Over one hundred Magnolians travelled to Gresham, Oregon over the weekend for the Invitational Ryobu Kai 26th Annual NW Classic Karate tournament held at Mt. Hood Community College. The crowd was there to support 38 students from Magnolia Karate Academy, ranging in age from 6-64. The karate practitioners had trained under Sensei Michael O’Donnell for 6 months to 11 years. For a majority of them this was their first experience at a world level competition.
They competed in kata, kumite and Kobudo. Kata are patterns of offensive and defensive techniques performed against multiple, imaginary opponents. Kumite events are sparring matches. Kobudo is the ancient art of Okinawan weapons. Magnolia Karate Academy Students placed in all of their divisions.
Chris, father of a 4 year-old competitor says “We had a great time sharing our son’s love of karate with other families from Magnolia and the surrounding communities. We were so proud to see him compete in front of his peers and the tournament judges. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone that participated.”
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