2012

Welcome back to Miyaginess.. after a 6 month hiatus from the internet… 2012 promises to be one of extreme emotional highs – with dreams and determination driving Australian athletes ever forward. The travel-heavy program released by the AKF ensures this. With one of the Karate 1 events already done and dusted in Paris, mid-January, there is a sense of excitement in the Australian karate community as February starts. The Sydney International on the 18th and 19th marks the start of the competition calendar and many athletes and coaches are interested to see what the competition will bring.

Some notes for the coming weeks are:
– National Squad Registration is due to be submitted and paid for by January 31. If this hasn’t been done – get onto it! The late fee is not pretty!

– Registration for the Sydney International is Due

– The first National squad training session is on 11 February, 9-11am at Revesby.

– The first NSW state training is on Sunday 12 February

– The NSW State team picnic is on Sunday 26 February

AIS National Training Camp, May 2011

From May 19 – 21, the AKF held the annual National Training Camp in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport. Despite the wind chill, there was great morale, and high spirits throughout the weekend. Coming off the bat of the Australian Open and the USA Open in April, the team was closer and motivated to work hard given the rare chance to train together as a National Squad without the pressures of competition.

There wasn’t much time for rest, short breaks in between sessions and all of us fell nicely into a routine of training, eating, plunge-pooling, sleeping… and repeat!

Altogether a successful weekend in that everyone seemed exhausted, but happy and more determined.

Miyagi Kan athletes and friends from NSW who participated were:
– Tsuneari Yahiro
– Matt Tickle
– Kristina Mah
– Eugene Orlov
– Jonnie Economou
– Olivia Hale
– Georgi Georgieff
– Angel Georgieff

Referees:
– Con Papanikolaou
– Mohamed Rajab — finally ,a reason to spend the weekend in Canberra!! Haha!

The next AIS camp (Talent Identification), will be held in June from the 16th – 19th. Good luck and have fun to everyone who will be involved!

From Miyagi Kan:
– Shawn Sivewright
– Nathan Economou
– Alexander Georgieff

Australian Open 2011 and Referee News!

Abdul Zahra receives his National Kumite Judge ‘A’.

This was an outstanding achievement given it was Abdul’s first attempt at a National event. Abdul was assessed over (3) gruelling days of high level competition at the Australian Open held in Melbourne by the National Referees Council – NRC (all WKF Referees) and was awarded his National kumite Judge ‘A’.

On behalf of the NSW Referees Council and Miyagikan (Abdul’s extended family) Congratulations!!

Photo L – R Mohamed Rajab, Glenn Goodwin, Abdul Zahra, Con Papanikoloau

FULL RESULTS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN CAN BE VIEWED HERE (.pdf)

Men’s Team GOLD! (Foti, Tsuneari, Matt, Michael, Dan & Affif)

TOP ROW (left to right): Michael: 1x Silver (U21 -75), Matt Tickle: 1x Gold (+84kg), 1x Silver (Open), Tsuneari: 2x Gold (-67kg, Open), Foti: Super coach, Jonnie: 1x Silver (Junior +76), Nay Nay: 1x Gold (Kids +57kg), Affif: 1x Silver (-60kg), Charmaine: 2x Gold (Kyu Kata, Kyu +60kg), Big Mo: Awesomeness Award
BOTTOM ROW (left to right): Arika: 1x Gold (U21 -60kg), 1x Bronze (-61kg), Seira: 1x Gold (-55kg), 1x Silver (U21 -53kg), Kristina: 2x Gold (-61, Open), 1x Bronze (Kata), Alak: Cheeky monkey, Shihan: Super-duper coach, Dean: Super coach, Shawn: 2x Bronze (Cadet -57kg, Cadet Open), Nicole: Little Ninja, Omar: Killer Kataman, Dan: 1x Silver (U21 -67kg)

Women’s Team Silver (Seira, Arika & Kristina)

NSW State Team Dinner, 27/03/11

What a great night!
Elvis, conga train, food, drinks, good company. The awards dinner celebrated it’s 13th year (not to be complete without singing Mohamed, Happy Birthday!). All the attendees looked like they had very festive night, and the strength and unity of the NSW State Team is better than it has ever been.

