Frank Caliguri has a lot on his mind with the Pittsburgh Karate Championships just a day away.
While there is so much to get done before Saturday’s annual event at the Quality Inn in New Kensington, he knows the preparations are in good hands.
“Everything is on track,” Caliguri said Wednesday evening. “Our team is pretty experienced at what we do. Everybody has their thing. My wife, Nancy, and daughter, Kelli, and everyone have been working really hard. We’re all excited for a great day of competition.”
The phone, he said, has been ringing off the hook at Caliguri’s Academy of Martial Arts dojo in Lower Burrell with all things concerning the championships.
“It’s busy, but it’s coming together,” Caliguri said. “So many people give of their time to make this a success.”
The championships made a successful return in 2022 after a nearly decade-long hiatus as more than 300 competitors of all ages descended on the Quality Inn to compete and celebrate a plethora of martial art styles and practices.
The event was equally well attended in 2023 and last year. Caliguri expects more than 200 martial artists to take part, with many already registered and more coming to register Saturday morning.
Those who wish to register at the door Saturday to be in line for trophies and tournament points can do so starting at 9 a.m.
“We have a nice crew of 15 coming in from Ohio, and calls have been coming in from all over the place,” he said.
There will be competitors from all over the country including New York, Illinois, New Mexico, Indiana and West Virginia. They will join martial artists from all over Western Pennsylvania. Close to two dozen from Caliguri’s academy will compete.
“We have been doing a lot of promoting on Facebook, and have sent mailers — flyers, registration forms, tickets — to a lot of the schools so they can get their students registered in advance,” Frank Caliguri said.
Saturday’s event is a double-points rated tournament, one of the reasons, Caliguri said, it is so popular each year.
“It has a maximum 5-star rating with a national sanction from the United States Association of Martial Artists,” Caliguri said. “That is a national rating organization. That is why we draw from all over the place. People also come to get points for their national ratings.”
Caliguri said it again is an open tournament, so there will be representatives from many styles, including karate, kung fu, tae kwon-do and others.
The competitors will be from the youngest at age 5 and under to the senior divisions at age 50 and older.
The event will kick off at 10 a.m. with the masters and grandmasters kata and weapons.
“Everyone will get to see them in action first,” Caliguri said. “That is a great way to open the competition. Then we will branch off into the other divisions.”
Weapons and self-defense divisions will follow along with empty-hand forms and then all under-belt forms.
The action will progress to sparring, starting with the under-black belt divisions from approximately noon to 1 p.m. followed by the black belts starting at 2.
There will be eight grand champion trophies awarded in the youth and adult divisions.
All grand champions will be based on total points from kata, weapons, self-defense and sparring.
Murrysville’s Jose Rivera, who has dominated the master’s division for the past two decades, has retired and is not competing this year. Caliguri said the battle for his spot at the top will be competitive.
“He’s been the overall points champion from the Pennsylvania Karate Ratings Association in the master’s black belt division for some time,” Caliguri said.
“At all of the sanctioned tournaments throughout the year, winners get points recorded,” Caliguri said. “At the November state tournament, we put the top 10 together for state awards. Jose was the master’s state champion for 20 years. People on Saturday will be coming in looking to continue accumulating points to see who will take over that position.”
Spectators for Saturday’s championships will be able to purchase tickets at the door.
For more information on Saturday’s championships, contact Kelli Caliguri at kellicals@gmail.com or visit academyofmartialarts.org.
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“It should be a really nice day of competition with great performances expected,” Frank Caliguri said.