Kick Off karate tourney is Saturday
For the 22nd consecutive year, Graves’ Institute of Self Defense will host its annual “Summer Kick Off Karate and Ju-Jitsu Tournament.”
Held as usual at the Houlton High School gymnasium, the only martial arts event north of Bangor will take place on Saturday, June 15 and the public is invited to attend this unique and exciting competition.
Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. and the tournament gets underway at 10:30 a.m. with eight rings of youngsters vying in the point sparring portion.
Throughout the day, kids as young as five years old and adults upwards of 65 compete in fighting, Ju-Jitsu, form kata, weapons kata and power impactor events. To assure fairness, divisions are set according to age, weight, gender and belt color, which is a designation of ability and experience in each specific style of martial arts.
Along with students from eight regional branches of Graves Institute of Self Defense, competitors from central and southern Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New Brunswick, Canada have committed to attend the tournament. One of the most impressive parts of the day will be to see upward of 50 black belt instructors joined in one room to judge, referee and oversee the contests.
Throughout the day competitors have a chance to win one or more of 120 medals and over 200 trophies. The highlight of events each year as far as high tension competition and audience entertainment has to be the black belt events. There’s lightweight and heavyweight men’s age 17 to 34, and senior (age 35 to 44) black belt sparring, as well as the age 45-and-older black belts executive divisions. The black belt women also have the open 17 to 34 division and a senior category.
Black belt Ju-Jitsu, where two partners perform three throws each in a simulated street confrontation, always garners rave reviews, Five judges score each team on a one to 10 scale considering difficulty, speed, precision and complexity to reach a total. Unlike point sparring, males and females mix and match to compete against each other in the Ju-Jitsu events. This is also true for form kata and weapons kata, which are the remaining black belt competitions.
The drive and intensity to become a first-place finisher in black belt divisions is rewarded with a huge grand championship trophy. Each of these unique 4-1/2 foot high, three-tiered awards is sponsored each year by several generous local businesses.
A wide variety of concessions will be available throughout the day for spectators and when competitors need a short break. A nominal entrance fee will be charged to help defray the cost of trophies, but for seniors and kids under five years of age, admission is free.
