Karatekas compete in Kumite, the practice of striking the opponent’s torso and head with limited damage.
JASON KLAIBER
STAFF WRITER
Amidst the competition in the air of the dojo on Sunday, participants in this year’s Syracuse Karate and Martial Arts Championship abided by a code of respect, never refusing to bow toward one another or shake hands.
“Before you enter the ring, you’re friends,” World Class Karate head instructor Rande Lawrence said. “Before you leave the ring, you’re friends.”
Hailing from over 20 karate schools around the city, several dozen male and female students of different ages and belt rankings gathered for the nearly four-hour-long tournament held at the dojo on East Genesee Street in Fayetteville.
Its debut at this location, the annual tournament has taken place for the past 15 years, previously being held at Lawrence’s now-closed ShoppingTown Mall dojo.
The competitors were separated by beginner, intermediate and advanced designations based on their karate experience.
These participants, called Karatekas, competed in three judged divisions—Kubudo, Kata and Kumite.
Kubudo refers to weapon systems such as bo staffs and swords, while Kata involves choreographed patterns of movements and Kumite entails controlled, empty-handed sparring. For the Kumite events, most of the competitors wore protective headgear and mouthguards.
The judges, all adult black belt holders, adhered to the Olympic regulations and point system for karate. These judges rightfully awarded gold, silver, bronze or any additional placements after each event.
Though several preregistered participants were not in attendance, Lawrence said there was a good turnout and a good crowd of spectators.
Lawrence, who has been running the tournament since its inception, commended the day’s displays of sportsmanship.
“You always want to keep that about you,” Lawrence said. “I really think everyone is gearing up for the Olympics.”
Fayetteville resident David O’Brien, who earned a third-place medal in advanced Kata on Sunday, said tournaments such as this provide people with confidence and mental discipline, as well as a reason to leave the house and exercise.
“It gives an opportunity to train and focus on something and set goals,” O’Brien said.
Chris Fortino, of DeWitt, helped to judge the afternoon tournament.
“I think it went well,” Fortino said. “For the kids, it’s positive reinforcement. You see results of your efforts, especially when you apply yourself early on.”
Fortino said karate is useful for everyday protection.
“It’s one extra thing you have to do to defend yourself,” Fortino said. “Not everyone carries a gun.”
Esteban Trotman, of Trotman Martial Arts in Syracuse, said he appreciated the tournament’s setting.
“It has an atmosphere unlike major tournaments where you have people in risers,” Trotman said. “It gives more confidence without masses of people.”
Trotman, who also assisted in judging, said the option to raise one’s children in karate rather than baseball or football has been underpublicized by the media and overlooked as a whole.
He and Lawrence have been practicing karate for around 50 years, both beginning at an early age.
“For me, it’s always been kind of a way of life,” Trotman, said.
Lawrence, now a 10th-degree black belt and grandmaster known as Hanshi, spends his entire week teaching karate, running classes from Monday to Saturday at his dojo and holding private sessions there on Sundays.
