Students from Orangeville’s Kushindokai Karate and Fitness travelled to Acton to compete in the Crispin Karate Shiai on Sunday, November 8.

First-time competitor Amy Untch, 10, won her kata division taking home the first place trophy. The father-son team of Ryan and Wesley Grist, also in their first tournament, finished first and fifth respectively in their kata divisions.

Kolby Frankland, 6, had his best-ever performance, placing first in both kata and sparring. Blue belt Carley Spiteri, 12, took home first place in her advanced kata division with a strong performance of Bassai Dai.

“We had some students competing in their first tournament today. They haven’t been training long so I think they were a little nervous but they had fun and they did a great job,” sais head instructor and school owner Sensei Michael Fisher. “I’m proud of them all. They represented Kushindokai with honour and integrity. While we don’t typically focus on tournament competition at our school, with the training our students go through and the expectations we set for them, they are usually well-equipped for competitions. We encourage students who want to try competing. I helps them build confidence which they can bring back into the dojo. We keep the focus on having fun and just giving their best effort.”