Community Spotlight
Source: Orangeville Banner
By: Joshua Santos
Photo Credit: Art of 8 Martial Arts
Three martial arts students from Orangeville are celebrating after winning medals from a national championship this month.
Oshiya Newby Morgan, a student at Art of 8 Martial Arts Academy in Orangeville, won a gold medal at the WAKO Canadian National Championships from June 3 to 5 in Niagara Falls at the Scotiabank Convention Centre.
“It was fun,” said Newby Morgan. “It was a bit challenging because it was for a big title. It was something I had to put my mind to, and it was something to strive for, to win.”
To prepare for the competition mentally, Newby Morgan listens to music, sleeps, eats, and drinks a lot of water. Physically, she participates in drills and practices techniques before going on stage.
Five athletes from the academy travelled to the competition. Newby Morgan’s classmates, Jai-Kristoëff Jones received a silver medal and Gabriel Goe obtained a bronze medal. The three medallists are now eligible to be part of the 2023 WAKO Canadian Junior Team.
“It was really good high-level competition, as it is expected because this is one of the largest national competitions in a while since COVID,” said Martello Jones, owner of Art of 8. “Athletes came from as far as Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, British Columbia and across the country.”
Newby Morgan said her instructors helped prepared her mentally. She has been attending the academy for about two years now.
“They encouraged me to do better and pushed me to my limits,” said Newby Morgan.
She finds she is now stronger than before and her motor skills are better.
Newby Morgan and Kristoëff Jones competed in the K1 division of punches to the body and head, kicks to the legs and knees to the body. Goe was in the low kick category of punches to the body and head and kicks to the legs.
"We focus on their cardiovascular fitness as well as strength and functional fitness to develop their speed and power," said Martello. "We do a lot of physiological training, to help all the athletes understand the psychology of what is required to be in the ring and build communication strategies with coaches and athletes as they perform.”
Newby Morgan is the first national K1 kickboxing champion from Dufferin County, while Jones has qualified to represent Team Canada at the WBC World Youth Games in Calgary from Aug. 12 to 14.
Jaxen Wildman gained invaluable experience competing on the national stage at eight years old. Robert Caswell performed well and won his first tournament bout by a technical knockout. He, however, received a devastating low blow in his second fight, preventing him from continuing his quest for gold.
A team of four will travel to Iowa, USA to compete in the TBA-SA Classic World Championships. They will compete under Muay Thai rules with punches, elbows, knees and kicks.
There are also a few non-tournament bouts coming in July and August with a mix of both adult and youth athletes competing.
The academy is the first Dufferin County martial arts school to field a team in the highly competitive K1 and low kick divisions at the national level.
