NMAC Kicks 2010 Off in Grand Style with the Compete Nationals and the Ontario Provincials!

--Andrew Cabilan

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, NMAC competitors had a myriad of options to meet their competitive itch. Whether someone had the desire to compete against NASKA’s finest in sunny California or stay close to home and compete at one of Ontario’s legendary events, there was definitely something for every competitor.

Compete Nationals

Ontario, California – The Compete Nationals, a tournament held in the outskirts of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, kicked off the NASKA 5A season in its usual grandiose fashion. Promoted by veteran promoter Mohamad Jahan-vash, the “Competes” (as it’s often referred to) always brings out new competitors straight out of the woodworks and veteran competitors who have refined their skills during the off-season.

With Compete Nationals being a stone’s throw away from the Mecca of the entertainment industry, there are always pleasant surprises year after year. In previous years, Competes has been frequented by Hollywood superstars such as Taylor Lautner – a martial artist-turned-A-list-actor whose claim to fame is playing Jacob in the Twilight movie franchise. This year, there were many pleasant surprise appearances. No stranger to competition, Steve Terada, a member of America’s Best Dance Crew Season 3 Champions, Quest, captured the action during the Friday night festivities. Also present was World Champion Jon Valera, perhaps one of the most sought after action and martial arts choreographers in the movie industry. Not too far behind was Arnold Chon – a very visible fixture in the movie industry and most recently appeared in a Radio Shack’s newest commercial which is frequently aired. Last but not least, a veteran competitor who has been long absent from the competitive scene made a surprise entry by competing in the 40 – 49 Weapons division. The legendary and perhaps the most charismatic forms competitors of all time – Chris Cassamassa – decided to throw his name into the mix. His dramatic and powerful Weapons routine went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, one misstep resulted in a serious knee injury and took him out of the competition. Despite this result, Cassamassa was seen the next day with crutches and cast supporting fellow competitors in the spirit of sportsmanship and comraderie. Even though these individuals have moved past the competition scene, it is reassuring and heart-warming that they always take time out of their personal and professional lives to re-connect with old friends.

As always, Compete draws the top NASKA competitors due to its high 5A rating and, well, the fact that it’s sunny and warm. However, the thermostat got a bit higher when the competition got under way. A unique feature of Compete Nationals is that there are separate NASKA and NON-NASKA divisions for most Black Belt categories. The purpose of these divisions is to alleviate the intimidation factor of competitors who rarely compete and allow them to compete against others with the same experience. However, most choose to do both divisions for the sheer experience of competing with the World’s finest.

Unlike most NASKA events, Compete Nationals is home to the coveted Gold Star medal – an object of envy for the Sport Karate elite. With the new NASKA Grand Champion set-up, each Gold Star Forms and Weapons medal round featured the four Grand Champions during the daytime competing for the treasure. The Adult Weapons Gold Star Medal round pitted Kalman Csoka, Scott Wu and Caitlin Dechelle. In his usual fashion, Kalman sliced and diced his way to victory to capture the medal and appreciation of the audience. Wu and Dechelle then made a return to the Adult Forms Gold Star competition but this time Marc Canonizado was in the mix. Three-time Overall Men’s Forms Grand Champion Scott Wu won the Men’s Traditional Forms Grand Championship during the day and secured his spot for the Gold Star medal. He was first up with a brand new routine and his intense performance had the audience ready for more. Both Canonizado and Dechelle performed clean Extreme routines with flawless execution. However, it was the classical WKF style form of California’s Jessica Brew who outshined the NASKA regulars. Her intricacy definitely caught the attention of the judges as they awarded her five 10’s for her efforts. Just goes to show that at the end of the day that Traditional Martial Arts will always be appreciated in the open Sport Karate circuit. On the Junior side of things, Jacob Ellis’ traditional form garnered him a Gold Star medal.

The Men’s Fighting divisions were definitely the ones to watch as many NASKA and NBL superstars were present at this event. With names like Raymond Daniels, Jack Felton, Ross Levine and Mike Pombeiro (just to name a few) vying for the Gold Star medal, each match had the audience at the edge of their seats. When dust settled and smoke cleared, Raymond Daniels would emerge as the victor, defeating both Jack Felton and Mike Pombeiro en route to claiming the Gold. His consistent dominance of the Men’s Fighting divisions definitely solidifies why most consider him the best point fighter of all time. On the Women’s side of things, Tara Van Deusen captured the Gold Star medal by defeating California’s Jessica Cavarrubias.

