MOUNT Gambier’s Murasaki Dojo is again celebrating after two students returned from the Independent Kyokushin Alliance national karate championships in Canberra with Australian titles.
At nine years of age, Johee Joyce managed first place in the kata and non-contact divisions, plus a third place in the full contact category.
Johee’s 11-year-old sister Yenna went one better, claiming first place in all three disciplines.
Yenna entered the contest on the back of solid performances recently at Geelong and Melbourne, where she was awarded best technician for the Melbourne event, something rare for such a young student.
While the kata is a demonstration category, non-contact requires students to show their full control, with contact to stop within a centimetre of their opponent.
From there they need to refocus and concentrate of full contact.
For that reason – plus the sheer physical side of the sport – few students compete in more than one discipline at such a competition.
But Yenna took it all in her stride to dominate the field in all three.
For Johee it was also a solid performance.
After claiming wins in his first two disciplines, he faced up to the full contact division.
The opponent who defeated him had entered just one discipline for the tournament, watching Johee throughout, before they faced off.
It was still an impressive performance and one dad Brad was more than pleased with.
“At that level, to be able to do that, we are ecstatic for both of them,” he said.
“Yenna is the only person in the country that did that (all three disciplines).
“Only a handful of children try it.
“Last year Johee was the only student in the country to win all three categories.”
Brad said originally the sport of kyokushin was chosen for Yenna to bring her out of her shell.
He said she was an “incredibly shy” child, but that all changed after two years in the sport.
“Yenna struggled with her confidence and it has taken two years to build it up,” Brad said.
“Now it is extending everywhere.
“She was always too shy at school, but since then she entered Mac Park’s Got Talent and won the last two years.
“She never would have done that before this.”
Likewise Brad said the sport had helped Johee in life as well.
“Johee was mainly for discipline,” he said.
“We wanted to give him at outlet, which has worked well for him.”
Now there is another focus for Yenna, with the Olympic Games in Japan in 2024 to include kyokushin as a sport.
“Japan is the home of kyokushin,” Brad said.
“It was only announced as an Olympic sport two years ago.
“It will be hard for Yenna to make the Australian team at 16 years of age, but she does have a strong chance.”
But at the moment the two siblings are enjoying their achievements in their latest
venture.
