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Lahaina students win medals at karate tournament

By Staff | Sep 28, 2017

Kona Day was awarded the Spirit (Budo) Award for the 2017 tournament.

KAHULUI – Lahaina Dojo of the Japan Karate Shotokai once again had an outstanding day at the annual Maui Karate Association’s Fall Tournament on Sunday, Sept. 17.

The event, sponsored by MKA, was held at the Binhi at Ani Filipino Community Center in Kahului and brought together the three traditional Shotokan Karate Do clubs from Honolulu, Kahului and Lahaina for the event.

Fifty competitors ages seven to 57 took part in the tournament action judged by a staff led by JKA Hawaii Chief Instructor Hiro Maeda, MKA Chief Instructor Deron Furukawa, and JKS Lahaina Chief Instructor Walter Chihara. Tournament director/facilitator was Kit Zulueta, and judges included Ted Kesaji, Ricky Supnet, Stephanie Metzler, Matt Arakawa and Donn Natori.

Kata, or forms, competition took place in the morning beginning with seven- and eight-year-old beginners all the way through to advanced and senior black belt events.

Mika Downing, Kanani Tihada, Madison Perez, Aden Ross, Jason Monnett, Kona Day, Kelii Tihada, Keanu Medo, Dania Oleiwan, Samantha Monnett, Sacha Salem, Noah Flores Alexander, Chris Salem, Vince Jerome Apilado and Kokoro Yamazaki all won medals in the youth categories. In the senior events, Gina Parola, Clint Parola and Yassin Oleiwan placed in the top three.

Pictured at the tournament are (from left): front — Hanan Oleiwan, Ayumu Hironaka, Kelii Tihada, Jason Monnett, Kona Day, Kanoa Medo, Kanani Tihada, Mika Downing and Keanu Medo; back row — Hoken Hironaka, Kieren Murphy, Vince Jerome Apilado, Kokoro Yamazaki, Noah Flores Alexander, Aden Ross, Sacha Salem and Dania Oleiwan. Competitors not pictured are Afnan Oleiwan, Chris Salem and Madison Perez.

In the kumite (sparring) competition, Kanani Tihada, Mika Downing, Madison Perez, Kanoa Medo, Keanu Medo, Kona Day, Kelii Tihada, Dania Oleiwan, Sacha Salem, Samantha Monnett, Kieren Murphy, Noah Flores Alexander, Chris Salem and Hoken Hironaka all won medals.

For winning a gold medal in kata and a silver in kumite, and throughout the tournament displaying the courtesy, determination and sportsmanship that manifests Shotokan Karate Do, Lahaina’s Kona Day was awarded the Spirit (Budo) Award for the 2017 event.

Kona, 7, the son of Emi and Dennis Day of Lahaina, is a second-grader at Princess Nahi’ena’ena Elementary School.