Above: Kimekai Karate Club founder and Shukokai Cup tournament coordinator Marco Mazzanti.By Brad Kingsbury
KARATE was on the menu at Springers Sports and Leisure Centre in Keysborough on Sunday 25 November with the 2007 Shukokai Cup tournament in full swing.
The 16-year-old event has grown over recent years and is run by and members of four karate clubs from across the metropolitan area.
This year, for the first time, the tournament was opened to other clubs, with three more dojos taking the opportunity to test their skills in competition, making it a seven-club contest with 310 competitors taking part.
Tournament coordinator and Kimekai Karate Club Sensei Marco Mazzanti said interest in the ancient martial art had increased over recent years and participation was growing.
“It’s expanding, especially at the younger ages,” he said.
“We’ve introduced many junior competitors and that’s been a great success.
“They are starting young and enjoying the competition as well as learning skills and discipline that will help them throughout their lives.”
The tournament was held in the main stadium area of Springers, with the junior grades from five years up starting at 9am and competition continuing throughout the day, concluding with the older age groups including seniors and masters.
Six matting ‘rings’ were set up and used simultaneously for the three categories of competition – Kata, Gladiator and Kumite.
Mazzanti said the three categories were unique and gave each competitor a chance to practise and demonstrate his or her development in a competitive environment.
“The Kata is the performance of a set of movements that are designed for self-defence,” he said.
“They are exercises that practise technique, movement and changing direction and require concentration and skill.
“Gladiator is the start of combat for the junior competitors. We use this to improve agility and stances and it gives the kids an opportunity to participate in a skill-based event that requires coordination and ability to control the body.
“Kumite is a sparring event that follows through to Victorian and national level.
“This is the skeleton of what is used for the world championships.
“The competitors throw controlled punches and kicks that don’t have to touch but are judged on accuracy and technique, and the potential to defeat the opponent.”
Members of the participating clubs that all practise the same style of karate, came to the Keysborough centre from suburbs including Cranbourne, Chelsea Heights, Endeavour Hills and Blackburn.
“Shukokai style has different streams but is the core of what all our instructors teach,” Mazzanti said.
“The idea was to run a tournament where all those streams came together.”
