| | Published April 29th, 2009
| Local Athletes Qualify for National Karate Championships
| | By Thomas Westernoff |  | | The Karate & Fitness Place USA team members pose with medals earned in Reno that now qualify them to compete at the 2009 Championships Photo Provided
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Athletes from The Karate & Fitness Place USA have already qualified for the 2009 AAU National Karate Championships to be held in Ft. Lauderdale this summer based on performance at qualifying tournaments recently held in Hayward and Reno. The athletes competed in Kata (forms), Kumite (sparring) and Kobudo (weapons).
The fifteen Karate & Fitness athletes who attended the 2009 USA National Karate-Do Federation National Karate (USANKF) Championship Qualifier held in Hayward returned home with a total of 22 medals, including 8 gold, 7 silver, and 7 bronze medals. These qualifiers include Patrick Hoffinger, Sabrina Gottlieb, Chris Wellbrook, Sharon Wellbrook, Kendal Wellbrook, Katherine Kott, Ethan Luckenbach, Nick Luckenbach, Richard Kim, Jalen Henderson, Cole Jeter, Ryan Jeter, Omid Boozarpour, Navid Boozarpour, Mina Boozarpour.
The eleven Karate & Fitness athletes attending the 2009 AAU Amateur Athletic Union National Karate Championship Qualifier returned home with a total of 28 medals, including 12 gold, 4 silver, and 6 bronze individual medals. In addition, two teams organized at the last minute medaled. One team of three earned silver, the other won bronze. Championship qualifiers include Katherine Kott, Mykaela Lewis, JD McPhee, Nick Luckenbach, Ethan Luckenbach, Ryan Jeter, Cole Jeter, Haze Mach, Richard Kim, Mike Doucet, Jalen Henderson.
The Karate & Fitness Place USA has produced many National Champions over the years and 4 World Level Team Competitors, which is just one step away from Olympic Level. The USANKF is directly affiliated with the USA Olympic committee and is in full force pushing hard with the World Karate Federation in pursuing the sport of Karate into an Olympic Sport.
In other Karate & Fitness Place USA news, Sensei Thomas Westernoff just finished offering a free week of Self-Defense classes for the entire 7th Grade class at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate. This is his third year at JM. He's also offered the same class at Orinda Intermediate for over 5 years.
"I just want to give back to our community and our schools and continue to have a fun and safe place to live for everyone in our community," said Westernoff. "It's never too late to learn some self-defense skills." RSF
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA