Luca Matsumoto and Giselle Kaneda, competitors for the Cupertino-based JKR Eishinkan Dojo, captured gold medals at the recent U.S.A Karate National Championships and U.S. Team Trials held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The competition included kumite (sparring), kata (technical forms), weapons kata, team kumite and team kata. The local Eishinkan students combined for six individual medals and one team medal, according to Sensei David Kaneda, the head coach, and four qualified for the elite U.S. team.
Matsumoto, a senior at Wilcox High School and a second degree black belt, dominated the advanced kata division for 16-year-old males earning the dojo’s first gold medal of the four-day tournament in July.
“This victory was sweet because it is my last year in high school,” said Matsumoto, after winning his third straight U.S. title in kata (technical forms).
Kaneda, a senior at De Anza Middle College and first degree black belt, claimed her gold medal in the female kumite (sparring) portion of the U.S. Junior Team Trials. She breezed into the final match of the 48-kg, 16-17 division, where she fought Chandler Ury of Chicago to a 1-1 tie. Kaneda was awarded the gold on a 3-2 referee’s decision. Earlier, she scored a bronze medal in kata.
With the medals came invitations to represent the U.S. in two international competitions, including the Pan American Junior Karate Championships for the sixth straight year.
Kaneda went on to win one of her kumite matches at the Pan Am event, Aug. 27-29 in Bolivia. In November, she will travel to Jakarta, Malaysia for the Junior World Karate Championships.
Sensei Mina Yamazaki, a fifth degree black belt and chief instructor of the Cupertino delegation, fared well in the kumite (68 kg) and kata contests for female seniors (ages 16-34), qualifying in both for February’s U.S. Senior Team-Top 6 selection tournament in Chicago. She also was part of a female kata team that won gold and a berth on the Senior U.S. National Team.
Two-time U.S. team member Aaron Kaneda, a freshman at Monta Vista, lost a tough semi-final bout of the 14-15 male kata division. He finished third, earning a bronze medal and an alternate position on the U.S. National Team.
Udirno Chaudhuri, another Monta Vista freshman, battled through the 14-15 year old, -52kg, male kumite field to take bronze and a spot as an alternate on the U.S. team.
Trinav Chaudhuri, Lawson Middle School sixth-grader, won a bronze, placing third in the 11-year-old male, advanced kumite division.
Kei Matsumoto, a seventh-grader at Peterson Middle School, also competed at the elite U.S.A Karate junior event.
