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Raleigh

Wesley Chapel dojo heads to karate nationals

June 27, 2018 By Kevin Weiss

The 2018 AAU/USA Karate National Championships kick off this week in Fort Lauderdale — and one local dojo will be well-represented.

Wesley Chapel’s Keiko Shin Karate Academy (KSKA) is sending 22 athletes, ranging in ages 6 to 18, to square up against more than 3,000 elite, top karate competitors from the United States and beyond.

The event runs from June 27 to June 30 at the Broward County Convention Center and draws competitors from all across the U.S., as well as from Israel, Poland, Russia and South America.

Keiko Shin Karate Academy (KSKA), in Wesley Chapel, is sending 22 athletes ages 6 to 18, to the 2018 AAU/USA Karate National Championships, where they’ll square up against more than 3,000 elite, top karate competitors from the United States and beyond. The event, held at the Broward Convention Center, runs from June 27 to June 30.
(Les Borowski)

The academy, located at 3753 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., is no stranger to the national stage.

In 2015, KSKA took 20 students to the AAU nationals in Raleigh, North Carolina, and returned with 34 medals, including 22 gold medals.

The next year, the team claimed 17 medals at nationals.

Under the instruction and guidance of their sensei, Ernesto Fuentes, this year’s group has undergone rigorous preparation, enduring various types of cross-training, cardio, yoga and intense hours of traditional Shotokan karate, fine-tuning speed, agility, reaction times and more.

Since the beginning of summer, training has consisted of many 10-hour days, often from 10 am. to 8 p.m.

Alongside the fitness and technical components, Fuentes has coached his students on motivational techniques, to help them maximize their potential.

“I don’t believe that we have another academy, at least not in the state of Florida, that’s training so many hours,” said Fuentes, an International 5th Dan Karate Instructor who’s been teaching the sport since 1983. “We believe the training is going to pay off.”

Destiny Walls, 18, is the oldest member of KSKA competing at the AAU/USA Karate National Championships. She credits traditional karate for turning her life around, physically, mentally and socially.
(Les Borowski)

Several KSKA athletes are making their return to AAU nationals, including 15-year-old Lauren Anderson and 18-year-old Destiny Walls.

In 2015, Anderson, then 12, won a gold medal in the Kumite (sparring) beginner division. The following year, she placed second in the Kata (form) novice division.

An advanced brown belt, she’s hoping for similar results.

Meantime, she’s excited to cheer on 21 of her peers.

“It’s really nice to watch everyone (succeed),” said Anderson, who attends Wiregrass Ranch High School. “I like to go and support as many people as possible.”

She also noted: “It’s really nice to see them excel, but it’s also nice to be there and to help them when they fall or don’t do as well.”

Anderson said nationals is “almost the same as other competitions, but it’s just bigger.

“It gets nerve-wracking,” she said, “(but) it makes you better, because you have more people (to compete against).”

Walls, meanwhile, earned a third-place finish in the Kata intermediate division at 2016 nationals.

A black belt, Walls is striving for gold this time around.

With thousands of other top athletes looking on, Walls said she expects to feel an adrenaline rush when it’s her turn to compete.

“You’re so nervous, but at the same time when you get at the mat, the nervousness goes away, and you’re ready to go,” Walls said.

Karate offers physical, social benefits
At KSKA and other dojos, karate is more than just a martial art sport — it’s a lifestyle.

Anderson credits it for boosting her confidence and self-esteem, as well as her composure.

“I used to be super sensitive, like certain things would get to me really easily, but now I’ve learned to take control of my emotions and stuff,” Anderson said.

The sport’s benefits also translate to the classroom, she said.

“It helps you with not only being physically active, but it also helps you mentally,” she added. “My grades weren’t very good before I came here, and now I have straight As, As and Bs.”

Karate also transformed Wall’s life, since she signed up more than eight years ago.

Wall said she was headed down the wrong path, getting into trouble and performing poorly in school — but karate gave her a positive outlet and a sense of belonging.

Over the years, she’s become an honor roll student and now has aspirations to become a nurse once she graduates from Cypress Creek Middle High School in 2019.

“I wasn’t really focused and my self-esteem had a lot to do with it. Since I started karate, it’s helped me,” Walls said.

“I’m able to talk to (people), which I used to never be able to do that. I’m able to go out and learn, and just keep going and not quit,” she said.

Fuentes said Walls has morphed from a shy, insecure girl into a leader — “being the person that she wanted to be and we all want to see in a child.”

Now, one of the dojo’s most experienced students, Walls assists Fuentes in the afterschool program as a youth instructor.

“I love now that I teach,” Walls said. “I love helping the little ones, being able to show them what family is and how to grow with each other.”

Fuentes, who has a master’s degree in child psychology, explained the sport’s structure, plus the discipline and dedication required to master it, aids in social and intellectual development.

Fuentes trains more than 200 students at KSKA and each must maintain at least a B average in school.

“Karate works a different aspect, different segments of their brain,” Fuentes said. “It’s proven that the kids that practice karate are immediately better students in school. In a fraction of a second, they need to be able to think and be in position.”

The sensei, too, incorporates a holistic approach in his karate teachings, encouraging students to believe in themselves, show compassion for others and avoid confrontation. Sportsmanship is emphasized, too.

