The International Sport Karate Association Western NSW Open Martial Arts Championships were held at the Bathurst Indoor Stadium, with over 300 participants and hundreds of students of all ages picking up medals.

Bathurst Pollet’s wasn’t the only Pollet’s school to participate at Sunday’s championships, with schools from Orange, Dubbo, Castle Hill and Newcastle entering the tournament.

Bathurst Pollet’s martial arts instructor Ian Pollett said he was immensely proud of his students and their achievements at the championships. 

“I’m very proud of them. Bathurst did well,” he said.

“The other Pollet’s like Orange and Dubbo and Newcastle and Castle Hill and Penrith and Parramatta did very well. We basically dominated everything. 

“We did very well in the light kick and koshiki. It was really good, I’m very proud of them.”

As well as the light kick and koshiki, competitors participated in other different karate and grappling divisions such as sumo, self defence, sparring, jujitsu and traditional and extreme weapons, to name a few. 

Some students are training up to four to five times a week, with Pollett saying it was really great to see so many of his students rewarded for their hard work in training. 

“It’s great. They’ve put a lot of effort into it. The kids put effort into their training, the parents bring them and watch the development of their children,” he said.

“A lot of the adults did very exceptional and a lot of them won more than just one medal.” 

The youngest competitor from Bathurst Pollet’s was just two and a half years old and Pollett said all the young students performed performed exceptionally well. 

“To do things in front of the audience is enough. A lot of them are very, very shy in what they are doing,” he said.

“So that was good point for them starting in competition.”

Pollet said students from all Pollet’s schools will work towards a competition in Liverpool, with students from across the Pollet’s schools to compete in American, Jamaican and Japanese tours across the year.

“A lot is happening this year. Our people always do very well in their competitions,” he said.

“In everything we do, it’s always a big year. The results [from Sunday] for Bathurst has been a wonderful way to start the year.” 

Bathurst Pollet’s has now been based at its new home on George Street since November, 2017 and Pollet said the students are loving it. 

“They feel like they’re in the Colosseum practicing – the beautiful building and the way the building looks now is just amazing,” he said.