The 2019 Australian National WEKAF Championships will be hosted in Melbourne and will see Filipino Martial Arts practitioners from across Australia participate in events to qualify for the 2020 WEKAF World Championship.
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Sikaran Martial Arts Mount Isa will have four Eskrimadors in attendance after their multi-medal success at the 2018 WEKAF World Titles.
Father and sons, Chris, Patrick and Thomas Roche are travelling to Melbourne this week where they will meet up with fourth team member, and World Champion, Zane Street.
The tournament will feature women, men and children as young as five in several categories: single and double stick sparring, knife sparring, minimal armour stick sparring (Kulata) and Sayaw, (solo weapons skills demonstration).
Zane, Patrick and Chris will be competing in single and double stick, single and double Kulata aswell as knife sparring, whilst Thomas will be demonstrating his skills in Sayaw and knife in his first tournament.
"We are looking forward to the tournament, catching up with the other members of WEKAF family and fighting for our places on the Australian team for the 2020 Worlds in the Philippines," said Chris Roche.
"Zane left Mount Isa just after we competed at the 2018 World Titles to join the Navy and he is now based in Melbourne. It will be good to get the team back together to represent Mount Isa".
Eskrima is the national martial art of the Philippines and is steadily growing in popularity in Australia.
"It is really fast and that is what I love about it," said Patrick Roche.
"We have three one minute rounds with a 30 second break in between. If there is a tie we have an extra round."
The Tournament will be held on Saturday July 6 and is hosted by All-Active Martial Arts in Epping and is being held at the Epping YMCA.
Martial Arts practitioners from all over Australia will be attending to compete for their place on the Australian Team.
Sikaran Martial Arts was established in Mount Isa in 1973 and offers training in Sikaran Karate and Eskrima.
New members are always welcome and they can be contacted via their Facebook page Sikaran Martial Arts Mount Isa if you would like to come and try a couple of complimentary lessons.
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