“It’s not about self-defense, it’s about self-esteem,” he said.

“When you have self-esteem, you’re not going to let anybody mess with you, nobody bullies you, you’re OK if somebody looks at you weird; you have self-esteem, so you don’t care.”

Wesley Chapel-based Keiko Shin Karate Academy (KSKA) has more than 200 students, ranging from youth to adults. During the past several years, the dojo has had several strong showings at nationals, including in 2015, when they brought home 34 medals, including 22 gold medals.
(Les Borowski)

Parent Les Borowksi has witnessed the benefits karate has had on his two children, Nicholas, 12, and Olivia, 10 — both of whom will compete in AAU nationals.

Borowski said his children have become more attentive at school, more respectful to adults and peers, and generally more helpful toward others since they became involved in karate.

“This thing (karate) turns lives around,” Borowski said. “When I talk to other people who have kids, they think I’m some kind of marketing person (for karate).”

While he’s not paid to tout it, he is enthusiastic: “Just find a good quality, traditional martial arts school and go for it,” Borowski said.

For more information about Keiko Shin Karate Academy, call (813) 994-9253, or visit KeikoShin.com.

Athletes from Keiko Shin who qualified to represent Florida at 2018 AAU Karate National Championships.

Preston Achille

Lauren Anderson

Nicholas Borowski

Olivia Borowski

Travis Hamilton

Kristen Hooper

Wilson Irizarry

Ella Jannette

Kiernan Lauderdale

Jacobo Lopez

Camille Pamplona

Claire Pamplona

Jude Pamplona

Kathely Pamplona

Gian Jaydem Rios

Brady Rizzuto

Joshua Robinette

Carter Robinson

Destiny Walsh

Mackenzie Whitaker

Brandon White

Kaitlyn Wilson

Published June 27, 2018

 

Filed Under: Local Sports, Sports Tagged With: AAU, AAU/USA Karate National Championships, Broward County Convention Center, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Cypress Creek Middle High School, Destiny Walls, Ernesto Fuentes, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, International 5th Dan Karate Instructor, Israel, Kata, Keiko Shin Karate Academy, KSKA, Kumite, Lauren Anderson, Les Borowski, Nicholas Borowski, North Carolina, Olivia Borowski, Poland, Raleigh, Russia, South America, United States, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch High School

Tampa one of nation’s top cities for job seekers

March 7, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The job market is on the slow road to recovery, but living in the Tampa Bay area still has its advantages.

A new report from WalletHub lists Tampa as the third best metropolitan area in the country for job seekers, behind only Fort Worth, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

WalletHub, a company that provides insurance information and finances for business owners, analyzed 60 of the country’s largest cities using 13 metrics ranging from job openings per capita, cost of living, and the prevalence of employer-provided health benefits.

In fact, Tampa was one of only two cities that made the top 30 — Miami just came in at the final slot. Texas, on the other hand, dominated the list with seven cities, including five in the top 10. It was broken up only by Seattle, Denver and Mesa, Ariz.

Tampa, however, has a long way to go to become an elite city for job seekers. Despite finishing in the top three, Tampa did not make the top five when it came to fastest-growing workforce (Bakersfield, Calif.), and highest median starting salary (San Jose at $57,108).

The top cities for job seekers are:

1. Fort Worth, Texas
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Tampa
4. Arlington, Texas
5. Dallas
6. Austin, Texas
7. Seattle
8. Denver
9. Mesa, Ariz.
10. Houston
11. Raleigh, N.C.
12. Corpus Christi, Texas
13. Aurora, Colo.
14. Phoenix
15. San Jose

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Arizona, Arlington, Aurora, Austin, Bakersfield, California, Colorado, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Houston, Mesa, Miami, North Carolina, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa, Tampa Bay, Texas, WalletHub, Washington D.C.

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01/25/2021 – Fizzy bath bomb

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will offer an adult fizzy bath bomb craft, through curbside pickup only. The kit will include lavender Epsom salt, citric acid, a reusable mold, instructions and more. Pickup is from Jan. 25 through Jan. 30. Registration is required through the calendar feature on the library’s website, or by calling 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 01/25/2021 – Fizzy bath bomb

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The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present Virtual STEM Studio: Crystal Snowflakes on Jan. 26 at 4:30 p.m., for grades four to seven. Learn how to create your own crystals with just saltwater. Follow along with the video on the Regency Park Library’s Facebook page. No library card is needed. … [Read More...] about 01/26/2021 – Crystal snowflakes

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The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will present “Into the Interstellar Unknown” on Jan. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Natalia Guerreo will present the latest news from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Guerrero works at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research on the MIT-led NASA TESS Mission. The program is for teens and adults. Registration is through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 01/27/2021 – Into the Interstellar

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The Pasco County Library Cooperative will host “Stroke of Genius” on Jan. 27. This virtual craft includes an instructional slide show on how to draw Zentangles. View the post, available all day, on the South Holiday Library’s Facebook page. … [Read More...] about 01/27/2021 – Zentangles

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The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will host “One Book, One Night” on Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m., for teens and adults. Participants can start online as the beginning excerpt of the book “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, is read in English, Spanish and French. For information and to register, visit the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 01/29/2021 – One Book, One Night

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