Congratulations to Miyagi Kan students who won ‘Sport Star of the Year’ awards on the night:
Children Male Kumite – Dillon Zdrafkoski
Junior Male Kumite – Dan Kanazawa
Under 21 Female Kumite – Arika Kanazawa
Senior Male Kumite – Tsuneari Yahiro
Senior Female Kumite – Kristina Mah
Best Referee – Mohamed Rajab
With special awards going to Shihan George Barounis and Kristina Mah for their efforts in Belgrade last year.

A short video of the highlights from the 2010 World Karate Championships was shown on the night. The video was put together by Anthony Ryan and studio photography by Greg Divine. Enjoy!

Thanks for the photo documentation of the night, Petar Georgieff

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Kumite Workshops

Thank you for the support you have shown for the kumite workshops so far, I’ve had a great time and looking forward for more to come!

PDK Dojo, Seven Hills, NSW

Miyagi Kan Go-Ju Ryu Karate-do, Whangerei Dojo, New Zealand
(photos coming soon)

Miyagi Kan Go-Ju Ryu Karate-do, Lismore Dojo and Success Martial Arts, Lismore, NSW
(photos coming soon)

Shindo Karate-do, Bacchus Marsh, VIC

Shito-Ryu Karate-Do International Shuyoukan, Melbourne, VIC

Hawkesbury Martial Arts, Richmond, NSW
(photos coming soon)

Evolution Martial Arts, West Pennant Hills, NSW

Sydney International Re-Cap

The weather forecasters warned us, but there was no way of predicting how insufferable the heat would be inside the Whitlam Centre on Saturday. All involved faded slowly as the the weekend progressed, but still managed to put on a good show with some great fights and kata across the divisions. Being a compulsory event for all nominees of the Australian team, there was a great turn out with a notably strong women’s categories, made even meatier with the combination of weight categories adding to the quality of match ups.

Miyagi Kan came away with a lot of medals (detailed results to be published soon).

In spite of the weather, the competition highlighted a motivated beginning to kick off the karate season in New South Wales.

Sydney International Karate Championships – THIS WEEKEND!

Welcome 2011!
After a relaxing and much needed break after the competitions in 2010, we greet the new season with the inaugural Sydney International. The competition will introduce the new WKF competition rules to Australia and promises to be a fantastic event.
Multiple international competitors, local and international WKF Referees, WKF medalists from the recent World Championships in Belgrade, as well as all members of the Australian National Squad will be participating.

From a quick glance at the sportdata.org page, the confirmed nations who will be taking part are:
– France
– Afghanistan
– Singapore
– New Caledonia
– New Zealand

Competition Information
Date: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 February 2011
Venue: Whitlam Leisure Centre, Memorial Avenue, Liverpool, SYDNEY Australia
Time: 8:30am (Saturday & Sunday)

Provisional Schedule:

SATURDAY 5 FEBRUARY
Juniors (16 & 17yrs)
Under 21 (18-20yrs)
Seniors (18yrs & above)

SUNDAY 6 FEBRUARY
Children (9-13yrs)
Cadets (14 & 15yrs)

SEE YOU THERE!

WKF 2010 Summary

The following summary has been taken from our friends who write the “(Unofficial) NSW-AKF Newsletter/ World Championship Issue/ 24 – 5 Nov 2010”.
Check out their website… so pro!
http://sites.google.com/site/nswkarate/
p.s. Team photos from the Championship will be uploaded ASAP!

The Championship
875 Competitors 88 Countries, with each country only allowed to select one competitor per division, only the best of the best.