The Compete Nationals is definitely one to mark on your calendars if you plan to compete on the NASKA circuit. Always being one of the first three tournaments and the only World Tour tournament in the West, Competes is never short on competition. It serves as a forum for new and veteran competitors to display their skills against others who strive to be the best. For many years, California served as a battle ground for Forms and Weapons World Champions. In fact, in the early 90’s, 32% of NASKA’s competitors came from California alone. It comes to no surprise that Compete Nationals consistently draws top competitors from all points of North America. And for those who desire to squeeze in a vacation, top attractions such as Disneyland and Universal Studios are only minutes away. And you’ll never know... being near Hollywood, you might be discovered!

Ontario’s finest heat things up at the Ontario Provincials!

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – As it was then, as it is now and as it will always be, the Ontario Provincials held in the Steel City of Hamilton, Ontario will always serve as the benchmark tournament for overall excellence. For over 30 years, promoter Armie Rizzo, the Grand Puba of Ontario promoters, has been a permanent fixture in the Canadian Sport Karate scene. The consistent high attendance at his tournament is a testament to his continued support for promoters, both veteran and rookie. It comes to no surprise that competitors and instructors often put their political affiliations aside for this annual gathering, thus, providing formidable competition for both the novice and experienced competitor and quality judging. In addition, the entrance fees are economically feasible to most, making it a very desirable option to stay close to home to feed one’s competitive itch.

Rizzo’s tournament has solidified itself as one of the premier tournaments in Southern Ontario and has established its own Legacy. It seems that competitors of all skill levels and ranks gravitate to this event. The Ontario Provincials is the original ‘stomping ground’ for World Champions such as Mike Bernardo, Trevor Nash and Shane Baker (just to name a few) and like it has been in previous years, this year’s tournament also provided the leverage for future stars to make their mark in Sport Karate history.

The Junior Black Belt divisions were filled with the usual NMAC regulars but it was the new faces to the circuit that made waves in their divisions. Representing United Martial Arts were the Fernandez Brothers – Reno and Niko. Both of them dominant in the Under Black Belt ranks in previous years, the sibling pair are slowly rising to the top of their divisions. Reno took top honours in the 12 – 14 Weapons division with brother Niko not too far behind in 2nd Place. They also placed Top 5 in their respective fighting divisions. Another sibling pair which made names for themselves were the Morrison sisters – Saleena and Alysha, representing Bernardo Karate. Although no strangers to competition, like the Fernandez Brothers, they too are beginning to consistently dominate their divisions. In the 12 – 14 Girls Forms division, Alysha edged sister Saleena by a narrow margin. Adding to her repertoire, Saleena competed with the ‘big boys’ and handily captured 3rd Place, placing right behind the Fernandez Brothers. Alysha, on the other hand, threw her hand in fighting and placed 2nd, losing to Emma Levy in the final round. With all of these new and up-and-coming talents, veteran competitors took notice and realized they have to step their game up in their future.

Not to be outdone, however, were the veteran NMAC competitors. Tressa Young, maturing gracefully and coming into her own, handily captured the 15 – 17 Girls Forms divisions, ousting many other young women in this surprisingly packed and talent-laden category. Tressa also tested her skills against the young men in Weapons but fell short in both of her divisions to veteran competitor Nick Cain of Buffalo, New York. Cain added more hardware to his collection by claiming 1st Place finishes in his respective Forms and Fighting divisions. Ryan Young, who seemingly looks taller each tournament, garnered victories in his Forms and Fighting divisions. As the saying goes, “good things come in small packages”. This statement definitely held through as the diminutive powerhouse Andrea Tyrell kicked her way to victory to beat out all the boys in the Junior Korean Forms and Weapons divisions and winning the 11 and Under Girls Forms and Musical Forms to boot.

With a unique melange of new and familiar faces, the Junior Black Belt Forms Grand Championships kept the audience at the edge of their seats. With their game faces on, each competitor had the audience in awe with their unsurmountable talents. When the dust finally settled, it was Tressa Young who reigned supreme and claimed this year’s title, ousting last year’s champion, Ryan Young.

