Alexandra Shotokan Karate’s medal and trophy haul from the national champs last weekend was its most impressive yet.

The club has also grown in recent years from 30 members to now a strong 60 plus, led by Sensei Bruce Potter - who has a team of nine black belts included in the mix.

Bruce spends 10 hours a week training the squad, with a separate break out room with punch bags and weights now added onto its dojo in downtown Alexandra.

The Counties Shotokan Karate Association (CSKA) holds the nationals in Pukekohe every year, and hosted 300 competitors last weekend, including from the Alexandra and Hokitika clubs.

Kodi Knights won gold in both kata and kumite in the Intermediate Men’s Brown Belt; Curtis Melton won gold in the Junior kumite Brown Belt, and Sharon Ferreira won the Open Women’s Brown Belt kata.

Nia Du Plessis and Kodi Knights in action

Nia Du Plessis won silver in the Open Women’s Brown Belt kata, and Petri Conradie also came second in the Men’s Open Black Belt kumite.

Bruce, along with Jake Miller and Kman McEvoy, also competed in the Men’s Open Black Belt kumite, which had a strong line up of 25 competitors. Kman made the quarter finals.

“We didn’t want to just go, we went there to compete and win,” Bruce said. “The results show that people were ready.”

Sharon Ferreira and Nia Du Plessis practise their kicks

This was Nia’s first time at a national champs and she said she got a shock when she saw how many people were involved.

Sharon said her win was “unexpected” but she had been training hard, in between mothering and holding down a busy full-time job.

Curtis had some preparation after the South Island champs in Hokitika last year, and said he just got into the ‘zone.’

Kodi Knights lands a punch on Curtis Melton

This was also Kodi’s first nationals, and he admitted to being terrified right to the last minute, but managed to claw his way back from 2-0 down in the kumite, to nail the gold.

Alexandra Shotokan Karate will be hosting the 2022 South Island championships for the first time on October 29, at the Stadium Tavern conference centre.