James Giuliano -Kata Individual Male
The Individual Kata category had 54 competitors. James was on the same side of the draw as Minh Dack and Luca Valdesi. A great opportunity to compete.
He was up 3rd – Ao with Sei/Chin against the USA’s William Bradford (Bas Dai). Unfortunately the flags went against him and 2 rounds later Bradford lost to Minh Dack of France and thus no repercharge. The final results were
1 Antonio Diaz (VEN)
2 Luca Valdesi (ITA)
3 Itaru Oki (JPN)
3 Akio Tamashiro (PER)

Jessica Bratich- Kumite Female -68kg
43 competitors – up against Tunisia in the 1st fight of the division. Unfortunately Jessica lost 3-0 and the Tunisian lost the next round to Netherlands.

Alysha Dew- Kumite Female -55 kg
53 Competitors – Alysha had a bye first round and had to wait for her first fight against Algeria, which she lost 1-0. The Algerian won her next fight but then lost to the Japanese (eventual winner).

Tsuneari Yahiro- Kumite Male -60 kg
Another big division 58 Competitors – Tsuneari also had a bye first round and had to wait for his first fight against Russia. He had a narrow loss 1-0. The Russian lost the next round.

Kristina Mah- Kumite Female -61 kg
49 fighters. Kristina was at the bottom of the draw with a bye in the 1st round. a really long wait to fight the Mexican who had beaten the Turkish competitor. After beating her 1-0 She came up against Japan. 3-2 later she was in the 4th round against Canada. She won this fight 4-1 and then to go through to the final beat England 4-1. Australia now had a finalist in a WKF world Championship for the first time since 1996. We would have to wait 2 days for the finals where she would face the French Champion who had beaten Elisa Au, the USA world Champion to get to the final. Kristina went on to win 1-0 and become Australia’s first World Champion since 1992.

More WKF 2010 videos on youtube

To view more videos from the WKF World Karate Championships, click on the image below of the Channel.

WKF videos

Thank you to “The WKF FAN for his videos on youtube!

3rd Round – Y.Miyamoto (JAP) v K.Mah (AUS)

Semi-Final – N.Williams (ENG) v K.Mah (AUS)

Final – L.Dona(FRA) v K.Mah (AUS)
(warning, be prepared for French screaming in the background!)

Local Press!

The German Open 2010, 18-19 September

The German Open took place in the middle of Germany in a small town called Erfurt in mid-September.
Kristina Mah got through the first round easily with a 3-0 victory. In the second, she fought Austrian, Alisa Buchinger, and unfortunately wasn’t able to get passed her, conceding defeat, the full time score was 1-3. Buchinger made it through to the finals, allowing Kristina to fight competitors from the Netherlands and Italy to win the Bronze.

The final results were:
Kumite Damen -61 kg
1- Buchinger Alisa, Österreichischer Karatebund, AUSTRIA
2-Kornfeld Noemi, SKF Nationalteam ZH, SWITZERLAND
3-Kaup Stefanie, Österreichischer Karatebund, AUSTRIA
3-Mah Kristina, Miyagi Kan, AUSTRALIA
5-Gabrich Claudia, SEI WA KAI Team, GERMANY
5-MAURIZZI VERONICA, ASD KARATE PONTE DI PIAVE, ITALY
7-Imdat Tülay, Sportstudio Dietzenbach HES, GERMANY
7-Berrouba Bahija, KaratedoBondNederland, NETHERLANDS

Judge A+

CONGRATULATIONS!! to Con Papanikolaou and Mohamed Rajab who successfully passed to the level of Oceania Judge A at the recent Oceania Championships at Tahiti.
What a place to do an accreditation!
WKF here they come!!

Thanks Glenn Goodwin for the photos.

TV Spot – “Thursday Night Live” ONEHD, 09/09/10

MANY THANKS to Hani Zahra for organising this special TV spot on 1HD. It was lots of fun and great to be part of!
The athletes involved were: Tsuneari Yahiro, Seira Yahiro, Kristina Mah, Georgi Georgieff, Angel Georgieff, Alexander Georgieff, Olivia Hale, John Georgas, Bianca Gallo, Alexandra Gallo, Eugenio Gallo.
(Clips from the show can be streamed on their website, if you search for the date of the show.)

