By Lachlan Onions
MOUNT Gambier’s Joyce family impressed crowds of over 450 at the Chikara Martial Arts event in Melbourne on March 26.
Clifton and Yenna Joyce fought in the novice event, while older brother Johee competed in the main-card event.
The family train at Murasaki Kyokushin Karate Dojo and put in an impressive performance at the competition.
Clifton faced a difficult opponent and lost his fight in the novice tournament.
Yenna may not have won on the night but she did win high praise from event organiser, Shihan Judd Reid and earnt herself an invite to the next main-card fight.
“Yenna did magnificent, she will be fighting in the next main-card event,” he said.
“To be in the car for five hours and to fight the way she did, was superb.”
Johee put in a strong performance in the second fight of the main-card to win his fight by TKO.
“I always thought it would be good to have Johee on the main event,” Reid said.
The Chikara Martial Arts event hosted eight main-card bouts at a world-class standard.
The competition hosts some of the best fighters in Australia that aims to develop the quality of karate in the country and widen the audience of the sport.
“Karate events would normally just get the same audience returning but this event there were 300 people seated at tables and a further 150 people standing and we’re bringing in a new audience,” he said.
“I want people to recognise that karate is a great sport and that it requires a lot of discipline and respect.
“This is the sixth event that we’ve run, we try to do about three a year but Covid has made it difficult.”
In 2019, Reid hosted an event between Japan’s best Kyokushin Karate fighters against Australia’s best, which drew record crowds.
The current Chikara events are being used prepare the country’s fighters to be able to take on Japan again as Reid hopes Australia can match the level of Japan’s fighters in the future.
