By Kyle Coppola
Stoneybook Karate Shines At AAU Karate National Championships
Stoneybrook Karate in Winter Garden may be a single-location martial arts school, but its impact at the National level is anything but singular. At the latest AAU Karate National Championship in Fort Lauderdale, Stoneybrook proved its might by securing the third spot in overall standings. This is a big achievement considering the top two contenders operate multiple locations. Despite this, the single-location dojo, with 44 competitors, managed to bring home over 25 gold medals.
(Some of the many medals won at the AAU Karate National Championships.)
The competitors range from as young as six years old to fifty-plus. One of the highlights of the Nationals was the impressive showing by Stonybrook’s young talents, Zaine and Jennifer Jeffers. Despite having only practiced for about a year, eight-year-old Zaine and ten-year-old Jennifer excelled, particularly at the Nationals. Zaine clinched gold in kata and bronze in kobudo, while Jennifer swept the board with triple gold in kata, kobudo, and kumite. Their outstanding performance follows a successful regular season where both led their respective beginner divisions in overall points.
But it’s not just about individual successes at Stoneybrook. This dojo thrives on a strong sense of community and family involvement. Multiple families within their dojo have multiple medal winners, with some even featuring twins who compete and win together. This spirit of togetherness and mutual encouragement is what truly sets Stoneybrook apart.
(Students learn from some of the best instructors in Central Florida. For five consecutive years, Stoneybrook Karate has been recognized as the number one performing dojo in Florida’s AAU.)
Leading this exceptional team are Stonybrook Karate’s dedicated Senseis: Tim, Gian Rivera (affectionately known as Sensei GP), and Shanny. While Sensei Tim oversees the dojo, Senseis GP and Shanny take on the crucial role of coaching the competitors at tournaments. Their expertise and dedication have been pivotal to Stonybrook’s success, and their own competitive spirit continues to inspire the students, with both winning medals themselves.
(Sensei Tim is the head instructor for Stoneybrook Karate. Sensei Tim founded Stoneybrook in 2010.)
Stoneybrook Dojo is more than just a place to train; it’s a vibrant community where students of all ages, participate and support each other. This family atmosphere is a core part of this Dojo’s identity, and it’s one of the reasons why they continue to attract and nurture top-tier talent. I watch NASCAR and constantly root for the underdog to win. They might not have the best equipment or have a massive team, but when they do well you can’t help but love that. Family teams are what built the NASCAR. In many ways, Karate is the same. Stoneybrook might not be the biggest Dojo but they don’t have to be and that’s a great thing. They have great leadership and mentors which goes a long way.
As they celebrate their achievements and look forward to future successes, Stoneybrook Karate is always welcoming new students to join their family. Whether you’re a young child just starting out or an adult looking to compete or simply stay fit, Stoneybrook Karate offers a supportive and enriching environment for everyone. Visit https://stoneybrookkarate.com/ for more information.
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
