Come to the Chicago Blast Karate Invitational on January 14, 2023!
See the tournament website for more information and registration link.
See the tournament website for more information and registration link.
See the tournament website for more information and registration link.
The 2019 Chicagoland Karate-Do Challenge was held on October 27, 2019 bringing about 250 athletes from from 24 different dojos/clubs, including 1 from Canada, to compete among the best. The CKC was co-hosted by Enso Karate and Nisei Dojo and sanctioned by the Amateur Athlete Union (AAU). The event ran 120 divisions in kihon, individual kata, individual kumite, team kata, family team kata, team rotational kumite, and special needs. This year’s event was held in a new venue, the CSO Multiplex, which provided ample space and amenities for athletes and spectators.
We would like to thank our friends in karate for participating in the CKC. Congratulations to all the athletes of all ages who put their best efforts out on the mat! We are also thankful for the 80+ volunteers, officials, and coaches who helped everything run on-time, safely, and smoothly.
The CKC is dedicated to creating a positive experience for all participants. Here is a sample of some of the feedback we received this year:
We hope to see you in more karate events in the coming competition season!
Photos can be viewed on Enso’s Karate’s Facebook page and the Chicagoland Karate-Do Challenge facebook page. Add your email to the CKC mailing list to get info about CKC 2020 as soon as its release.
The tournament isn’t until Oct. 27th, but you can start preparing for Enso’s biggest event of the year today by taking these three action steps:
SIGN-UP TO VOLUNTEER
We’ll provide training for various tasks – we need lots of helping hands!
PREPARE FOR COMPETITION
Our special tournament-prep sessions are designed for students new to competition.
TOURNAMENT DATE
Sunday, October 27, 2019
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
TOURNAMENT LOCATION
CSO Sports Multiplex
1301 E. 47th Street, Chicago, IL 60653
GENERAL SCHEDULE
Specific event times will be sent out to competitors approximately a week before the tournament. Athletes should be dressed and ready to compete at least 60 minutes before their scheduled time.
SPECTATOR FEE
$5 per person
Seniors and Children under 6 are free
Athletes and spectators are welcome to stay and watch events throughout the day!
TOURNAMENT WEBSITE
https://chicagolandkaratedo.wixsite.com/2019challenge
There are three steps to completing registration: (1) AAU Membership, (2) Event Forms, and (3) Event Payment. The registration deadline is October 15, 2019.
AAU MEMBERSHIP
Purchase an AAU 2018 membership ($16 for youth; $29 for adults) through AAU’s website. Remember to note your membership number, which will be sent to you via email. **For beginner students who are ONLY competing in Kihon, Enso will purchase an AAU membership for them.**
FORMS
You may download the individual event and team event forms online, or you may pick up hardcopies at the front desk. We’ll have copies on hand at the Oak Park dojo as well. These may be submitted either in-person or by email to info@ensokarate.com.
PAYMENT
Calculate your total amount due for individual and any team events. You may pay online or in person with credit card, cash, or check made out to “Enso Karate.” The AAU membership should be purchased on your own.
CONFIRMATION
In the week before the tournament, you will receive confirmation of your registration and and have the opportunity to make any corrections.
Successful tournaments require many lending hands! We are looking for both volunteer referees (black belts ages 15+) as well as volunteers to help set-up, check-in participants, keep score, keep time, and many other tasks that will help this special event run smoothly.No experience is necessary, and we will provide training!
We love our volunteers, and we try to treat them right! We offer our referees and volunteers:
Students should always train regularly (2x/week) if they can! In the weeks leading up to the tournament, we’ll try to practice some tournament situations during regular classes. But if you’re new to competition, we also recommend you attend one of our special tournament-prep sessions, where we’ll take a deeper dive into tournament rules, procedures, and etiquette.
CKC TOURNAMENT PREP SESSION 1
Saturday, September 21st
2-3pm
Register
CKC TOURNAMENT PREP SESSION 2
Sunday, September 29th
4-5pm
Register
WHAT IS THE “2020 AAU NUMBER”? / DO I NEED TO REGISTER FOR AAU MEMBERSHIP IF I’M ONLY COMPETING IN THIS TOURNAMENT?
To compete in this tournament, a 2020 membership to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is required — except for beginner students who are ONLY competing in Kihon, in which case Enso will purchase an AAU membership for them.
The fee for youth (17 and under) is $16. The fee for adults (18 and up) is $29. You can learn more about membership benefits and purchase a membership online at https://play.aausports.org.
The AAU membership can be used to compete in any other AAU event between September 2010 and August 2020.
WHAT ARE THE DIVISIONS? / WHY ARE THERE ONLY FOUR BELT COLORS LISTED?
This tournament uses AAU’s four ranking divisions, which wear only four belt colors (white, green, brown or black). AAU places athletes into these divisions based on the number of years they have trained, rather than by the rank they have earned. To make it easier for our students who haven’t competed previously, here is how the divisions break down:
If you have any questions about which division you should register for, please ask Sensei Jay. Please make arrangements to buy or borrow a belt if you don’t have the right color in the right size for competition.
