JUNIOR karate students from the Mizukra clubs based in Holywood, Bangor and Newtownards were on top form at the Under-21 WUKF MNK championships, that took place recently in Collinstown, Dublin.
With a strong field of the best junior karate students across the island of Ireland, coach Amy Adair was delighted when the team was placed seventh overall in the medal table. “Despite only taking eight competitors to this event, ending the day with 14 medals is a superb achievement for our students,” she said.
The most pleasing results were for first-time competitor Jonah McGilton who took silver in his individual kumite (sparring) and then teamed up with his Irish champion training partner Harrison Stitt to take gold in the boys team rotation kumite.
Another local novice student, Rachel Benson from Bangor, then stepped up in the Juraken event, and won it with a powerful performance. The Mizukara junior girls team of novice Sydney Murdoch and Irish Open Champion, Helena Stitt then secured a team rotation kumite gold, making it a clean sweep for the local club.
Helena continued to shine as she added two more gold medals in her individual kata and kumite. Brother and sister Harrison and Helena then teamed up to collect a silver medal in the junior pairs kata event for their clubs.
Harrison added a silver in his individual kata and a bronze in his individual kumite, while Megan Benson shone in her two kumite events, taking silver in the open event, bronze in the fourth kyu and above category, then adding another bronze in her individual kata category.
The final two medals were won by Caleb Orchin – a bronze in individual kumite and by Sydney Murdoch in her individual kata event. The youngest member of the team, Joel Orchin, did extremely well too, narrowly losing out to the winner of his Juraken event.
If anyone would like to know more about Karate, self-defence, relaxing and health recovery Tai Chi for adults locally, please contact David on 07760 337578 or message Mizukara on Facebook.
