Ashburn teen Martika "Tika" Moore took home a gold medal at the AAU Karate National Championship Finals in Albany, New York on Saturday.

The following is a press release from Williams Martial Arts and Fitness about Moore's win.

(Albany, New York, Saturday, July 5, 2008) – Sixteen year old Martika (“Tika”) Moore spent her Fourth of July thinking about winning a national championship. And on Saturday, July 5th, at the AAU Karate National Championship Finals in Albany, New York, that is exactly what she did.

Martika Moore blocks Emily Roeder's kick as the two spar in Saturday's finals. (Photo courtesy of Reg Blake)

What Moore, a black belt and team captain of the Ashburn’s Williams Martial Arts and Fitness (WMAF) national competition team, did not know until after the qualifying matches was that she would be sparring against her WMAF teammate, Emily Roeder, for the 16 Year Old Female Kumite (Sparring) National Championship title.

While Ms. Moore won the match, no one from the Ashburn-based WMAF will forget the excitement of having, for the first time, two finalists competing in the finals for one of the world’s most prestigious karate championships.

Moore was one of thirteen members of the WMAF team to win a gold medal at the AAU National Karate Tournament.

Moore started at WMAF over eight years ago after seeing a martial arts demonstration in elementary school. Since then she has competed in six national championships and the 2005 World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Ms. Moore said she gained self confidence and learned a lot about herself through her experiences in karate and the support she receives at WMAF. According to Moore, “I have learned not to doubt myself and that doing my best gives me opportunities and also inspires others.”

As team captain and a certified AAU technical coach, Ms. Moore led the national competition team by example. Because of her maturity and responsibility, she was invited this year to attend the weekly instructor training sessions at WMAF. Tika takes this responsibility very seriously.

Moore receives her gold medal from AAU Karate National Executive Director Hanshi Del Saito. (Photo courtesy of Reg Blake)

“The Senseis (teachers), coaches and instructors believe in me and have given me so many opportunities. All that I can do is try to return that to the students that I work with,” said Tika.

“Tika is a great example of someone who continually strives not only to make her own karate better, but also cares about bringing out the best in her teammates” says Clinton Williams, founder of WMAF. Williams is a fifth degree black belt, eleven time national karate champion, and director of AAU’s Region II karate program.

The WMAF group of fifty-five athletes and their families left Ashburn on Monday, June 30th in a convoy using the school’s new afterschool program vans to transport the athletes, coaches, officials and their families to the week long competition. The use of the vans was a welcome treat for the families, allowing the team to make the long road trip together while minimizing travel expenses and allowing for some much needed rest after this long training season.

The team included junior (ages 5-18), adult (19-34) and senior (35 and up) athletes of all experience levels all of whom completed an intense and rigorous training program. Some of the junior athletes began their training in January and will continue through the AAU Junior Olympics at the end of July.

In order to qualify for Nationals, the competitors had to place within the top sixteen of their respective divisions at the Region II Championships, held this spring at Broad Run High School in Ashburn.

The AAU National Championship draws over 2,000 competitors from all over the United States.

Competition included kobudo (weapons), kata (forms), and kumite (sparring).

The AAU is the nation’s largest organized karate program and Williams Martial Arts and Fitness is the AAU’s largest and most decorated club.

Other local gold medalists included:

KOBUDO (WEAPONS) – GRACE CODELLA, 9, Advanced, JORDAN CODELLA, 5, Beginner, DYLAN HOWE, 11, Beginner, JENNIFER JURANEK, Adult, Beginner

KATA (FORMS) – JORDAN CODELLA, 5, Beginner, DANIEL COSTANTINO, 16, Intermediate, SABRINA DUFF, 11, Advanced, ALBERT EDWARDS, Senior(35+), Intermediate, DEMI JURANEK, 12, Intermediate, CONNOR LOCKLIN, 18, Advanced, REILLY TIFFT, 11, Beginner

KUMITE (SPARRING) – JORDAN CODELLA, 5, Beginner, CHRIS HOOVER, Senior (35+), Intermediate, BENNETT MILAR, 6, Novice, REILLY TIFFT, 11, Beginner

Martika and the rest of the WMAF competition team will be heading for Detroit, Michigan July 23rd to August 2nd to compete in the 2008 AAU Junior Olympic Games.

For more information about WMAF and details of the 2008 AAU Karate season, including the National Championships, go to www.williamsmartialarts.com and www.aaukarate.org.