Sport
1 April, 2021
Cole takes out wins in the Australian Karate Federation State Championships
TERANG Dojo’s Jill Cole put together strong performances throughout March in tournament karate, earning top placing in two competitions and receiving a nod for the Australian team.
TERANG Dojo’s Jill Cole put together strong performances throughout March in tournament karate, earning top placing in two competitions and receiving a nod for the Australian team.
Ms Cole earned the top spot at the Australian Karate Federation State Championships in the veterans’ Kata and the team Kata.
The following week she took out second place in the veteran women’s kata in the Shotokan Cup.
Ms Cole said she was excited with her string of performances.
“I’m very happy with the state championship win and I also qualified for the Australian team two weeks before that, which was very exciting,” she said.
“Fingers crossed there is no COVID-19 as that is in New Caledonia in September.
“If we cannot travel, it will carry over to next year, but fingers crossed.”
Ms Cole said her wins in the kata was not without difficulty after adapting to a different style.
“Kata is a set routine of punches, blocks, kicks and stances which are set, so you cannot vary to what is being taught to you,” she said.
“Our style didn’t have any of the kata which was listed for the competitions so I had to learn the new kata, which I learnt online.
“I got them perfected by getting in to the state team five years ago, and then fine turned all of the moves.”
Ms Cole will be busy in the coming months with her win at the Australian Karate Federation State Championships qualifying her for the nationals, which will be held in Melbourne in August.
Her second placing at the Shotokan Cup the following week also qualified her for the 2021 Australian Open, which will be held in Sydney in April.
Ms Cole thanked her instructors Peter Conroy and Wendy Delany for helping put together the kata.
“I also want to thank Sensei Frank in Warrnambool, who is the head of our style in Australia.”