WHAT ARE THE “INDIVIDUAL EVENTS” ALL ABOUT, AND WHO SHOULD DO THEM?
Each athlete should complete one Individual Registration Form. Here is some information about events for which athletes may register:
WHAT ARE THE “TEAM EVENTS” ALL ABOUT, AND WHO SHOULD DO THEM?
If the athlete is competing in team kata or team kumite, they should also complete a Team Registration Form. Here is some information about team events for which athletes may register:
ON THE DAY OF THE TOURNAMENT, WHAT TIME SHOULD I ARRIVE?
One week prior to the tournament date, you will receive a schedule of event times. Athletes should be dressed and ready to compete at least 60 minutes prior to their scheduled event times to avoid rushing and allow time to warm-up. CKC tournaments have always run on time.
This summer was an incredibly busy season for the Enso Elite Tournament Team, which had more than 40 athletes attending the AAU National Championships in July, as well as more than a dozen representatives on the AAU National Team, which traveled to Hungary and Slovakia in June. Here is a brief summary of our travels and results!
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SPORT FEDERATION (ISF) HIGH SCHOOL COMBAT GAMES – BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
AAU US National Karate Team brought just nine athletes to this competition, and three were from Enso Karate: Christine Conanan, Maile Nacu, and Zachary Gin. Christine and Zachary both earned bronze medals in kumite. They qualified for the games based on their impressive performances at the ISF USA Team Trials in March 2019. The International School Sport Federation (ISF) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and promotes the values and interests of education through sport.
WORLD UNION OF KARATE-DO FEDERATIONS (WUKF) WORLD KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
Twelve Enso students competed at this year’s WUKF world championships as members of the AAU US National Karate Team. They qualified by either earning an individual medal at the 2018 AAU National Championships or through a rigorous team trial event held in Ft. Lauderdale earlier in 2019. Enso’s athletes earned 10 medals at this highly competitive international event, including:
Sensei Jay, Sensei Katie, Kepler Boonstra, Pam Wolf, and Ryan Daly also competed with the U.S. Team in Slovakia.
AAU NATIONAL KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – FT. LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
Enso was recognized as the largest team participating at AAU’s 2019 National Championships! Our athletes competed in many divisions, from beginner to advanced and from age 6 to “senior.” In total, we earned 78 medals — 24 of them gold!
We set many records this year, but more importantly our athletes continued to learn many lessons about karate and about themselves. We are always humbled by the love and support shared between our athletes, coaches, senseis, parents, and siblings as we undertake this intense experience. Beyond that, the friendships shared with dojos across the country adds a dimension of camaraderie and sportsmanship that makes the entire experience just so special.
Thank you to all who were part of our journey this season.
Seventeen Enso athletes have qualified for highly selective international competitions in 2019. We are so proud to have our students representing themselves, our dojo, and the United States of America as they travel around the world this spring.
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SPORT FEDERATION (ISF) HIGH SCHOOL COMBAT GAMES
Budapest, Hungary | June 16-21, 2019
Team USA is bringing just nine athletes to this competition – and three are from Enso Karate! Very big congratulations to Christine Conanan, Maile Nacu, and Zachary Gin, who will compete in both kata and kumite at the event. They qualified for the games based on their impressive performances at the ISF USA Team Trials in March 2019. The International School Sport Federation (ISF) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and promotes the values and interests of education through sport.
WORLD UNION OF KARATE-DO FEDERATIONS (WUKF) WORLD KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bratislava, Slovakia | June 20-23, 2019
Seventeen Enso students qualified for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)’s U.S. Team, which will be competing at this year’s WUKF world championships. They qualified by either earning an individual medal at the 2018 AAU National Championships or through a rigorous team trial event held in Ft. Lauderdale earlier in 2019. Those athletes are:
The entire Enso community is behind these amazing athletes. All our students are pushing a little harder in class to help them prepare. All our instructors and coaches are helping them think about strategy and prepare mentally. Many of our dedicated parents are making sure the kids have everything they need before they travel. And of course AAU is helping them prepare and strategize. It’s truly an all-in effort. The cheers in Chicago will reach our athletes in Budapest and Bratislava!
Great news from Budapest! Enso’s very own Zachary Gin won a silver medal in kumite and a bronze medal in kata at the the Hayashi Shito-Ryu Open International Karate Championships. The event was held on Dec. 9th in Budapest, Hungary, where Zachary had traveled as part of the AAU National Karate Team.
Zachary, 15, has been training with Enso since he was 7 years old, and he earned the rank of shodan (1st degree black belt) in 2016. He has been competing with the Enso Elite Tournament Team since it formed, and he has been a member of the National Team for the last two years.
Congratulations, Zachary, on your impressive performance on and off the tatami!
312-877-5504
Only during class hours
601 S. LaSalle Street
3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60605
Entrance on Harrison
1045 S. Kenilworth Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60304
Inside the Harvard Church