The Traditional Okinawa Karate-do/Kobudo World Championships

Members of Kyoshi Doug Perry's karate dojo in Hendersonville, participated in the Traditional Okinawa Karate-do/Kobudo Championships in Atlanta, Georgia from August 8-11. This is the first time this tournament has been held outside Okinawa and was sponsored by the Okinawan Rengokai headed by Hanshi Shugoro Nakazato. The four-day event included seminars taught by 10 prominent Okinawan Karate/Kobudo masters, and the tournament consisting of Kata (forms), Kobudo (weaponry), and Kumite (free sparring). There were over eleven hundred participants from all over the world, making the tournament a great success. Kyoshi Perry, who is the head of the Shorin Ryu Shorinkan Karate Association in North America, was chief of the referee committee and Hanshi Nakazato's representative for the tournament. Kyoshi Perry's dojo sent just a few competitors, but won a significant number of medals, including several World Champions. During the competition, Dr. Chris Estes and Alan Weatherby took Golds (World Champion) in kata, while Jeanne Ye-Harbison, Jerry Taylor, Linda Cunningham, and Christian Estes won Golds in Kobudo. Other medals won were: Chris Estes (Bronze-Kobudo), Jerry Taylor (Bronze-Kata), Jean Ye-Harbison (Silver-kata), Patsy Gale (Silver-Kobudo, Kumite), Alan Weatherby (Bronze-kobudo, Gold-Kumite), Dr. Chris Coleman (Silver-Kobudo), Linda Cunningham (Silver-kata), and Pete Roberts (Bronze-kobudo, Silver-Kata), and Sharon Etnire (fourth-kobudo, kata).

Christian Estes performing Bo Kata for Gold Medal