Annual Pennsylvania Karate Championships set to test the best Saturday

Saturday’s 48th annual Pennsylvania Karate Championships are going back to where it all began.

The Quality Inn in New Kensington, formerly the Clarion Inn, will provide the setting for the event, and co-organizer Master Frank Caliguri from Caliguri’s Academy of Martial Arts in Lower Burrell said this year’s event will be as big and as competitive as always.

A large group of competitors from throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley, Pittsburgh region, Pennsylvania and all over the United States again will compete for top honors.

Covid prevented event organizers from holding the championships last year, so Caliguri and others are excited for its return.

Valley High School had hosted the event for several years, including the most recent one in 2019.

“There are people coming in from all over and they are ready because they have been antsy for competition,” Caliguri said. “The Quality Inn hotel sold all of their rooms, which shows just how well this will be attended. It is shaping up to again be a really good event.”

The open-tournament format each year features representatives from a number of karate styles, including karate, kung fu and taekwondo.

Contestants of all ages, from 5 and younger to the seniors divisions, with those 50 and older, will be in action in several styles and forms.

The championships kick off at about 11 a.m. with eliminations in weapons and self-defense divisions and will lead into the empty-hand forms and all other under-belt forms.

A special part of the event will feature the Grandmaster and Masters Kata weapons and sparring.

Sparring and black belts in the afternoon, Caliguri said, are expected to bring added excitement to the festivities.

Seven Grand Champion trophies will be awarded in both children and adult divisions.

“A lot of students from our school will be competing, and they are looking forward to facing all of the good competition coming in so they can test their skills,” Caliguri said“That’s the thing everyone is looking for. They want the chance to test their abilities in a competitive setting, and I know that’s what we will have (Saturday).”

The Pennsylvania Karate Ratings Association (PKRA) Top 10 competitors, along with the state champions, will be awarded and celebrated. These honorees are the accumulative point winners for the year in the state of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Karate Championships, which began in 1972, is the second-oldest tournament of its type in the country.

Tickets are available at the door.

For more information on Saturday’s event, call Frank, Nancy or Kelli Caliguri at 724-335-9300, email mastercaliguri@aol.com or visit academyofmartialarts.org.