SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 28
ILLINOIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Click here to download the Illinois State Championship application and flyer. This is also our National Qualifier. More information regarding the Nationals will be sent out after the Illinois State Championship.
ISKC mourns the loss of our friend Jennifer Morgan
It is with much sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jennifer Morgan. Jennifer lost her battle with cancer on February 20, 2013. She was a wonderful person and an amazing mother. There is nothing that Jennifer would not have done for her kids. She was very involved in Adam and Emily's karate lives. You could hear Jennifer cheer during their competitions no matter where you were in the gym. I don't think she missed an event.
Jennifer was on the Executive Committee of our Booster Club and helped with all of our events. She was always there and we could always count on her to do what ever was needed. Jennifer helped to create table decorations and set up for the banquets, she was always helping at the Kick For Cures events, and coordinated our red shirts at the tournaments. On a national level, Jennifer volunteered at National Championship and US Open events helping train volunteers and keeping the events running smoothly. We are so proud of all that Jennifer did for ISKC and ISBC.
Jennifer will be missed. For those of us who had the opportunity to work with Jennifer and call her our friend, our lives are better for having known her. Our deepest condolences to her husband Ron and her children Adam and Emily. Rest in Peace, Jennifer. We know you are in Heaven organizing God's karate tournament volunteers.
Visitation for Jennifer Morgan will be Sunday February 24 from 3pm until 9pm and the funeral service will be Monday at 11am. Both will be at the Smith Corcoran Funeral Home at 185 E. Northwest Hwy, Palatine, Illinois 60067.
USOC Athlete Advisory Committee Representative Elected
We are proud to announce that Sensei Brian Mertel has been elected as the USA Karate Representative to the US Olympic committee Athlete Advisory Committee. This important role serves as the primary representative for USA Karate athletes to the Olympic Movement, as well as serving on the USA Karate Board of Directors. "Brian will be an excellent representative for USA Karate and our athletes," said Jake Lease, USA Karate Chief Executive Officer. "He has big shoes to fill, and I know he will fill them admirably." To read the full article click here.
Brandon Malone featured in the Daily Herald
Brandon Malone was featured in the Daily Herald for his accomplishments in international competition. Read the full article here.
American Shotokan Karate Championships
The question is not why you should care about the upcoming American Shotokan Karate Championship, but why you should be totally super stoked about the upcoming American Shotokan Karate Championship. Think about it: when it comes down to it, we so rarely get the opportunity to challenge ourselves in a meaningful sense.
This is your chance. The best way to find out exactly how good you are and how you stack up against your peers is to test it. You'll never really know unless you take that risk. Let the competitive spirit tickle your senses and get out there! It's guaranteed to be an all around good time and there's sincerely no better way to jumpstart your growth and development.
The Championship is scheduled for Sunday, October 7th at Harper College in Palatine. For more information please call 847/359-0666. Click here for the American Shotokan Karate Championship flyer and application.
ISKC Elite Dominate
Junior Pan American Championships
The Junior Pan American Championships are no laughing matter. Being part of the Junior U.S.A. Team, meaning representing not only ISKC and the park districts in which they train, but also the country, is a BIG deal and the positions available are few. Accepting those that take either 1st or 2nd place in the elite divisions at the National Championships, the team only accepts the best and the brightest. It is with this in mind that we're bursting at the seams with excitement for the nine ISKC students that went to Cancun at the end of August to compete on an international level.
So, aside from Sensei DiPasquale attending as President of USA NKF and Sensei Mertel who attended the event as a coach, who went to the big show and how did they fare?
Eddie Allegretti - 2nd Place in Kumite
Alex Diana - Kumite
Peter Gabriel - 3rd Place in Team Kumite
Ellora Jaggi - Kumite
Eric Krol - 2nd Place in Team Kata
Jason Krol - 2nd Place in Team Kata
Brandon Malone - 1st Place in Kumite
Ethan Pearson - 2nd Place in Team Kata
Michael Watts - Kumite
The fact of the matter is that no one knows better that the aforementioned athletes that success isn't cheap. Winning comes at a price and make no bones about it, it's steep. ISKC's elite competitors have busted their you-know-whats for years, but they've taken their training to a whole new conditioning and private lessons to special workouts and the sacrifice of personal time, these competitors have literally given their all to get to this place. Their hard work and athleticism are an inspiration to us all! Let's give all of our competitors a hearty congrats. Go Team U.S.A!!!
ISKC NEEDS YOU!!!
Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a world where cancer and alzheimers didn't exist? Join ISBC's movement to find out...
It could be your parents, or the guy training behind you; it could be your best friend, or that nice lady at work; it coud be you...
Cancer. Alzheimers. Parkinsons. These are devastating conditions that can literally kill, destroying the lives of their family and friends in the process. It's a sobering and terrifying reality, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel: you.
Keeping in mind, however, that no person is an island, ISBC's Kick For Cures is our chance to make a difference.
What we're asking for is just a little piece of your heart on Sundy, August 26th at Harper College in Palatine.
The group Kick-a-thon is an hour of organized kicking and punching with your favorite instructors followed by a pizza party- doing the right thing has never been so much fun! We even have some exciting Door Prizes to give away, too!
Ask everyone in your life to pledge or donate to ISBC's Kick For Cures. This sponsorship can literally save lives. As stated by ISKC's Dr. Kathy Bailey, "If you ever knew someone in need, if you ever knew someone who's sick, if you ever wondered what you could do to help, it's the Kick-a-thon. Reach out and help in ways you never knew were possible." The proceeds go to support our charities leading the fight against the afflications listed above, in addition to many more, including the ISKC Stricken Family Fund and our Jennifer Malloy Scholarship Fund. All donations are tax deductible, as the Booster Club is a 501c3 Organization. There's no limit as to how much you can raise and just ask last year's top earners, Rollin Burket, Nathan Agno and John Vercellino, all of your hard work is further rewarded with special prizes!
