Westfield Karate Kids Earn National Championship Titles

Three local Westfield students and one from Cranford were honored for their recent achievements in excellence in martial arts -- earning National Championship and World Top Ten titles.

These karate kids, ranging in age from 10 to 16, were recognized as the best in the country in their age divisions and belt levels by the largest and most prestigious martial arts association, the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA) at an award ceremony held in Chicago on Jan. 15. The students below all attend Karate N Motion in Westfield.

Pictured (from left to right) receiving their awards are:

·Sean Canavan, 12, a 7th grader at Edison Intermediate School in Westfield, was named National Champion in nine NASKA categories -- including Creative, Musical and Traditional Kata (forms), Creative, Musical and Traditional Weapons, as well as Kumite (sparring) -- ranking #1 in the country in the intermediate/purple belt level for his age group. During 2014, Sean, who will now compete as a brown belt, traveled nationally and internationally competing in karate tournaments in locations such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Orlando and Quebec. This is Sean’s second consecutive year being named a NASKA National Champion.

Jonah Plawker, 10, a 5th grader at Franklin Elementary in Westfield, was named National Champion in the intermediate level in two categories: Kumite (sparring) and Creative Kata (forms). “It is awesome being a sparring champion in the same year as my sister, Julia,” said Jonah, who also ranked nationally among the Top Ten in Traditional Kata and Traditional Weapons. In the 2015 season, he will compete as a purple belt and looks forward to meeting more great kids from around the country.

Maia DiDomenico, 16, an 11th grader at Cranford High School earned a World Top Ten title for placing second in the Traditional Kata category, and earned placed third in five other categories, including Extreme Weapons and Kata, and Musical Weapons and Kata categories. Maia is a 3rd degree black belt and a part-time sensei instructor at Karate N Motion in Westfield.

Julia Plawker, 13, an 8th grader at Roosevelt Intermediate School, earned five National Champion NASKA titles -- including Kumite (sparring), Creative and Traditional Kata (forms), and Creative and Traditional Weapons -- ranking #1 in the country in the intermediate/purple belt level for her age group. This year, Julia ranked nationally in the 12/13 year old intermediate belt level in both the NASKA and the Karate Rating Association New England (KRANE) circuits. She will compete as a brown belt in 2015.

Not pictured, but also earning awards for their 2014 martial arts accomplishments are:

Maddy Covington, 13, an 8th grader at Roosevelt Intermediate School, ranked #1 in the country in three KRANE categories – including Traditional Kata, Traditional Weapons, and Creative Kata. Maddy also placed in NASKA’s National Top Ten finalists in Traditional Kata, Creative Kata, Extreme Kata, Traditional Weapons and Creative Weapons.

Joe Retinger, 11, a 6th at Roosevelt Intermediate School, received National Top Ten honors from NASKA in five categories: Creative and Traditional Kata (forms), Creative and Traditional Weapons, and Kumite (sparring). Joe was last year’s NASKA National Champion in the 10-11 year old, beginner-level in Kumite (sparring) and Traditional Forms.

Nicole Kenny, 12, a 7th grader at Park Middle School, received a National Top Ten honor from NASKA in Kumite (sparring) , Creative and Traditional Kata(forms), as well as Creative and Traditional Weapons in the intermediate/purple belt level for her age group.

For more information, email karatenmotion@aol.com.

Information and photo courtesy of Donna Canavan

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