Bellevue Club Karate Kids

By Ning Liu

The 40^th Annual Shorin-ryu Open saw a glowing day for Bellevue Club Karate kids as they took home six trophies from the intense Karate championship.

Analise Butler, 12, placed first in kata, third in kumite and second in entertainment with Andrew Paley, as they performed a weapons demo, in which they displayed a wooden sword routine.

She took first in kata and second in kumite in last year’s Central Washington Karate Championship, the largest tournament in the state of Washington.

Kata (literally means "form" in Japanese) is known as patterns of movements practiced solo or in pairs to visualize imagined fighting scenarios. Kumite ("grappling hands") is a form of sparring in Karate.

David Gribble, 8, who participated in Shorin-ryu for the first time, placed second in kata and kumite.

Michael Simpson also deserves applause for his excellent performance in a strong division of contest of kata.

Thanks to James Penor Sensei, the karate instructor at the Bellevue Club, these young warriors all did a great job in showcasing their Karate talent and passion in the tournament.

For more information about the Karate class, or other youth programs at the Bellevue Club, click here.