Shrewsbury Youths Medal at USA Open Karate Championship

From Mass Dojo: The Massdojo National Karate team attended the most exclusive international karate event in the United States. The United States Olympic Committee was there over seeing the event. The event is held every Easter weekend in the Paris Hotel.

The event attracts many international athletes from all continents. There is an array of team jackets and flags from countries like Australia, England, Brazil and even more obscure countries that have you scratching your head "where is that on the world map". In addition to the strong world attendance, you can see USA dojos from all over the country including Alaska and Hawaii.

The Massdojo team headed by Sensei Eric Rossini had a very successful year at the event.

Junior International Cup (Friday 4/14)

• Matt Anderson (age 11) Gold in intermediate kumite (Shrewsbury)
• Victor Mujat (age 15) Silver in advanced kumite (Acton)
• Arun Loganathan (age 12) bronze in advanced kata (Shrewsbury)
• Arun Loganathan (age 12) bronze in advanced kumite (Shrewsbury)

USA OPEN (Saturday 4/15)

• Matt Anderson (age 11) Bronze in team kumite (Shrewsbury)
• Arun Loganathan (age 12) bronze in advanced kata (Shrewsbury)

USA OPEN (Sunday 416)

• Matt Anderson (age 11) Bronze in advanced kumite (Shrewsbury)
• Victor Mujat (age 15) Bronze in advanced kumite (Acton)
• Anushree Ivengar (age 16) Bronze in advanced kumite (Boylson)

Also participating were Carter Hopping and Athreya Ramesh. Both had a strong showing but were not able to medal.

The Team secured 9 medals over the 3 day competition, and Matt Anderson's 3 medal accomplishment in kumite was the most for the team. Matt obtained a medal in every sparring (kumite) event he participated in. Matt's father Brian made a last minute decision to book the trip the day before, and good thing he did.

Matt's flying double rear handed punch in the featured photo became an instantaneous sensation in social media, and the image while blurry is an excellent representation of Matt's abilities. Matt is also able to hold his leg straight up in the air pointing directly above him.

Matt's sensei Rossini decided before the event began to put Matt into intermediate division on Friday, and the advanced division on Sunday for the kumite (sparring events). Matt is a recent recipient of his purple belt.

Matt's win Friday was against mostly brown belts and more impressive was his bronze medal against mostly black belts on Sunday. Technically, Matt would still be eligible for the Novice division given his belt and experience, but he stepped it up one level on Friday and two levels on Sunday. (His teammate Arun also went up to the advanced level, and he was also just recently earned his brown belt. He tied Matt's medal accomplishment with 3 overall)

Matt's dad went around and told the other athletes in his division that he was a purple belt, and the young boy's jaws dropped. Coaches from around the nation are coining him "Superboy" and predict big things for him down the road.

Massdojo based out of Westborough Massachusetts is no stranger to success on the national and international stage. It has produced over 50 unique national champions, and almost 500 national and international medals since engaging in the competition in 2008 with junior and senior athletes. Last year, Victoria Princi of Westford, MA traveled to Ecuador and got a bronze medal in the 2016 Pan American Games representing TEAM USA.

Massdojo is Massachusetts leading karate dojo in the Olympic karate development, and the sport will be in the Olympic games for the first time in 2020 (Tokyo). Sensei Eric Rossini is hopeful that one day he will have an olympic athlete from the great state of Massachusetts.

Image via Pixabay