Our Competition Team is busy at work, training for the upcoming Kickin’ It Tournament on Oct. 19th here in Gainesville, FL.

The team is comprised of approximately 10 students, all putting in the extra hours by meeting on the weekends to focus and train hard for the upcoming competition.

These competitions are a great way to set goals for the students. This gives them something specific to strive for and it also helps the students see where they stand compared to their peers. This isn’t always a comfortable perspective to gain, but it gives us understanding of what we need to work on and improve moving forward.

In addition to the hard work that goes in to these competitions, we are also mindful that this particular tournament has the added benefit of supporting a good cause.  Kickin’ It is a fundraiser formed by Sensei Larry Hartfield to raise money for Children’s Cancer Research. As we work towards events like this we are deeply aware that as Martial Artists we would love to help protect those who are most vulnerable. I can’t help but feel that is the perfect way for us to direct that energy.

Photo by Jason Mock of Kata finalists performing at the 2019 Shorinji Ryu Renshinkan Championship Tournament in Fukuoka Japan.