Barrington dojo enjoys success at national karate championships
A recently opened Barrington dojo didn’t take long to find success at the national karate championships.
Led by sensei Brian Mertel, the garden Dojo, at 455 W. Northwest Hwy., Suite 3, took a contingent of seven athletes and two coaches to the USA Karate National Championships in Lafayette, Louisiana.
More than 1,300 athletes competed July 11-14. The Barrington contingent participated in divisions ranging from 8 years old to 18-34.
Xander Lewis secured the advanced kumite gold medal/national championship for 15-year-olds.
Kendall Hom and Lewis finished third in the 14-15-year-old advanced team kumite.
Avery Pagan placed third in the 16-17-year-old elite kumite, while Lorenzo Gonzalez finished fifth in the under-21 elite kumite, and Eoghan Conlon earned third place in the under-21 elite kumite and second place in the under-21 Pan Am Games kumite trials.
According to the Shotokan Karate Academy website, kumite is Japanese for “grappling hands,” and is one of the three main sections of karate training.
“I am incredibly proud of our dojo’s competitors for their hard work and commitment,” Mertel said. “They performed at a high level throughout the National Championships.”
“I felt that our dojo’s participants came to the competition with dedicated mindsets combined with extensive preparation that ultimately resulted in strong results for the team,” said Mertel, who credited his other dojo students for helping the contestants prepare.
He said he hopes to bring an even larger group to Fort Worth, Texas, for next year’s national championships.
The garden Dojo draws students from such suburbs as Barrington, Hoffman Estates, Lake Zurich, Gilberts, Pingree Grove, Oak Park, Woodstock, Round Lake, Naperville and Carol Stream. Students range in age from as young as 4 to older adults.
“The students and their families are drawn by the chance to participate in a physical activity that builds discipline, athleticism, self-defense skills, respect, and sportsmanship,” Mertel said.
The garden Dojo opened in January at the Barrington location. Mertel brings more than 20 years of experience teaching and coaching shotokan karate. Dojo students had their first belt tests in June. Since its opening, the dojo has added multiple national champion and junior Pan American champion Dorian Pajor to its coaching staff.
Mertel is himself a 10-time national champion in kumite and was a Team USA Olympic coach during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also serves on the coaches committee of the USA National Karate-Do Federation.
“What drives me today is teaching and helping students grow,” Mertel said. “For the students who dedicate time and effort to karate, they not only learn karate-specific skills, but they also learn skills such as commitment, discipline, and respect that are transferable to all aspects of their lives. And it’s a special opportunity for me to be part of that journey with my students.”