Santa Clarita karate instructor Shannon Laurin earned the title of world champion at the International Koshiki Karate Federation World Koshiki Karate Championships held last month in Tokyo.
“Honestly, in the moment, it was really exciting, but also I felt like I had more, like I could do more,” Laurin said in a phone interview.
An instructor at Santa Clarita Karate, Laurin took gold in the 132-pound division. She said she won one fight by mercy rule, but otherwise, the competition was “the best of the best.”
“None of my fights were super easy. I did win one fight by mercy rule, but even then, it’s not like I could just breeze through,” Laurin said. “I had to really lock in and work hard. Some of my fights, by the end of the day, I was huffing and puffing because I really had to kind of give it my all.”
The competition also featured a team aspect, and Laurin’s strong finish helped Team USA to a silver medal.
“Team USA had a lot of students cheering for me, and I could hear them all screaming in the stands,” Laurin said. “So, it was pretty euphoric.”
Koshiki is an authentic Japanese universal full-contact competitive system with use of protective equipment, according to the IKKF website. There are currently more than 45 member countries.
Laurin said the main difference between koshiki and karate is that, in koshiki, points are not given until a full sequence is finished, while points in karate are awarded following each successful strike.
While this was her first world title in koshiki, Laurin has earned titles in karate, including victories at the USA Karate Open and the prestigious Ozawa Cup International Karate Tournament.
Saying she’s been training in karate since she was in diapers, Laurin learned to fight from her father, Michel, who started Santa Clarita Karate.
She and her father were helping students from their dojo compete as well. Alexandra Anderson placed third in the 14- to 15-year-old division, and Aanya Puggera was third in the 12- to 13-year-old division.
In total, 13 competitors from Santa Clarita Karate were at the world championships.
“It was not too hard because our divisions were at different times,” Laurin said. “So, it was just really fulfilling and it was a lot of fun. Like, yes, we had to be focused and work hard and stuff, but it was a great experience.”
As it was her first time in Tokyo, Laurin said she used some of her spare time to see the sights, including many temples.
