Boosting Fighting Spirit in Facing Major Tournaments

Karate is not merely a sport that relies on physical contact. Karate itself is one of the martial arts originating from Japan, first introduced by Gichin Funakoshi.

One of the categories contested in Karate is Kata. In this category, an athlete may be required to memorize more than 21 movements. This is not an easy task, as it requires high memory power and concentration.

Some of the world’s top karate athletes in the Kata class are Hikaru Ono and Kiyou Shimizu, both of whom serve as role models for karate athletes.

In Indonesia, there are also numerous karate athletes competing in the Kata class, such as Ajriya Najwa Nurul Aini and Lala Diah Pitaloka. Both of them are experienced karate athletes who have participated in national championships.

Ajriya Najwa Nurul Aini

Known as Awa, this karate athlete is the pride of West Java province. Born on August 3, 2006, Awa is determined to prove that with karate, she can achieve success in the future. Despite the exhaustion of memorizing every karate movement, Awa remains enthusiastic because she wants to give her best in honor of her late father.

Moreover, karate was initially introduced to Awa by her father with the hope that she would learn self-defense, but it turned out that karate became Awa’s beloved sport.

Some of Awa’s notable achievements include winning first place in the Sekoci Cup International Championship in September 2021 and the National Championship (Kejurnas Forki) in November 2021.

Lala Diah Pitaloka

Lala Diah Pitaloka uniquely began her journey in karate. It all started when she watched the movie “Karate Kid” on TV. This sparked her interest, and she began seriously practicing and dedicating herself to karate.

To stay motivated during competitions, Lala always finds time to go on trips and unwind when she is not busy with training, ensuring she remains focused when facing important matches.

Furthermore, this athlete, born on May 17, 2005, always sets specific targets to achieve before each match. Additionally, Lala, who was once a victim of bullying, declares that she will not use karate as a means of retaliation against her bullies.

She continues to strive for success in the world of karate, gradually earning championship medals one by one. Starting from winning first place in the International Banzai Cup Open in Berlin, Germany, in 2015, to being crowned champion in the International De Karate De Liege in Belgium in 2018.