With a local team of almost 50, and around 300 fighters expected to compete, the Holy Trinity School hall will be buzzing on Sunday, October 16 for the NSW Koshiki Contact Karate Country Championships.
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Hosted by the local Jin Ryu Kan Martial Arts Organisation, the competition will begin at 10am, with spectators welcome.
Inverell’s Nick Mcinerney and Sam Dillon have been training hard for the big day, and are determined to place well.
“I feel confident that I’ll go in there and at least get a place,” McInerney said.
“Otherwise I’ll just fight as hard as I can, no matter what the result.”
The young pair perform drills and spar regularly to maintain their fitness levels and improve their speed and power.
Eleven-year old Dillon took up karate four years ago, and said he loves everything about the sport.
He recently came out on top in a Tamworth competition, achieving three tricky technical knock outs and coming first in karate and kata.
“I was kind of nervous, but then my first fight, when I got an ippon (the highest score possible) I was really confident,” he said.
Dillon said he likes to take the time to analyse his opponent’s style and said he usually aims to achieve technical knock outs, with a focus on speed and power.
McInerney said he also uses speed to his advantage.
“I mainly use speed in all my fights, trying to get in and get out,” he said.
Both have competed internationally, with McInerney returning home with a fourth place in Japan’s Super Karate-do Junior World Grand Prix earlier this year.
“When I first started, I never thought I’d be getting to Japan, but that was definitely the peak of my career so far.”
“It was certainly an amazing experience,” he said.
Chief Instructor Nick King was confident about McInerney and Dillon’s chances, and said the whole competition would be of a high calibre.
He said the day would be safe and fun.
Just four-years-old, his son Samuel will join in the fun, kicking off the day with an exhibition fight.
King said it was a good example of how safe the sport is.
He said he loved teaching karate.
“I just love seeing people get great results from hard work,” King said.
“From seeing them in the studio training and then seeing them excel in competitions, and how well they’ve come from a beginner, not knowing how to punch or not knowing their left hand from their right hand at a young age, and then seeing them now on the international level.
“That’s probably the biggest thing I get out of it.”
The tournament will be held at the Holy Trinity School on October 16.