Left: James Stahl, winner of the Men's Black Belt Kumite Championship
Right: Frank Almeida, 2nd place, with Keith Moore, New York; Marisol Campos, Santa Ana; Charles Habbib, New York; Sensei Hisahiro Uno, Japan
The Black Belt events, kata and kumite, are the top events in any karate
tournament. This year's kumite finals did not disappoint spectators. After round
after round of close matches and exciting performances, the final pitted James Stahl of Dana Point, CA against Frank Almeida of the Honbu Dojo. The match was tied at the end of regulation time and went into overtime, which was
won by Stahl with a gyaku-zuki.
19 year Old James Dahl describes himself as a "former skateboarder" who has lived in Dana Point all of his life. He started karate at the age of 5 with an Itosu-Kai instructor in Dana Point, and earned his red belt. He also holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. He now studies with George Schmok in the Tustin / Newport area. He hopes to go on to compete internationally. A first year student at Calvary Chapel Bible College, his Christian faith is the most important thing in his life.
