2021 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS & CONTENDERS
Black Belt|August/September 2021
Ones to Watch at the World’s Most Prestigious Martial Arts Competition
Jackson Rudolph
2021 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONS & CONTENDERS

The International Sport Karate Association’s U.S. Open is one of the largest and most prestigious martial arts tournaments in the world. Competitors travel from around the globe to compete in divisions that include traditional and open forms, weapons, point fighting, self-defense and breaking. Some of those competitors will test their skills against the best of the best during the Night of Champions, while others will be inspired by the performances and train harder for next year so they might secure the crown jewel of sport karate: an ISKA world championship.

This was my story. I attended the Night of Champions for the first time in 2006 when I was just 8 years old. I watched legends light up the stage, then looked at my father and told him that one day I would do the same. Seeing those champions changed my life. Looking back, I realize that I had that experience only because I was fortunate enough to watch the competition in person at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Florida.

This story is from the August/September 2021 edition of Black Belt.

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This story is from the August/September 2021 edition of Black Belt.

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