Karate Center of Walla Walla sends six to National tournament, one to World tournament

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Karate athletes in Walla Walla are on the road to nationals, and right after that, the world tournament. The 2024 AAU Karate Nationals start on July 2.

“It’s a new experience for the littles, for everyone for the first time there, but it's a big event. There's hundreds of competitors, there’s I think 12 rings. It's a good experience for them and it's a national title,” said Sensei Michelle Vineyard-Saager. This is not the first time the Karate Center of Walla Walla has sent athletes to national tournaments. “They usually do really well.”

Six students with the Karate Center of Walla Walla from 7 to 12 years old are going to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the tournament.

“They're all very talented. They worked really hard for this,” said Kamdean Saager, the oldest of the bunch, at 12 years old, and the student who is taking on the WUKF World Tournament mid-July.

I spoke with all of the athletes about what they’re most excited for, at nationals.

“Competing against other competitors that are from other nations,” said Lennon Byma, 7.

“I’m, like, really good at sparring. I get, like, first place all the time in sparring, but I don't think I'm gonna get first place, but that's okay because we're going to Disney World there,” said Jaxx Alfaro, 7.

“I'm really excited, but I'm also super nervous, because it's my first time going and I don't really know what to expect,” said Vivian Haladay, 9. “I know that a lot of us win a lot.”

“I'm pretty excited but I'm also a bit nervous,” said Daniel Skarbek, 8. “Because I really never been to such a big tournament before.”

I asked Emmett Buchanan, 8, how excited he was for the national convention as well.

“Very excited,” Buchanan said.

Worlds starts right after nationals, from July 12 to 15 in Monterrey, Mexico. Kamdean Saager is the Walla Walla local who’s competing in the tournament. He said he qualified for the tournament in Vegas.

“There was, I think, three hundred people there, and there's one tiny room, so it was difficult. But it was fun,” said Saager. “I was the youngest selected.”

Sensei Michelle Vineyard-Saager said her son, Kamdean, is looking forward to a good competition.

“He's really looking forward to representing the U.S. and putting Walla Walla on the map,” said Vineyard-Saager.

Apple Valley News Now covered the story last year, when four athletes from Walla Walla went to Scotland to compete in the 2023 WUKF World Tournament .

“Scotland was awesome. It was surprisingly cold,” explained Kamdean Saager. “It was like 60-degree weather, and we were in Florida before, so I had all shorts and everything; went to Scotland, it was cold.”

While it’s not Kamdean’s first time on the world-stage, that doesn’t stop the nerves.

“It's a little nerve-wracking, because, like, not a lot of people that I know will be there. So, it's gonna be like a whole new experience,” said Saager.

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