationals. The Friday evening events went off without a hitch and the eliminations on May 14, 2011 included some historic fighting match-ups and inspirational performances in forms and weapons. It was a like a return to the early 90s in fighting [...]
Gator Nationals Opens with growth
After last year’s Gator Nationals, we let out the secret of what a great event it turned out to be. In 2011, the tradition of the eventcontinued with a great venue and a great location plus now that the secret is out – growth. May 13-14, 2011 were the dates for the event held in [...]
Proper, Pinnacle and Pacific Jewel Nationals!
It was a great weekend in the Pacific Northwest on May 6-7, 2011 in Vancouver, Washington, where Noah and Deanna Bertsch proudly host the Pacific Jewel Nationals, one of the classiest and nicest events in the nation. Even with pouring rain all weekend long, you couldn’t help but be excited. The fresh mountain air provided [...]
Friday and Saturday Eliminations coverage from the 2011 Quebec Open
Five awesome teams battled it out Friday night on stage for men’s team sparring the evening of April 29, 2011 a the Quebec Open in Quebec City, Canada. One judge commented before the matches started that all these fights could be held Saturday night during the finals instead of running through all the teams on [...]
Quebec Open: An International Mix
There was a buzz in the air as hundreds of spectators entered the venue for the 2011 Quebec Open. Held in Quebec City, Canada the weekend of April 29-30, 2011, the Quebec Open is famous for its nighttime show and after party. We were ready for it all. The event also drew competitors from all [...]
Canada’s Best unleash deadly venom at the International Cobra!
Montreal, Quebec, Canada– On Saturday, April 16, 2011 Pierre Saulnier proudly presented the annual International Cobra Karate Championships in Deux-Montagnes – a tiny suburb within the beautiful city of Montreal. The NASKA Canada AA and NMAC Elite AAA event was held in the spacious Olympia Deux-Montagne boasting 17 rings, including two stages. With a [...]
Golden Gate Nationals Brings New Stars to Light
In beautiful Santa Clara, California over the weekend of April 8-9, 2011, Jordan and Felipa Pallen hosted their annual Golden Date Internationals, promising great competition and lots of fun! The turnout was great, hosting people from all over the USA, Canada and Mexico. And the host Jordan and Felipa Pallen offered their typical charm and [...]
Jake Presley: Amerikick Internationals 2011 1-2 Watch
The 2011 Amerikick Internationals 1-2 Watch selection is Jake Presley of Nashville, TN – He’s only 8-years-old. In fact, he just turned 8 on February 27th. Wait, let’s think about that again – he’s only EIGHT and Jake Presley is already competing as though he has been on the circuit for twice that amount of [...]
2011 Amerikick Internationals – we like!
With a goal of starting the finals at 6:00 p.m., the Amerikick promoters set the bar high because it meant running with efficiency in order to be done with the Saturday competition as early as possible to allow for the finals set up. The efficiency was there and the finals started nearly on time – [...]
Old and new faces – Friday Night at 2011 Amerikick
The Amerikick Internationals has a long history – and with its connection to the East Coast Amerikick schools, the tournament gets great local support. This year, the new venue was packed on Friday night with adults and children looking for a championship title and a chance in the night time finals. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the [...]
Tournament Tips: Cory Lutkus
SportMartialArts.com asked top competitors for competition tips to help with warm-up, staying focused and having fun at tournaments. Here are their answers – compete and unedited: Cory Lutkus, Team Amerikick, Fairfield, CT (competes primarily in weapons on the NASKA circuit) “If you’re doing forms, make sure your form is something you enjoy doing. If [...]
Tournament Tips: Bryan Young
SportMartialArts.com asked top competitors for competition tips to help with warm-up, staying focused and having fun at tournaments. Here are their answers – compete and unedited: Bryan Young, Team Proper, Los Angeles, CA (competes in point sparring on the NBL circuit and promotes the Autumn Slam tournament) “Try and keep a routine that allows [...]