House of Shotokan Karate Students Win Big in U.S. Karate Tournament
Members of the House of Shotokan won big over the weekend at the Wu Shu Kung Fu Martial Arts Championship. The competition was held on Saturday in El Paso, Texas and students from the karate academy won awards in form, fighting and martial arts weapons categories. Among the winners is Ampree Swasey, who won first and second place in forms and children beginners fighting division, respectively. Meanwhile, Gordon Feinstein won first place in both children intermediate forms division and children intermediate fighting and Emily Feinstein won third place in children girls fighting and fourth place in children girls’ forms division. Today, News Five caught up with Swasey and Shihan Ray Kelly at the academy on Princess Margaret Drive.
Amphree Swasey
Amphree Swasey, 1st Place, Wu Shu Kung Fu Martial Arts Championships
“Ok so, I train a lot for these medals. My dad usually trains me at home and I love to train here and I love karate too.”
Paul Lopez
“How long have you been doing karate?”
Amphree Swasey,
“I think about year.”
Paul Lopez
“What is your favourite thing about karate?”
Amphree Swasey,
“My favourite thing about karate is the movement and the fighting.”
Shihan Ray Kelly
Shihan Ray Kelly, House of Shotokan Karate
“The little ones from the dojo, the students along with their parents, we have been training to go to a tournament in the United States. Since COVID and all of that we have not been making the effort to get over there. But, now we are looking to get back into traveeling outside to the U.S. into the tournament competitions. This was the first time that the students have participated in the U.S coming out of COVID. We travelled to Texas at a Kong Fu competition and there the students did a phenomenal job in representing the country of Belize there for the first time in that area there in Texas. We would like to thank the parents because this trip came out of their own resources. Airplane tickets are not cheap so to fly out of Belize, put up the hotel expenses and accommodations and pay for all of that, that came from the parents. For me that is awesome to see that the parents stand behind their children to put that kind of expense out and in return the children did not disappoint”
