Park City International Tournament, 2004

Isshinryu Karate Do, Stamford Dojo, under the instruction of Sensei Gagnon, took a number of important trophies in the Park City International Invitational Karate Tournament on Saturday, July 17^th, at the Cardinal Sheehan Hall.  During this all-day tournament Gagnon’s club took prizes in most of their competitions and in some cases took the highest trophies.  In the low belt division of kumite, Jeff St. Jean earned the 4^th place medal while Rita Darnall took 1^st place.  In low belt kata, Jeff St. Jean took 3^rd place and Rita Darnall once again won the 1^st place.  In the brown belt division, Jeffrey Vincent took a 1^st place in kata and another 1^st place in kumite.  In the black belt division, Craig Flaherty won 1^st place in kobudo in his division and John Anderson took 2^nd place, also in kobudo.  In kumite, Craig Flaherty (3^rd degree black belt) won 4^th place after fighting some of the best katateka (karate players) in the east coast clubs that attended.  As if not to be undone by his students, karate instructor Gagnon won 1^st place in his black belt kata division and then went on to win the Grand Championship in Forms in the Master’s division.  His performance was so outstanding that the judges awarded the only perfect set of 10’s for the day.  No one else got any 10’s in the entire competition.  One judge gave Gagnon a 10.3 and when asked why he replied, “he deserved it.  It was the best kata I’ve seen in a long time.”

REFEREE JOHN GAGNON

for the Under Black Belt Beginner Division.  Student, Kevin Lillis is on the right.  Also Student Marco Comaccho competed in this belt division as well.