On the Adult side of things, many new faces also surfaced hoping to make their mark in the sport. Karen Anderchek-Rankin made her Black Belt debut at the Ontario Grand Nationals and captured 1st Place honours in the 18+ Weapons division. Although no stranger to local and International competition, Karen made waves last year as an Under Black Belt, winning virtually every Adult Forms and Weapons division she entered. Even as an Under Black Belt, she stepped up her game by competing with Black Belts at the WKA World Championships in Spain back in October. Her future as a dominant force in Black Belt competition definitely looks promising and is one to definitely keep your eyes open for! Another surprise appearance was made by Cody Diesbourg. Although no stranger to competition, the London, Ontario native and WKC World Champion recently returned from Alberta and has been virtually absent from Ontario competition for some time. His return proved to be productive as he won a very strong and competitive 18 – 29 Japanese division, defeating newcomers Chris Mulligan and Jamie Kerr. Diesbourg also won his respective fighting division by edging Richard Steckham in a dramatic battle which garnered the attention of those in attendance. Also making a rare appearance was veteran competitor Mike Toms. In usual fashion, Toms easily won Musical Weapons and Forms, putting him in contention to the Grand Championship title which he last won in 2007. The 30 – 39 Traditional division had a surprisingly high turnout with many of the competitors being relative newcomers to the circuit. However, it was the clean technique of Andre Lemieux who would take top spot in this division. The very reserved Lemieux is definitely no stranger to competition. In past years, he has competed Provincially and Nationally for the WKA and WKC and is a veteran Karate Ontario competitor. Preserving the integrity of his Okinawan roots, he always performs unaltered versions of classical Goju-Ryu and Shito-Ryu kata – something rarely seen in open competition these days. To round out the Adult Forms and Weapons competition was another talent-laden division – the 40+ Men Black Belts. In usual fashion, Tony Rampulla ousted a formidable group of veteran competitors with his rendition of one of the rare katas he has garnered through his experience in the martial arts. With this wide range of talent, the Adult Black Belt Forms and Weapons Grand Championship proved to be one of the highlights of this year’s event. Anderchek-Rankin, Rampulla, Toms, Diesbourg, Lemieux and 35+ Weapons winner Jeff Kotzen all performed their routines with intensity and precision but neither of them were able to unseat defending Grand Champion, Steve Kawamura. The 2007 NBL World Champion executed Bassai Dai with detailed intricacy that only Kawamura could deliver! This marks Kawamura’s third consecutive Forms Grand Championship at the Ontario Provincials. With this kind of momentum, Kawamura is slowly reaching Chris DiLiberto’s record of eight Forms Grand Championships at this tournament. Can Kawamura make history? We’ll have to wait and see.

Rounding out the tournament were the Adult Fighting divisions and highly anticipated it was. With the Nation’s top fighters in attendance, the tournament spectators definitely got their money’s worth! Not only was the matchup between Diesbourg and Steckham exhilarating, the 161 to 179 lbs. Division was also a sight to see. With Jason Brown, Travis Dunnigan and Spero Skoufis, in the mix, it could have been anybody’s division. After the swords were drawn and the battles fought, Jason Brown emerged as the victor. Equally gut-wrenching was the 30 – 39 division. With Tom Roberts, Mike Levy and Mike Toms all hungry for top spot, each fight was definitely one not to miss. When it was all said and done, Roberts blitzed his way to victory and also earned himself the Men’s Fighting Grand Championship. And the Women’s division – all one would have to say is WOW! With one of the most talented Women’s line-up this tournament has seen in quite some time, one could see why this too was also highly anticipated. The “Queen of Point Fighting” Chelsea Nash (who at press time is now on the famous Team Paul Mitchell) battled Emilia Wilk in a fierce battle of division supremacy. In typical fashion, Nash’s lightning quick backfists were no match for Wilk’s kicks. As a result and no surprise to anyone, Nash also garnered the Women’s Fighting Grand Championship.

In its third decade of existence, the Ontario Provincials continues to bring in competitors from all corners of the province. Whether you’re from the northern area of Sault Ste. Marie or Sudbury or whether you’re as far down south as Windsor, Ontarians (and many Upstate New Yorkers) always find their way to this event. Armie Rizzo continues to serve up a recipe for tournament success – whatever it may be, many other promoters should borrow the book. Despite the political uproar which surrounds this sport, it is a pleasant surprise that at this event, they appear to be non-existent. Many tournaments come and go but Rizzo has seemingly become an everlasting fixture on the NMAC calendar. The tournament has created many champions from a range of generations. It has continued to serve as a high footstool for competitors who strive to be the best and an exemplar for other promoters to follow – who will be next to make the giant step?