Big step up for Kirby

By DANIEL MARKHAM - Western Leader

Karate kid Kirby Wotherspoon has already made her mark down under.

Now she is looking to take on the rest of the world.

The 15-year-old won gold at last year’s Oceania champs and is hoping for similar success at the world juniors in Morocco next week.

She has never been to an event including so many countries before and admits to being a bit nervous.

Kirby realises another gold medal is unlikely to be on the cards but is not heading to North Africa to make up the numbers.

"I want to make sure I get through my first round and just do as well as I can," she says. "It would be good to win but I’m going from competing against seven countries in the Oceanias to the whole world. It’s quite a big step up."

Taking to the mat in Morocco will be the culmination of a long-held dream.

"I’ve always wanted to go to the world champs because that’s the next step from Oceanias – there’s nothing in between. But I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get there because of the money and everything."

Father Dave will accompany her on the trip and plans to document every move his daughter makes during the competition.

"He wants to film
everything so he can show mum when we get back," Kirby says.

The Titirangi resident has never been so far afield and says the exotic location of the event has caused quite a stir amongst her peers at Lynfield College.

"No one seems to know where it is when I mention where I’m going. It should be exciting," she says.

The Oceania champs were her last taste of international action and took place much closer to home on Auckland’s North Shore.

She made good use of hometown advantage by winning gold in the stylised movement category of kata and picking up three silvers.

Two of the second placings came in team events for kata and kumite while the other arrived in the individual kumite category.

Kumite means "meeting of hands" and differs from kata in that the competitors are in direct combat with each other.

The fighters are not supposed to hit each other with full force but Kirby says the odd blow does slip through.

"You can’t hit someone in the head but you are allowed a bit of contact to the body. You still have to show control though. If you’re fighting someone with good control you won’t get hit but sometimes it does happen accidently. I’ve been hit in the face a few times but you just get used to it. You have a mouthguard so it’s not too bad."

Kirby, who trains in the Glen Eden Intermediate gym with the Jyoshinmon Shorin-Ryu club, prefers taking part in kata because she feels it gives her more control over the result.

"I know what I’m doing and the opponent can’t really affect you. But in kumite the opponent can change the way you fight."

Karate isn’t the only sport the energetic teen excels in.

She is also an accomplished tennis player and juggles her time on the mat with weekly sessions at the Royal Oak Tennis Club.

"I’m not playing as well as I used to because I’m only training once a week for tennis at the moment. But it’s still going well and I still enjoy it."

She may have to make a tough decision in the coming years. Tennis in this country offers a more promising career path than karate but it would be a shame to give away a sport she is showing such a natural talent for.

"People have said I’ll have to stop doing one to concentrate on the other but I’m not sure," she says.

"I’m happy doing both at the moment and it seems to be working fine."