LUTZ, Fla. — Every move is precise, the hits pack a powerful punch and the class is disciplined.
At West Coast Karate in Lutz, athletes are training to be the best in the world.
And four students are on their way after qualifying to join the U.S. Amateur Athlete Union from July 13-16, at the World Union of Karate-Do Federations (WUKF) World Championships in Dundee, Scotland.
The West Coast Karate athletes chosen for the team are Gabriel Coleman, Ben Stoddard, Blake Kongmanichanh and Samuel Stoddard.
“I’m just really excited to represent the U.S. in internationals, it means a lot to everyone here,” Coleman said.
Lead sensei James Stevens called the event a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
“They’re going to Dundee, Scotland, and they’re competing on a world level, so not just kids from Florida, not kids from Georgia, not kids from all over the United States, but kids from all over the world,” Stevens said. “Stretching everywhere from Romania to the United States so, it’s an awesome feat to be selected to represent team USA.”
Stoddard said he is excited for the chance to represent the United States.
“Being able to fight for your country in a sport is super exciting, so that’s what I’m most excited for,” he said.
In about a month, they will travel to Scotland to put their skills to the test among the best across the globe.
“I’m looking forward to the competition,” said Kongmanichanh. “It’s going to be a lot of different competition because we typically just fight USA — like, everyone in the USA — now we get to fight everyone from any country.”
The athletes say they are preparing for the physical and mental challenges of the tournament.
“Because it’s a self-sport there’s really high highs and low lows, so you’re training really hard but you may lose the first fight when you get there,” Stevens said. “So the fact they might lose, they have to pick themselves back up, get back to the dojo, and continue training.”
He said his students are putting in the work now and are showing up every day and giving their best.
“I have a motivated mindset when I’m here, so I can just train and do my best in the tournament,” Coleman said.
The four said their goal is first place.
“We’re all really good fighters and I think we all can do it,” Stoddard said.
Stevens says there are a lot of nerves and excitement that come along when preparing for a tournament of this magnitude.
“They had to train really, really hard, and be super dedicated to karate,” he said. “So as a sensei, that just makes me super duper proud.”
