Ja return to US Martial Arts Open

JAMAICAN martial artists make a grand return to the International Sports Karate Association (ISKA) United States Open this week with a a 53-strong contingent, marking the island’s first appearance at the world’s biggest martial arts tournament since 2019.

The 2023 ISKA US Open, which started yesterday, will host more than 4,000 athletes at the Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida, culminating in Saturday’s ESPN-televised Night of Champions.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaica dominated the event. In 2019, Jamaica took home 54 medals - bagging 19 gold, 15 silver, and 20 bronze - capped by combined martial arts team captain Ackeem Lawrence landing his second Night of Champions victory with a 2-1 win against Argentina’s Axel Vargas in the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championship bout.

Jamaica will again use its tried and proven formula of using multiple world champions such as Akino Lindsay and Nicholas Dusard to lead their charge along with juniors from various martial arts schools, who competed in a selection tournament earlier this year.

Purity Sharpe of St Catherine High School and from Shai Tai Kickboxing is among the outstanding juniors and is expected to strike gold on her first campaign for the combined team sponsored by McKay Security.

Jason McKay leads the delegation, doubling as coach alongside masters Claude Chin, Arthur Barrows, and Trevor Webb in addition to Shiaah Shukura and Victor Townsend.

Participating schools: Shi Tai Kickboxing, Red Dragon Taekwon-Do Centre, Jamaica Taekwondo Academy, Ultimate Taekwon-do Group of Schools, Ellis School of Martial Arts, and Jamaica Taekwon-Do Centre.