The upcoming WKC World Championship martial arts tournament awaits six hard-working students from Revolution Martial Arts in Trenton, who are seeking sponsors and donors to help make the trip possible.
The annual martial arts competition, which will be held Oct. 8 to 13 in Killarney, Ireland, will challenge the six Downriver youth again competitors from around the world.
Students who qualified for the competition include: Ryder Adams, 11, of Rockwood; Owen Adkins, 16, of Trenton; Brett Akens, 15, and Trinity Akens, 20, of Woodhaven; Scout Higgins, 15, of Trenton; and Kaylee Marsh, 14, of Taylor.
Revolution Martial Arts Office Manager Danielle Tuite said their training has led up to an international competition like this.
“They had to win in two other tournaments to qualify for this tournament,” she said. “There is a regional qualifier that they had to qualify in first, and then they had to qualify at a national level, and then the top four at the national level are headed over to Ireland.”
She said the categories are delineated by age groupings and by ranks, with black belts, for example, being grouped together. Each will compete individually.
Tuite said their students do American Xtreme Martial Arts.
“It’s a little bit of a mixture of everything,” she said. “It’s got your traditional groups, but it’s got your extreme martial arts that you see more on television and in movies.”
Tuite said it is a blend of traditional discipline with creativity.
“They will do creative forms, where they have to make up their own form, usually between 30 seconds and a minute, to compete, and it has to be choreographed to music,” she said. “So, it really expands from the traditional forms up to creating an entire one-minute form with a weapon or not, choreographed to music.”
Dawn and Vito Angileri, the owners and head coaches, have sent students to international tournaments before.
Dawn Angileri said that during the first day of the tournament, the students will compete to see who will advance to the medal round, with the top four competitors in a given category advancing.
She said 15 countries will be represented this year.
Dawn Angileri said the students train almost every day, and it is challenging to reach this level.
Vito Angileri said they have been practicing since January to prepare for the international competition.
“You’ve got to have good discipline, you’ve got to make it in and have a good attitude,” he said. “Discipline, attitude and you’ve got to be hungry, too, and you can’t be scared of hard work and putting the hours in.”
Vito Angileri said the competition is fierce and competitive.
“We can show them what to do here, but it is up to them to take what we show them and move forward with it,” he said. “If they don’t, they are not really going to do well.”
Trinity Akens, the oldest team member, said martial arts has helped her become more confident, and she enjoys it and she wanted to know how to defend herself.
“A lot of the life skills that we learn here – like the word of the month right now is ‘perseverance’ – you use that outside of here, and it helps carry you a very long way through life,” she said.
Marsh said martial arts has also influenced her life in many ways, from how she holds herself to helping her overcome fear.
She said this will be her first world tournament, as well as her first time overseas. She said her martial arts friends are like family to her.
For Adams, the youngest team member, the others are also like family – like big brothers and sisters.
“I love it, I’ve been here for a while and all these people are my family,” he said. “I spend all my time here.”
Higgins said she also spends a lot of time at the studio.
“When we have classes six times a week, I’m here six times a week,” she said. “It hugely helps me in all areas of my life – with my mental health, and trying harder things in school – it’s a very encouraging community.”
Higgins said if she has a difficult day at school, Revolution Martial Arts is where she goes to let off steam and improve her mood.
She said her training will help improve her life in many ways.
“I already see how it helps, going into advanced classes – I am more prepared and I have the discipline to respect my teachers, and I think in the future, going into college and the workplace, those attributes are going to carry over and be very helpful,” Higgins said.
Brent Akens said he is excited about their upcoming trip.
“We are going to do able to support our country, and that just really is awesome,” he said.
Brent Akens said he appreciates the friendships he makes and the life skills he learns.
Adkins, who has been learning martial arts since he was six, said it makes him happy.
“It is my favorite thing to do, and I like the people here,” he said. “It is a really positive community.”
Adkins said it also helps a person stay in shape and learn self-defense.
Dawn Angileri said students are required to maintain their grades and be upstanding citizens.
“Random acts of kindness and all of those things go along with it,” she said.
Dawn Angileri said they are seeking corporate sponsors to help fund their students’ trip to the international competition, and they have a GoFundMe page set up, under gofundme.com/f/revolutionmartialartsmi.
The goal of $15,000 will help cover their overseas plane tickets, competition uniforms, competition fees, accommodations and other expenses.
For more information about Revolution Martial Arts in Trenton, call 734-675-7572, email them at downriverxtreme@gmail.com, or go to revolutionmartialartsmi.com.
