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US NATIONAL TEAM PERFORMS AT
WORLDS!
With all the news we've sent out
regarding late October's TEAM USA trip to the WKA Worlds
in Spain, it's about time we got you the results and
outcome of the Team's trip and performance.
Held
at the breathtaking Barcelo Punta Beach Resort in the
fishing village of Punta Umbria, near Huelva, Spain, the
17th annual WKA Amateur World Championships was packed
with competitors and coaches from many countries
competing in divisions ranging from MMA and Thai Boxing
to Forms and Weapons. From October 27 to November 2,
competitors showed off their best skills against each
other while retaining a sense of comradeship and team
spirit.
From the United States, eleven competitors
from the Ring Sports division attended along with four
coaches and a cameraman. Thai competitors Steven Dang
(Evolve Academy, MD), Scott Sawade (Real Fighters, KY),
and Chris Kwiatkowski (Church Street Boxing
 Gym, NY)
joined female K-1 fighters Lindsay Scheer (Real
Fighters, KY), Aisha Thomas (Lloyd Irvin, MD), and
Lindsey MacMhaolain (Combat Sports Center, VA). This
year, WKA Worlds has added, with much encouragement by
WKA USA, MMA as a division for the first time. The US
Team brought a good showing of MMA fighters, among them
Chris Lujan (Evolve Academy, MD), Gary LaBreck (Shotokan
Academy, MA, and Evolve), Jeff Blachly (Lloyd Irvin,
MD), Michael Goodman (Combat Sports Center, VA), and
Eric Heegaard (Shidokan Atlanta, GA).
All US Ring
Sports fighters who had a match placed, bringing home
five golds, one silver, and three bronze medals. Of note
were Chris Lujan’s and Michael Goodman’s wins (earning
each a gold medal) in the MMA division in its first year
as a division at the WKA Worlds. Chris won his final
match by defeating Spanish fighter Manuel Yusta. Goodman
won his his final by standing guillotine (after a clean
clinch and knee that was later discovered to have broken
his opponent’s ribs) against a strong and game Canadian,
Stephane Dube. Lindsay Scheer won the gold by defeating
last year’s gold medalist, the much more experienced
Greek Maria Pantazi. Her teammate Scott Sawade lost by
close decision to a Croatian fighter in the
quarter-finals for his weight class. Chris Kwiatkowski
won all of his Thai Boxing matches,
 ending his division
in a final match against Iranian fighter Javad Jafari
with both a gold medal and a huge grin. Aisha Thomas
likewise made it to the finals and won the gold, her
aggression and busy technique in the ring overwhelming
her opponents. Steven Dang fought hard in the
quarter-finals and lost only by close decision to an
Iranian fighter. Eric Heegaard lost via submission to
tough Brazilian fighter Gustavo Sampaio in the finals,
earning the silver. Lindsey MacMhaolain lost in the
quarter-finals via TKO in the first round in her K-1
division to the power-packed body kicks and knees of
Swedish Jill
 Idh. Gary LaBreck and Jeff Blachly, both
game and ready to fight, were disappointed that their
opponents withdrew after seeing strong performances by
other US MMA fighters and left them without a match, but
both stayed on to help train and encourage their team”
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