There will be a champion of champions karate competition on Sunday
in Belize City. It is the 14th annual open competition which in preparation
for the Central American Karate Championships next year in Belize – will
pit our best against the rest. Here’s the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
These are the karate boys – and one girl from the Martial Arts Academy
in action today preparing for Sunday’s open competition.
Leon Guild, Sensei – Martial Arts Academy
“Athletes from all over the country will be here in the city and they
will be putting their skills to the test against each other to recognized nationally
as champions in their respective categories. It is countrywide, we have groups
from as far as San Ignacio, probably a couple from Punta Gorda, Cayo, Belmopan,
Belize City, we have five Dojos in Belize City that will be participating. So
totally maybe about 8 different groups coming together to compete on Sunday,
to represent their dojos.”
And at the Martial Arts Academy, practice makes perfect.
Arion Canul, 2nd Degree Brown Belt
“Last year it went well, I took some first place and second place.
I still lost to some people but I just want to say that whoever beat me that
I am coming back and I am going to take the gold. I have been training hard,
most of time from school I come here sometimes. I am very excited and I am ready
to go there and kick some butts. I have been practicing like I said at home.
I haven’t been at the dojo lately because of school work and so at home
in my spare time I practice.”
Halle Spence, 3rd Degree Brown Belt
“This will be like my eighth competition and I always do it. I just
feel very happy and wanting it to be right now.”
Leon Guild is the sensei at the Martial Arts Academy.
Leon Guild,
“Some people prepare all their lives and they never have a reason
to use their skills that they are cultivating. So through sports competitions
we give them a chance to express and evaluate themselves against other people
that train in the similar art.
This tournament will be like an evaluation for the national team and the
others that aren’t a part of the national team to come in and see how
far they’ve come since they’ve started to train. So it is going
to be very exciting, the national team people will prove to the country why
they were chosen to be on the national team in the first place and then the
other people will be there to prove why they should be on the national team.
So it is going to be a grand competition.”
Sunday’s competition starts at 9 am at the City Center. It runs
all day and entrance is $6 for adults and $3 for children.
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