Uni Games Great Success for Goju Ryu Karate Club

From left: Sanae Nakai, Yuri Tamashiro, Jennifer Sigley (coach), Young Ju Lee (supporter) and John Zhao.

The Goju Ryu karate club at Victoria University's Kelburn campus was established in 1975 and although it is a traditional karate style not a modern or sport-karate one, its members who compete at Uni Games continue to excel.

This year the club sent down a small team (3 competitors, 1 coach and 1 supporter) to Canterbury University, and returned with 6 medals, a contribution of 20 points to the shield challenge, and a very proud coach. All 3 students were new to karate when they started at university and competed in the novice division. Competition consists of kata and kumite (points sparring).

In the womens novice kata division Yuri Tamashiro won the gold medal - an incredible feat considering she only began karate training in January this year, and Sanae Nakai who was competing at Uni Games for the second time picked up the bronze. In the Mens novice kata John Zhao won gold in his first ever tournament performing a kata he had only started learning 1 month before. John also won gold in the mens novice under 80kg kumite and Sanae won silver in the womens novice over 60kg kumite and bronze in the womens novice open division.

The combined efforts of the VUW Goju Ryu students and a silver medal performance from Rembuden Karate student Marama Broughton in the womens premier kata division produced a massive 23 points securing 3rd place for Victoria in karate at the games.

The VUW Goju Ryu karate club trains at the Rec Centre on Thursdays @ 630pm and Sundays @ 330pm.

For more information visit www.karate.org.nz/dojos/vuw