Over the years we took our students to many tournaments. Sometimes when competing in big tournaments in katas, it was less like real karate katas and more like a gymnastics competition, which is not what karate is, that was more like ‘showmanship’, and should be a different division in a tournament. But the sparring was usually the same at most tournaments, no gymnastics incorporated there! Over time we started going to smaller studios to compete, and then we had our own tournaments just with our own students, to keep it as real karate only.
Whether it was competing in a big or small tournament, it was always a positive experience. Kids need to learn to be a good winner and a gracious loser, you can’t win all the time. You must have good sportsmanship, show respect, and the important thing is, you didn’t sit on the sidelines and just watch, you participated! This is one of the many reasons sports plays an important role in child development.
2015 Karate tournament great double (ouch) kick!
2015 Karate tournament Dean Mattes going for the takedown (check out expression of student behind watching)
2015 karate tournament great blue belt sparring action
2015 karate tournament Clash of titans, Dean Mattes and Connor in a clash while sparring
2015 tournament good clash green belt Ewan (right) sparring. Ewan went on to get his blackbelt in 2018
2010 October, 12th karate tournament big group photo Instructors Master Zacharatos, Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos, and Giancarlo Hamner
2009 May, 9th tournament and first footsweeping only karate tournament
2008 April, 8th karate tournament, instructors Jamie BenAziz Zacharatos and Master Zacharatos. In this smaller tournament the lower ranks stepped up and fought higher ranks, a great way to build confidence!
2006 December tournament mini Pep rally with Teamwork cheer to get in the spirit of the tournament !
2006 December tournament instructors Mark-Anthony Johnson, Master Zacharatos and Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos
2006 May, Master Zacharatos and Mark-Anthony Johnson demonstrating footsweeping rules before tournament
2006 May, Master Zacharatos demonstrating take downs with Mark-Anthony Johnson before tournament
2006 May, karate tournament trophies group photo instructors Mark-Anthony Johnson, Master Zacharatos, Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos
2005 January, Master Zacharatos demonstrating rules before competition starts, and trophy group photo. Instructors Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos and Master Zacharatos
2005 June karate tournament group photo with trophies, instructors Master Zacharatos and Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos
2005 November karate group trophy photo, instructors Master Zacharatos and Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos
2002 Karate tournament, Brian Pazera green belt wins 3 trophies against a blackbelt!
2002 karate tournament ‘tiny but mighty’ twins yellow belts Daniel and David compete and win, no fear!
2001 karate tournament trophy group photo, all our students placed in the tournament! Brian Pazera (also a kickboxer), won first and third place, but the only reason it wasn’t two first places, he made his opponent bleed, he actually won the match, but it got demoted to 3rd for drawing blood. (In karate you get penalized or disqualified for that, in kickboxing you get rewarded!)
2001 March, Yellow belt Kayla is the star of this tournament making her mark her first time competing against higher ranks with No fear! She went on to get her 2nd degree blackbelt in 2009!
Blast from the past! Master Zacharatos (2nd from left) next to Master Chuck Norris, after winning first place in 3 man team karate tournament decades ago!
