SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – Eight students from a local karate school will compete at the World Karate Championships in Romania this summer after qualifying at the national level.
Ciraco’s Okinawan Karate & Kobudo, which has taught students in Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island since 1992, has never had this many students qualify for the world competition.
Owner Joshua Dunn said he does not know if it will happen again in his lifetime.
The qualifiers are Adalyn Mook, Caleb Jones, Taylor Priewe, Mina Klein, Grace Costaldo, Ava Nihiser, Hudson Fenderbosch, and Robert Strickland.
“So last year, July—one year ago, almost now—is when they started trying for this. You have to place well at Nationals, really well. So you have to get a gold medal or silver to start being in the conversation,” Dunn said. “And to have this many kids selected like that, I feel a lot of pride for them, because as they’re going through the year, I’m like, all right, we’re getting closer.”
Previous success at the world level
The dojo brought home multiple medals from the World Championships in 2022.
The qualifying group includes three from the adult division and four from the 12- through 14-year-old age range.
Dunn credited his older black belts who competed at the 2022 World Championships for serving as role models.
“They paved this way for them competitively, and they are seeing what they’re able to do where they can travel into the world to see the world,” Dunn said. “When they are watching them do that at ten and eleven, as a ten-year-old, you’re looking at them and going, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ And they are here.”
Having this many qualifiers from the same area and dojo is unusual. The school is seeking funding to help the students compete.
Those interested in donating can use the GoFundMe.
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