Warriors win championship at karate nationals

Despite the fierce levels of national competition, Elite Team Wright of Bayonne, also members of the U.S. National Martial Arts Team Alliance, were victorious at the 2012 Atlantic City Fight for Cancer National Karate Championship. The tournament was held at Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Promoter and director was Grand Master D.A. Giacobbe.
Team Wright includes athletes from Bayonne, Jersey City, and Irvington and faced competitors from New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, California, Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Team Wright outkicked, out-punched, and out-shouted their formidable opponents to bring back the grand championship.
International star Kenneth Jackson Jr., a 2010 World International Grand Champion for Team USA, won the 15- and 16-year-old Black Belt Division. He fought other first place champions in the 14- to 17-year old Black Belt division for the Grand Championship Title. Jackson continues to bring home gold medals to keep Team Wright ranked high at the nationals.
The newest Rising Star results are as follows: Kenneth Jackson Jr., black belt, team captain, grand champion in the Black Belt Sparring Division, placed second in forms, placed third in weapons; Chief Coach Donald Price, brown/black belt, placed first in sparring, placed second in forms; Joseph Bizzaroque, brown/black belt, placed first in sparring, placed first in forms, qualified for black belt; Jonathan Peluyena, brown/black belt, placed first in sparring, placed first in forms, placed second in breaking; Justin Gomez, brown/black belt, placed second in sparring, qualified for black belt, won Sporstmanship Award; Rachel Roman, green belt, placed third in sparring; Jacquin Oliver, green belt, placed second in sparring; Andre Padin, MMA coach, National MMA Grappling Champion, placed first in sparring, won Novice Adult Division 18-34 years old as a Naga Competitor; Rahul Singh, orange belt, placed first in sparring, placed first in forms; Jamal Bernard, orange belt, placed third in sparring.
All students are trained directly by Grand Master Austin Wright, Team USA’s World International Champion and 2012 N.J. State Alliance Director. For more information, visit bayonnemma.com or uwa-martialarts.com.