The Washington, D.C. area will be hosting a full contact, knockdown-style Karate tournament. The 2006 Knockdown U.S. Capital Sabaki Challenge will take place Jan 28, 2006 at Marshall High School in Falls Church, VA (USA). The adult black belt divisions are no pads/no gloves full contact with points scored by knockdown. The junior kyu and youth divisions are also full-force contact but protective equipment is worn. All styles are welcome to enter.

The tournament is a regional version of the World Sabaki Challenge held every spring in Denver, Colorado. Kancho Joko Ninomiya, winner of the 1978 All-Japan Karate Championship (Kyokushin) and founder of Enshin Karate, should be in attendance as he was at last year’s event.

For more information, please check at: http://www.virginiakarate.com/ (http://www.virginiakarate.com/). Proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Sounds like a good old time tournament. It should be interesting. Wish the hell I could make it down there for it.
Please let us know how it goes and give us a good report on the event

Sure thing. Last year's event went really well and I'm looking forward to this one.

One final update for anyone who might be interested now that registration for the tournament is closed...
It looks like we'll have 15 competitors in the no pads/no gloves, full contact divisions, including two women fighters. Also, it looks like we'll have about 20 fighters in the adult "semi-contact" divisions. Finally, there's about 50 total competitors in the different youth divisions (from 5 years-old up to 16 years-old).
In addition to presiding over the tournament, Kancho Joko Ninomiya will be giving a Sabaki-method seminar on Sunday, 29 Jan, probably at the Vienna, VA dojo.

Frell, I missed this. I don't suppose it was open toi taekwondo....and I'm in the Dc area