When people say to Evie Rowe or Amanda Baker they punch or kick like a girl, this is not a derogatory comment or a sledge – it’s actually a compliment.
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Both girls should be extremely proud of their performances because they have both improved and managed to remain calm and focused.
- David Rush
Evie and Amanda have been training at South Coast (Shotokan) Karate for over two years and they travelled to Sydney recently to compete in the National All Styles (NAS) NSW State Titles and earned themselves NSW representation to the NAS National Championships later this year.
Evie did very well against higher grades in a division with a large number of competitors to place 4th in the 10-11 years (10th to 6th Kyu) Male and Female Forms.
Despite putting up a good fight, Evie was unfortunately eliminated in a close match in the early rounds of the 10-11 years (10th to 6th Kyu) Male and Female Points Sparring.
Competition was fierce in the Women’s Open Black Belt Forms, where Amanda Baker also placed 4th.
Determined to make her mark in the Women’s Open Black Belt Points Sparring, Amanda comfortably won her first round and then progressed through her second round to fight a third time to win 3rd place overall.
This was Amanda’s first medal at the NAS NSW State Titles and she trained hard over recent months to improve her fighting chances.
Senior Instructor at South Coast (Shotokan) Karate, David Rush, said the intention with this tournament was for the girls to focus on stances, pauses and speed in their kata and to incorporate specific drills in their fighting events.
“Evie was really composed in her kata and the first four places were really close,” he said.
“Although Evie didn’t win a medal, she was very pleased with her own performance and how she was able to handle the excitement and noise of the competition.
“Amanda has been practising a number of sparring drills and ring-craft strategies and these things worked very well in each of her rounds.
“Overall, both girls should be extremely proud of their performances because they have both improved and managed to remain calm and focused which is often difficult in a tournament atmosphere,” David said.
South Coast (Shotokan) Karate runs self-defence and fitness classes for kids, women and adults from beginner to advanced levels.
New members are always welcome at South Coast (Shotokan) Karate. Phone David on 0418 977 402 or visit: www.shotokankarate.com.au
