TWO young martial artists from Bena are preparing to step onto one of the biggest stages in full-contact karate, representing their dojo and community at the Rookie Cup in Okinawa, Japan, this
November.
Oscar and Annika McGeachin have been selected to compete at the international tournament, joining two other students from the Cranbourne dojo. The event, known as one of the largest of its kind in the world, attracts up to 1500 competitors from across the globe.
“It’s a full-contact, knockdown karate tournament,” said head instructor and proud dad, Sensei Trevor McGeachin.
“It’s for competitors who haven’t competed internationally before and are below the rank of black belt. People come from all around the world to go and compete.”
Oscar, 12, and Annika, 10, have both been training since they were just four years old. They live in Bena and train at the Loong Fu Pai Dojo in Korumburra, which Trevor opened three years ago.
The pair earned their spots in the Rookie Cup after strong performances earlier this year at the Queensland titles and the national championships in Sydney. Annika claimed a national title and finished second in Queensland, while
Oscar impressed in his division despite being one of the lighter fighters in his weight class.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how people from all around the world fight,” Oscar said.
“I’ve learnt how to take hits much better and manage my nerves.”
Annika said she’s simply excited for the challenge, and a bit of fun along the way.
“I can’t wait to give my all,” she said. “And Disneyland.”
“They’ve been building all year with this tournament in mind,” Trevor said. “They’re training six days a week at the moment, and they have their own strength and conditioning coach down in Warragul.
They’ve really ramped things up since January.”
It’s the first time competitors from the Korumburra dojo will represent on the international stage, marking a milestone for the small but growing club.
“We’re hoping this inspires more of the younger kids to follow in their footsteps,” Trevor said.
“It can be hard for kids in Victoria to find opportunities for full-contact fights, which is why we’ve been flying all over the country to get them prepared. Hopefully, this builds a platform for more kids to come through and eventually represent the state and the country.”
Trevor said the experience would teach his children valuable lessons both on and off the mat.
“The biggest thing in the type of karate we do is determination and never giving up,” he said.
“It’s not easy to have someone standing across from you who is allowed to hit you as hard as they want, but pushing through that adversity helps set people up for life.”
Oscar and Annika will travel to Okinawa on November 25, with the tournament to be held on November 30.
