Jamaican martial arts athletes made a strong showing at the International Sports Karate Association’s U.S. Open World Martial Arts Championships in Orlando, Florida. The Jamaicans won an impressive total of 30 medals, which included 14 gold, eight silver, and eight bronze over the two days of the event. Gold medal winners in the continues sparring category were Jamaican Olympian Kenneth Edwards; Joshane Thompson, 18, of the High Potential Junior Combined Team Squad; and female fights Subrina Richards and Sheckema Cunningham. Other gold-medal winners from the High Potential squad included Tye McKary of Kingston Taekwon-Do and Tyrique Tai-Loy of First Zendo, both of Calabar High School. Other sparring gold medals were won by Security Jamaica Taekwon-Do High School League,while the karate schools of Rising Sun and Ningen students considerable skill in weapons, musical and creative forms. Khain Henry of Rising Sun won four golds in the five-year-old and under division: creative weapons, traditional weapons, creative forms and continuous sparring. Lee-Michael Henry won gold in creative weapons, and John Scott of Ningen won gold in musical weapons in the six-to-seven-year-old division

Photo Source: Jamaica Karate Club