Sport
19 July, 2026
Nine gold medals for local Dojo
WARRNAMBOOL’S Kyokushin Karate won nine gold medals at its home tournament earlier this month.
The inaugural Knights Refrigeration Warrnambool Open Border Challenge 2026 was hailed a huge success, attracting over 130 competitors from 20 dojos across Victoria and South Australia for an action-packed day of Kyokushin Karate at St Pius X School Hall in Warrnambool.
Hosted by the Warrnambool Kyokushin Karate Club, the tournament featured 100 competitors in the non-contact division and more than 20 competitors in the full contact division, with athletes ranging from four year-old beginners through to experienced black belts.
Congratulations to the following Warrnambool athletes who won gold:
Non-contact division - Asher Smith (mixed gender four and five years); Skylar Newbury (female seven years); Arlo Williamson (male seven years), Charlotte Jones (female eight years), Kaytie Williamson (female 9-10 years), Billy Page (male nine years, white belt-9th Kyu), Evie Hollands (female 13-14 years) and Jarrod Lowe (male adult 4th Kyu and above).
Full contact – Mat Wale (male unpadded super heavyweight).
The strong local results reflected the depth and quality of the Warrnambool Kyokushin Karate Club, with many other local competitors also achieving podium finishes throughout the tournament.
One of the defining features of the Open Border Challenge was its commitment to true Kyokushin Non-Contact competition.
Unlike many martial arts tournaments where non-contact still allows light contact, Kyokushin non-contact requires competitors to demonstrate precision, timing, distance and control while avoiding all physical contact.
Judges reward clean technique, effective movement and control, creating an exciting competition that develops technical excellence while providing a safe and supportive environment for developing martial artists.
The full contact divisions showcased the toughness and determination for which Kyokushin Karate is internationally renowned.
A standout moment of the full contact competition was the highly anticipated female unpadded lightweight one match between Sempai Lily Shields (Ocean Grove) and Sempai Breanna Price (Ballarat).
Both athletes proudly represented Australia at the 2025 6th IKO Matsushima World Weight Kyokushin Tournament in Japan, making their meeting in Warrnambool a contest worthy of a national stage.
After the two ‘one match’ rounds going to a draw (Hikiwake) a third fiercely contested round was held, with Sempai Breanna Price being awarded first place.
For spectators, it was an extraordinary opportunity to witness two Australian international representatives competing in Warrnambool.
Breanna’s victory capped off an unforgettable day, as she was also presented with her Shodan (1st Dan) black belt, recognising years of discipline, perseverance and commitment to Kyokushin Karate.
Joining Breanna in receiving their Shodan certificates were Tim Birchall and Cooper Harkins, marking a significant milestone in each of their martial arts journeys.
Achieving the rank of Shodan is regarded as one of the most significant milestones in a martial artist’s journey, recognising years of dedication, resilience, discipline and personal growth.
A crowd favourite was the traditional Kyokushin Tameshiwari (breaking) demonstration.
Demonstrating years of dedicated training and refined technique, practitioners successfully broke solid wooden boards with no spacers between them as well as stacks of roofing tiles.
The tournament was officiated by Hanshi Gary Viccars, 8th Dan, one of Australia’s most respected Kyokushin Karate instructors and chief referee for Matsushima Kyokushin worldwide.
His presence ensured the competition was conducted to the highest international standard.
Warrnambool Kyokushin Karate Dojo operator Sensei Natalie Jorgensen said the success of the inaugural event had exceeded expectations.
“The inaugural Warrnambool Open Border Challenge has firmly placed Warrnambool on the Kyokushin map,” she said.
“The standard of competition was outstanding, with exceptional full-contact bouts, many so evenly matched they required extension rounds.
“We were spoilt with the opportunity to watch two international representatives compete against one another.
“Spectators were also treated to an impressive tameshiwari (board breaking) demonstration, which captivated the martial arts community.”
Sense Jorgensen thanked the dojo’s volunteers for their efforts along with local businesses and sponsors, officials, referees, coaches and families who all helped make the tournament such a success.
Following the overwhelming success of this year’s tournament, planning is already underway for an even bigger Warrnambool Open Border Challenge 2028.
