Members of our community have been BUSY over summer break, traveling to THREE major tournaments across the country … and we’re not done yet. We wanted to briefly share updates on each event, which you’ll find below. We’re amazingly proud of all of these students, who demonstrate not only a lot of skill, but also a lot of sportsmanship with their teammates and their opponents from around the world. It takes a lot of guts to compete, and we are proud of them for stepping up to the line with such grit and grace.
Maile, Mateo, Milo, and Zachary G. all competed at NKF Nationals in Spokane, WA where they each gave outstanding performances in their events. Maile, Mateo, and Milo also earned spots on the USA Junior National Karate Team which will be going to the Pan American Karate Federation Junior Championships in Mexico City next month. Maile and Mateo’s 1st place wins in their team kata events also secured their spots to compete in the World Karate Federation Junior World Championships in Konya, Turkey in October. These are huge achievements for all four athletes, and we hope you’ll join us in congratulating them! Individual results:
Maile – 1st team kata, 2nd kata, 5th 16-34 kata
Mateo – 1st team kata (elite), 1st team kata (advanced), 1st team kumite, 3rd kata, 2nd kumite
Milo – 1st team kumite, 2nd kumite
Zachary G. – 2nd team kumite, 3rd kata, 3rd kumite
AAU National Championships – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Enso Elite Team competed at AAU Nationals in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where our 27 athletes earned a collective 35 medals — not to mention countless lessons learned. There were too many special moments to name them all, but suffice it to say we are as proud as ever of how all our students performed throughout the week — as both athletes and as teammates. It’s such an amazingly supportive group!! Individual results:
Alex – 1st kata
AnnaBelle – 3rd kata, 1st kumite
Ari – 2nd kata
Candace – 2nd team kata
Davian – 3rd kumite, 2nd ultimate team rotational kumite
Denise – 2nd kata
Elina – 2nd team kata, 2nd kata, 3rd kumite
Gabriel – 2nd kumite, 2nd ultimate team rotational kumite
Henry – participant
Jack – 2nd team kata, 3rd kata
Jay – 1st kata, 1st team kata
Jonathan – 3rd kumite
Katie – 3rd kumite
Kira – 3rd kumite
Laura – 2nd team kata
Lillian – participant
Mandy – 3rd kata, 1st kumite
Maxine – 2nd mandatory kata, 2nd kumite, 3rd flag kata
Nico – participant
Nora – 1st kumite, 3rd ultimate team rotational kumite
Rahmil – 1st team kata
Richard – participant
Ryan – 1st kumite
Saul – 1st team kata
Suna – 2nd team kata
Viona – 2nd team kata, 2nd kata
Zachary – 2nd kata
After AAU Nationals, 23 Enso students also stayed in Ft. Lauderdale to participate in the WUKF World Championships, where they faced competitors from over 25 countries. Competition at this level is fierce, so we walked away with fewer medals but many more life experiences to bring back to the dojo with us. Couldn’t be prouder of how each of our students showed up!! Individual results:
Denise – 1st kata
Jay – 3rd kata, 3rd team kata
Saul – 3rd team kata
Rahmil – 3rd team kata
Mandy – 3rd kumite
Maxine – 2nd team ippon kumite
Participants: Alex, Ari, AnnaBelle, Candace, Davian, Elina, Gabriel, Henry, Jack, Jonathan, Laura, Maxine, Nora, Rahmil, Richard, Suna, and Viona
Maccabiah Games – Hadera, Israel
Evan Sterk, a long-time Oak Park student, is representing the USA in the karate division of the Maccabiah Games, an event that aims to build Jewish pride through sports. Evan has been working hard to prepare for this experience, even training with a fractured arm over the last couple months. Before the competition starts, he will be touring various sites in Israel and training with the rest of the US delegation. The karate competition will be held July 19-20, and we’ll be cheering Evan and the rest of the US team on from Chicago!
