One of the great things about this job is that it allows me to be exposed to sports outside of my comfort zone — sports that I otherwise probably would never learn about.
Last week, I was able to attend the last training session for six karate students at the Chris Welbon Karate Club, 602 S. Collins St., before they headed to the AAU Nationals in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 2013 AAU Karate National Championships begin today and continue through Saturday.
The six students — Nick Gorman, Ryan Bjelke, Jakob Arnold, Jack Ray, Joey Spitler and Robbie Spitler -— range in age from 8 to 17 and in level from blue belts to brown belts. According to Welbon, all his students qualified for nationals, but only the six were able to make the trip.
Their training schedule is intense — three-hour practices four nights a week. Welbon’s students have been qualifying for the AAU Nationals for the past 11 years.
The students will compete in a variety of competitions, including kata, kumite and kobudo (weapons). Kata is probably the most unique and the one I found most interesting. Kata is the Japanese word for “form.” The exercise is a choreographed pattern of movements that demonstrates proper techniques and has the students “fighting” invisible opponents.
“Kata is very much a mental exercise,” Welbon said.
In addition to showing proper techniques and crisp movements, competitors also are judged on the spirit they show in their kata.
“As soon as you walk on the mat, you’re being judged,” Welbon said.
There are three tiers of kata — beginner, intermediate and advanced. Gorman, who has been studying karate with Welbon for four years, will be the only student out of the six competing in the advanced kata division. Even though Gorman holds a brown belt, he will be competing in a black belt division.
“I enjoy kata, because of it’s structure, and it allows you to express yourself,” Gorman said.
This will be Gorman’s fourth nationals, with his first coming in 2010, in Albany, N.Y. If Gorman can win or finish as the runner-up in the black-belt division, he will be allowed to compete on the world team for the United States.
Bjelke, Arnold and Ray all will compete in individual kata, as well as a team kata, where they perform together with synchronized movements. All six students will compete in kata, as well as kumite.
Kumite is what most people think of when they think of karate competitions. Translated to mean “grappling hands,” kumite is where a person competes against an opponent, using techniques learned from their training.
Kumite is judged by points. On the AAU youth level, three full points wins a match. Properly executing and landing different techniques will earn competitors either a half or a full point. A punch to the body would be scored as a half point, while a kick to the head would be a full point.
“You must show good technique,” Welbon said. “Awkwardly landing a kick or a punch won’t be scored by the referee.”
Arnold will be the only student of the six competing in kobudo, a kata with weapons. For Arnold’s kobudo, he will use a bo staff.
Joey and Robbie Spitler are the two newest and youngest of Welbon’s students headed to nationals, at 10 and 8 years old, respectively.