Darien Martial Arts Students Shine In 2022 Kempo Classic Tournament

DARIEN, CT — Numerous Darien martial arts students shined last Sunday in the 2022 Kempo Classic Tournament at the Wilton Field House.

The tournament featured 290 competitors, ranging in age from 3 to 68, from Connecticut and New York, who competed across 15 unique divisions.

Events included:

• Maneuvers – a series of moves requiring skill containing blocks, strikes, and throws used in self-defense.
• Sparring – full contact "free-form" fighting where combatants use protective gear and attempt to outscore their opponent.
• Kata Forms – a longer, highly detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements.

Sensei Michael Nahan, owner and chief instructor at Kempo Karate of Darien, organized the tournament, the first such event since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Significant Achievements By Kempo Darien Students

Fourteen-year-old Aly Matullo and 13-year-old William Raskopf of Darien won first and second place in sparring for age 12-14, a double elimination event.

Matullo, a three-time former sparring champion, lost in the first round and battled her way back through the loser’s bracket, fighting four times back-to-back to face the undefeated Raskopf, who sported an incredible performance of his own in the championship match.

Needing to win twice against the same opponent, Matullo took the first match 3-1 and the second match 3-2 becoming to take first place.

Six-year-old Christina Filewych, 5-year-old Max Cohen, and 5-year-old Patrik Crowell of Darien all won first, second and third respectively in maneuvers for age 4-6 (last name A-G).

Charlie Zerzan of Darien went undefeated to win first place in sparring for age 9-10.

Stefan Belopavlovic of Norwalk won second place with several notable matches, and scored first place in maneuvers for age 9-10.

Isaac Lam of Darien and Aubri Limoges, also of Darien, took third and fourth place respectively.

Madison Laforteza of Darien came in second place to win a trophy in her first martial arts tournament.

More Tournament Results

Darien students sweep Sparring Age 7

• First place winner Bodhi O-Brien
• Second place going to Wesley Lewis
• Third place earned by Andrew Kohlberger
• Fourth place going to William Masters

Sparring Age 8

• First place winner Daniel Courtney of Norwalk
• Third place earned by Charlie Koch of Darien
• Fourth place going to William Ix of Darien

Adult Kata Forms

• Second place winner Oliver Eills of Darien
• Fourth place winner Terry Sirisouk, Darien High School student

Adult Sparring

• First place winner Oliver Eills of Darien

Maneuvers age 4-6 (last name H-R)

• First place winner Henry Hack of Norwalk
• Third place winner Grayson Pine of Darien

Maneuvers age 4-6 (last name S-Z)

• Third place Jack Tigani of Darien
• Fourth place Jackson Wilcheck of Darien

Sparring Age 5-6

• Second place winner Patrik Crowell of Darien
• Third place winner Otto Fielding-Merschen of Darien

Maneuvers Age 8

• First place winner Victoria Cantwell of Darien
• Second place winner Wylie Graves of Darien
• Third place winner Daniel Courtney of Norwalk

Maneuvers Age 7

• First place winner Bodhi O’Brien of Darien
• Second place winner Christian Kuchmek of Darien

Maneuvers age 11-15

• First place champion with an amazing performance goes to Kate McCloskey of Darien who also took third place in Under 14 Kata Forms
• Third place winner goes to Aly Matullo of Darien who also took fourth place in Under 14 Kata Forms
• Fourth place winner goes to Tomas Madariaga of Darien