Martial arts team wins medals

Ten students from Southwest Martial Arts Academy recently competed in this year’s State Karate Championships event at the 2007 Virginia Commonwealth Games.
The students won a total of 21 medals at the annual Games. The karate championship was held in Roanoke on July 21.
The team from the Southwest Martial Arts Academy of Wytheville won a total of 21 medals.
There were several competitors of all ages, both male and female, who came from different areas of the state to participate in the event.  Students competed in three main categories which consisted of weapons, kata and Fighting.  Participants compete in different divisions, which are based upon age and experience level (belt rank).  Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the first, second and third place finishers in each respective division.  Of the 10 local students representing Southwest Martial Arts Academy, the group finished the games earning (21) total medals, which included 13 gold, two silver and six bronze medals.
Cameron Nye, Sarah Newman and Josh Shupe, also served as judges for the event, when they were not competing.  Judges for the event must hold the rank of black belt or above.
Three students earned the title of 2007 Commonwealth Karate Champions, in all three categories of the event.
Robbie Ring (yellow belt), won gold medals in weapons (bo staff), kata and fighting.  McKensey Heath (advanced brown belt) won gold medals in weapons (stringed kamas), kata and fighting.  Also, Sensei Sarah Newman (black belt) won gold medals in weapons (bo staff), kata and fighting, in the adult female black belt division.
Jesse Carey (advanced brown belt) earned two gold medals and one silver medal, winning first place in weapons (bo staff) and kata, while earning a second place finish in fighting.  Nathan Repass (green belt) earned two medals, earning the silver medal in kata and the bronze medal in weapons (tonfa).  Levi Lawrence (blue belt) took home the gold medal in kata and earned a bronze medal in fighting.  Josh Shupe (black belt) earned the bronze medal in fighting. Dana Lee (green belt) took home two medals, winning bronze in kata and fighting.  Ira Chrisley (yellow belt) also earned two medals, taking home the gold medal in kata and the bronze medal in fighting. 
Following the event, Master Kim Ring addressed each of the students who competed in this year’s Commonwealth Karate Championships, expressing great pleasure and pride in the group for the manner in which they represented themselves, their instructors, the school, their families and their community.  She expressed the importance of respect and honor as a martial artist and setting a positive example for others (especially the younger students) to learn by.  She complimented the participants for the self-discipline and sportsmanship displayed by each of them and the sense of pride she felt as their instructor.  This was followed by the presentation of a most prestigious award, which was presented by Master Kim Ring (4th degree black belt),  to Sensei Cameron Nye, a 15 year-old black belt student.  The “Commitment to black belt excellence” Award is a most honorable and meaningful award, which symbolizes the highest level of recognition of ones instructors. 
In presenting this award, Master Kim Ring spoke of the great sense of pride she felt in presenting this award, stating that “through his actions, Cameron Nye has served as a true model and representative of all of the most important aspects of martial arts and all of the things that I strive to instill into each of my students”.  She spoke to the group about the importance of displaying good character and proper attitude as a martial artist and stated that she had closely observed how Cameron had presented and carried himself at the recent competition, not only as a competitor but as a young black belt serving as a judge for the first time.
She stated “the manner in which this young man carries himself, inside and outside of the dojo, brings me great pride and gives me a ‘warm & fuzzy feeling’’ inside, because he represents the very best of the things that I have to teach, which is the greatest reward and true demonstration of respect, that any student of the martial arts can ever give to their instructors”.  As a symbol of the award, Master Ring then presented Cameron with the very first trophy that she had ever won at a karate competition.  Nye will be a sophomore at GWHS this year and continues to train in karate and jiu-jitsu, as well as serving as an assistant instructor.
Many of the participants joined their fellow students on a fun-filled summer trip to Carowinds the following week, to celebrate all of the hard work and effort they have put into their training.
For information about class times or registration, contact Sensei Kim or Greg at (276) 228-9515 or visit the website at : http://www.teamswma.com.