Ja Goju Jitsu-Ryu Federation has returned from the 2013 U.S. Capitol Classic and China Open in Washington, D.C. victorious. Sixteen students competed in this six-star NASKA martial arts tournament on Aug. 2 -3. Once again, the students competed in an outstanding and exemplary manner, competing in six categories:
• Traditional Forms
• Point Sparring
• Continuous Sparring
• Traditional Weapons
• Point MMA
• Grappling
With outstanding results
1st Place – 10
2nd Place – 5
3rd Place – 8
4th Place – 3
Finalist – 17
Medals – 2 (Grappling)
Ja Goju Jitsu-Ryu Federation returns from the 2013 U.S. Capitol Classic and China Open. It is especially proud of its beginner white belts who had to compete against advanced brown belts and did exceptionally well.
This is the 31st annual tournament hosted by Master Dennis Brown and is rated 6A/6 star by the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA). Competition was in both karate and kung-fu, and held on 31 rings for over 2000 competitors.
The team was given a private two-hour seminar in the style of Tien Shan Pai, a form of Tai Chi, by Grandmaster Willy Lin from China, who is also the instructor of Master Dennis Brown.
After the tournament, the members of the team toured the U.S. Capitol , Library of Congress, Smithsonian (Air and Space Museum, Museum of Natural History), The White House and Six Flags as the guests of Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen, who provided them with an intern from St. Croix, Sigourney Creighton.
On behalf of our students, parents and Grandmaster Louis A. Jackson, the federation gives a heartfelt thank you to its corporate community partners for their donation that aided 16 of the students to compete in the tournament.
Thanks go to the U.S.V.I. Department of Tourism and Housing, Parks and Recreation for its continued support of the youth of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Rotary Club of St. Thomas for sponsoring a student. Student Emmett Joseph was selected by Grandmaster Louis A. Jackson, based upon his outstanding performance at a previous tournament held on St. Croix, for his display of the Bushido of the art.
