More was at stake in Humboldt on Mar. 19 with the Saskatchewan Karate Association provincial tournament.
Around 70 competitors from under 10 to black belts came from all around Saskatchewan to compete.
The tournament was also a qualifier to go to tournaments in Poland or Uruguay. Those who qualify by placing in their competitions also get the funding to go, says Bryce Nagy who is the instructor for the Humboldt Karate Club.
“We get sometime to practice and show what we got and see what we need to work on,” says Nagy.
Two categories made up the tournament with the Kata, an individual event where competitors show off their form, and the Kumite, which is opponents sparring with each other.
Kata is showing the judges what the fighter would do if they were in the ring with an opponent.
“They (the judges) should be able to watch it and feel, ‘wow, he really is fighting someone,” says Nagy.
Nagy himself competed as a black belt in different categories, getting silver in Kata and bronze in Kumite.
Five other karate students from Humboldt competed, including two orange belts, two green belts, and one adult yellow belt.
Rylan Bautz has been doing karate for two years and has his orange belt. He was competing in provincials for the first time.
Bautz even got his friend, Ty Cardinal to join a year and a half ago and also was competing in his first provincials as an orange belt.
The pair competed in the same Male 11-13 Kata category with Cardinal taking the gold and Bautz taking the silver.
Cardinal also took the bronze in Male 11-13 Kumite.
Green belt, Erin Cline, did very well at last years provincials, says Nagy, winning double gold and competing in numerous competitions in Saskatoon.
She is very competitive, says Nagy.
At this years provincials, she received gold in both M & F 10 & Under Intermediate Kata and Kumite.
Tristen Schikerowski, another green belt, competed in Male 11-13 Intermediate Kumite and won the silver.
Yellow belt, Jamie Richardson competed in the Adult Male/Female Novice/Intermediate categories taking silvers in both the Kumite and Kata.
