Kenwa Karate of Sitka student Rianna Bergman, left, instructor Laurinda Marcell, center, and Nolan Noel, right, attended the 5th Annual Southeast Alaska Karate Championships in Juneau. (Courtesy Photo)
Sitka’s Kenwa Karate sent two students to compete in the Fifth Annual Southeast Alaska Karate Championship in Juneau last weekend, and got good results.
Both Nolan Noel, 11, and Rianna Bergman, 13, had strong showings. Bergman brought home a third-place trophy for kumite (sparring) in the girls’ 11-13 years-old division, and Noel finished fourth in boys’ kumite ages 11-13 division.
In kumite the competitor with the most points at the end of a bout moves on in a single-elimination bracket.
Noel and Bergman performed “Wankan” along with Josi Young from Juneau Karate Academy in a team kata division. Noel and Bergman also did individual kata and weapons kata with other advanced students. Both judged a flag kumite division for beginning and intermediate students.
Kenwa Karate of Sitka is coached by Sensei Laurinda Marcello. She can be contacted at sensei@sitkakarate.org.