For a comprehensive list of the organizations we plan to support and to reserve your spot, please visit www.kickforcures.com.
No worries for those unable to attend the actual event, you can still collect donations online with your personal sponsor page at www.kickforcures.com.
We need your help!
We're ready to change the world. Are you?
Nationals 2012
Losing Not an Option for ISKC
Take one part karate expertise to one part of the best instruction available, add in hours of hard work, sprinkle over a bed of unrivaled athleticism and what do you get? Illinois Shotokan Karate Clubs (ISKC), the biggest and most decorated karate school in the country.
ISKC's students literally packed their punches and took their skills on the road to the 2012 USA National Karate Championships from July 10th - 15th. With athletes pouring in from sea to shining sea to stake their claim on a prestigious title or claim their spot on the Junior and Senior USA Team Trials for a chance to represent the U.S. on an international stage, the National Championships present the highest level of karate competition in America.
As evidenced by the fact that a record-setting number of medals (149!) were earned at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, ISKC is better than ever! Our club blew out of the water and many of its members, Alexander Diana, Eric Krol, Jason Krol, Madison Malone, Juan Oshiro, Alyssa Parma, Ethan Pearson, Gianna Pelzer, Erica Simmerman, Carly Swanson and Michael Watts, are coming home with multiple gold Medals! Don't miss a moment of their performance- check out our website for video coverage of every event. Click here for a full list of all the ISKC competitors and their results.
ISKC congratulates its students and coaches on a stellar performance and looks forward to showing the world what we're made of at the Junior Pan-American Championships in Cancun.
Remember: it's never the size of an athlete in a fight, it's the size of the fight in an athlete.
ISKC Shines at Shotokan World Championships
September 17th and 18th marked yet another victorious weekend for the Illinois Shotokan Karate Clubs (ISKC) at the 21st Shotokan Karate World Championships. Sponsored by the Illinois Shotokan Booster and the American Shotokan Karate Association, the 2011 Championships were held at Palatine's own Harper College. It was here that the United States Team won an astounding 14 medals!
The Shotokan Karate World Championships is a globally prestigious tournament held every two years since its inception in 1990. The Championship is largely celebrated for its supreme display of the art of karate by means of incorporating events highlighting athletes from all walks of life. Whether testing their bond as a team or challenging oneself as an individual, the level of sheer talent this year motivated contestants to settle for nothing less than greatness. Among ISKC's many triumphs, for example, was the Junior Men's Team, who swept the competition and won first place.
To say the least, competition at the Championships was incredibly stiff. The energy present at Harper College's campus was indescribably alive, buzzing with the ambitions of approximately 186 avid competitors hailing from 17 countries. The participants' talent and dedication literally awed the crowd whilst inspiring a whole new generation of athletes to push themselves toward future excellence.
By allowing students to discover their own personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as driving them to work that much harder, competing in the Championships is an accomplishment in and of itself. Rest assured, those long hours of patient practice paid off in dividends!
A record number of ISKC's finest excelled at the Championships. As stated by Sensei Straza, "The ISKC instructors provide a lot of teaching and opportunities for competition and karate development, and the students continue to put forth their best effort both in class and in training." Whether partaking in kata or kumite events, every single one of our students did us proud, displaying the utmost in good sportsmanship and performing beautifully.
Further demonstratiNG ISKC's continued commitment to excellence, several students went home with medals. Congratulations to Angela Wong, Michael Watts, Earl Osoteo, and Cheryl Murphy on earning a gold medal. Other medal winners are Allison Mack, Shannon Masterson, Emily Morgan, Marina Klipinitser, Tiger Kaufman, Lisa Swanson, Connor Noda, Ryan Senatore, Andrew Ragona, Alysa Berenson, Jenna Weber, Carlos Sanchez, William Gatch, Juan Oshiro, and Julio Egoavil.
Considering the success of so many ISKC students, it comes as little surprise that our instructors fared equally well. Per Sensei Straza, "The instructors are full-time karate-ka and devote their lives to training not only in the art, but in their particular specialty within the sport as well." With that in mind, let's take our hats off to Sensei Egoavil, Oshiro and Sanchez!
ISKC, if you want to see Karate in the 2020 Olympics, you've got to act now. Click here to vote for our sport's future. Share the link, tell everyone you know -help us get the word out!!! The only way we can realize our dream is TOGETHER.
To say the least, competition at the Championships was incredibly stiff. The energy present at Harper College's campus was indescribably alive, buzzing with the ambitions of approximately 186 avid competitors hailing from 17 countries. The participants' talent and dedication literally awed the crowd whilst inspiring a whole new generation of athletes to push themselves toward future excellence.
Further demonstratiNG ISKC's continued commitment to excellence, several students went home with medals. Congratulations to Angela Wong, Michael Watts, Earl Osoteo, and Cheryl Murphy on earning a gold medal. Other medal winners are Allison Mack, Shannon Masterson, Emily Morgan, Marina Klipinitser, Tiger Kaufman, Lisa Swanson, Connor Noda, Ryan Senatore, Andrew Ragona, Alysa Berenson, Jenna Weber, Carlos Sanchez, William Gatch, Juan Oshiro, and Julio Egoavil.
Considering the success of so many ISKC students, it comes as little surprise that our instructors fared equally well. Per Sensei Straza, "The instructors are full-time karate-ka and devote their lives to training not only in the art, but in their particular specialty within the sport as well." With that in mind, let's take our hats off to Sensei Egoavil, Oshiro and Sanchez!