Reportage by Petar Georgieff

SportsAccord World Combat Games, 27 August – 4 September, 2010

CONGRATULATIONS TO TSUNEARI YAHIRO!!

Bronze Medalist in -60kg Men’s Kumite at the Inaugural World Combat Games in Beijing, China.

Tsuneari is the first Australian Senior Men’s karate competitor to step onto the podium at a WKF World Karate Event in 13 years.

World Combat Games, on Now!

WCG Aussie Team:
Coach: Shihan George Barounis
Tsuneari Yahiro (-60kg male kumite)
Leon Romary (-75kg male kumite)
Maria Alexiadis (-50kg female kumite)

Check out the official website for schedules and results of the competition…

http://worldcombatgames.com/en/

“Beijing hosts the first SportsAccord World Combat Games

From August 27 to September 4 2010, Beijing hosts the first SportAccord Combat Games ever. They are the first corner stone in a series of new worldwide multi-sports events SportAccord is going to launch in the coming years: The Mind Games will follow in 2011 and the World Beach Games in 2012. The Combat Games 2010 feature 13 martial arts and combat sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic. “We want to support our members by giving them the opportunity to get exposure to a worldwide audience. The Combat Games offer the participating sports a unique chance to be on stage together and will bring them closer to the public, “ SportAccord President Hein Verbruggen explains the strategy behind the Games.

The Beijing Local Organising Committee will provide competition venues and training facilities that meet highest international standards. The 13 sports are distributed to three venues, all Olympic venues in 2008 and in close distance to the athletes’ hotels and the airport.

A highlight of the Beijing Combat Games 2010 will be the Ambassador Program. “We have very good news, “ says Li Jinkang, Secretary General of the Beijing Local Organising Committee. “International movie star Jet Li will be Ambassador for the martial art of Wushu. He is not only a great actor and champion but he shows also outstanding social commitment. We will be very honoured to welcome him in Beijing.” Jet Li will lead the squad of famous celebrities and champions such as kickboxing legend Don “the Dragon” Wilson or Olympic gold medallist in Wrestling, Rulon Gardener, that will act as representatives for their disciplines and the Games in general. They will participate in various activities around the Games and will contribute to the atmosphere during the whole week.

Additionally, the Combat Games will feature a Cultural Program reflecting the ancient traditions of martial arts as well as the social and cultural values of the 13 sports and the event as a whole. The Program includes a Forum on August 29 featuring the theme “The Art of Combat -Friendship and Determination” and several thematic exhibitions. Topics will deal with the cultural dimensions of the martial arts and their social value and contribution to society.

Key facts of the SportAccord World Combat Games 2010 in Beijing:
* 13 martial arts and combat sports
* 1108 athletes- from five continents
* 136 gold medals awarded
* 8 days of competition
* 3 competition venues, 1 training venue”

Reference: About CG (http://worldcombatgames.com/en/content/about-cg-0-6)

Westrack AKF National Championships – Results

Congratulations to all the competitors for their results over the weekend in Sydney!

Miyagi Kan (and friends) results will be added to this post asap.

But here is a .pdf of a list of the FULL Results of the 2010 WesTrac National Karate Championships

(Thanks to Petar Georgieff for his photos)

NATIONAL TEAM ANNOUNCEMENTS

President’s Cup Men’s Team, Iran (September)
This an all male competition and Australia is sending 5 competitors to compete in individual and team kumite events.
Tsuneari Yahiro (-60kg male kumite)
Shannon Barton (-67kg male kumite)
Serge Mykhaylenko (-67kg male kumite)
Leon Romary (-75kg male kumite)
Tommy Hallam (-75kg male kumite)

WKF World Championships Team, Serbia (October)
Tsuneari Yahiro (-60kg male kumite)
Kristina Mah (-61kg female kumite)
Leon Romary (-75kg male kumite)
Jessica Bratich (-68kg female kumite)
James Giuliano (male kata)