NMAC Superstar – Chelsey Nash

--Story by Andrew Cabilan
--Contribution by Michael Palitti

“The family that kicks together, sticks together” – a cliché used too often but with sound reason. Undoubtedly the World’s Top Female Point Fighter in Open Sport Karate, Chelsey Nash has been around the sport long before she could even throw a kick. Following her big brother Trevor around in the NBL circuit, Chelsey was a mere toddler as she watched Trevor win championship after championship. Not too long after, she would follow in her brother’s footsteps and start taking Karate with her brother and from there, the rest is history.

Now in her early 20’s, Chelsey has been in the art/sport for 17 years and trains at United Family Martial Arts with brother Trevor and her sister-in-law, Casey. Starting Karate at age 4 and competing starting at age 5, she made a name for herself and made it known to the World that there was another Nash putting their mark in Sport Karate history. Competing as a Black Belt at the age of 12, she started competing in the NBL circuit and eventually ventured onto the NASKA circuit. During this time, she has achieved goals that one could only dream of obtaining at such a young age. During her Junior years, she made her mark as a formidable fighter representing Team Straight Up, claiming numerous titles in NASKA and NBL. In fact, she had claimed BOTH titles in the same year numerous times – a feat that only a few have bragging rights to (including her brother Trevor and her sister-in-law, Casey Marks-Nash). In addition to claiming titles in NASKA and NBL, she has also garnered titles at the International level by claiming titles in the WKC, WKA and WAKO.

Chelsey’s successes didn’t stop as a Junior. Where most Juniors put their competitive career to a halt, Chelsey only moved further forward. As an Adult, she claimed one of Sport Karate’s most prestigious prizes – the Diamond Nationals Diamond Ring. A feat which she has accomplished on three separate occasions, she is slowly reaching the 8 garnered by one of her favourite fighters, Nicki Carlson-Lee. During her journey to distinguish herself as Sport Karate’s top female point fighter, she lists Claire Cocozza as her toughest opponent during her career. Her experience from facing such formidable opposition definitely provided her with the sturdy framework to win consistently and overcome any obstacles that might come her way.

When asked what her favourite tournament is, she quickly listed Diamond Nationals as her top pick. However, interesting enough, she also listed the former Canadian Open as her favourite Canadian tournament. It should come to no surprise for those who follow Canadian Sport Karate in particular since the 2008 Canadian Open was a defining moment in history as both Chelsey and brother Trevor both claimed their respective Fighting Grands – making them the first sibling pair to do so.

Her ring prowess, indomitable fighting spirit and her quest to be a true champion wasn’t left unnoticed. Perhaps the pinnacle of anyone’s Sport Karate career, she was picked up by Team Paul Mitchell, joining the ranks of current superstars such as Kalman Csoka and Matt Emig and past legends such as her favourite male fighter (other than Trevor, of course), Pedro Xavier. In fact, Chelsey has the distinction of being the first designated Woman fighter ever to represent Team Paul Mitchell.

Chelsey advises future competitors and aspiring champions to “Set goals for yourself, and don’t stop until you reach them. Hard work pays off! You get out what you put in, so make every second count when you’re in the dojo training. Picture your toughest competitor training right beside you and work THAT much harder so the next time you meet, they’ll have no idea what’s coming for them!”

So what does the future hold for Chelsey herself? She has claimed basically every Sport Karate World Fighting title out for grabs and she proudly represents Sport Karate’s most respected team... so what else is there? Several casual observers noticed Chelsey sporting a Traditional white JPM uniform in one of her Facebook profile pictures so is a career in FORMS lurking somewhere in the future? If you dig up the history books, Forms is definitely in the Nash blood seeing that Trevor was quite an accomplished Forms competitor during his Junior years. Not to mention that her sister-in-law, Casey Marks-Nash is one of the best bo competitors in Sport Karate. Will we ever see Chelsey throw down the gloves and pick up a bo? Time will only tell. But joking aside, Chelsey’s future in the sport remains bright and her dominance in her field will both inspire today’s youth and usher in a new generation of fighting champions.