The U.S Open and Junior International Cup 2016 In Las Vegas Okinawa Karate | Denver Shotokan Karate | Kids Martial Arts

The U.S Open and Junior International Cup 2016 in Las Vegas

cc4fbbd2-4879-4847-be2e-0e1846641577

The U.S Open and Junior International Cup are two international competitions that take place in Las Vegas, Nevada. I came here, all the way from Denver, Colorado to see the best karate practitioners in the world, and to show what I have learned in the previous year. The tournament was set to start on Friday, March 25. Two days prior to the competition, Denver was hit by a massive winter storm. Because of this, some team members could not fly out as scheduled, so they decided to drive through the storm to make it their on time. Because of the whole teamโ€™s dedication, we all arrived to Vegas on time.

This was only my second time competing in an international tournament, so I was extremely nervous.ย  The first day of the tournament arrived, and I was already seeing perfect, and really unique styles of karate. But I could not forget about my teammates and friends from Okinawa Dojo, who were also competing this weekend. During the long days of competition, while waiting for our events, we cheer and support each other. We help each other gain confidence, and we lift each other up when we feel sad. These relationships play a big role in our success. Our parents also played a big role in our results.

They had to take us to Vegas, pay for this expensive event, and since we don’t always win, they had to help us through difficult times. But finally, last but not least, there ย would have been no competition for us if we did not have our amazing and hard working senseis. Sensei Alex, and Sensei Vitaly work as hard as they can to help us become the best that we can be. They help us achieve our goals, and show us their dedication to karate, by competing in the same competition next to us. Without friends, parents, and coaches, this event would not have been possible. We spent three whole days competing and watching other athletes.

However, the competition was not the entire experience of the trip. We also came to explore and take pictures of Las Vegas, a place like no other. I saw lights everywhere I looked, I saw really cool shows on the streets, and finally I saw the most beautiful hotels that I’ve ever seen. I am extremely thankful to my teammates, parents, and especially coaches, for a chance to compete in an international competition of this level”.

Michael Pogrebitskiy
15 years old, Green Belt, athlete at Okinawa Dojo.

Watch us on YouTube

FOX31 Denver - Morning News LIVE - Vitaly Padalka and Eduard Sagilyan - February 24th, 2023

Okinawa Dojo by Karate Bros - sport karate school in Denver, CO

2024 Okinawa Team - Year in Review

2018 "before the social distancing"

Video recap of 2023 #DreamTeamOkinawa

Follow us on Instagram

- Who are we?
- OKINAWANice work today, Team!#karatebros #dreamteamokinawa #senseilife #okinawadojo #karatekid

- Who are we?
- OKINAWA

Nice work today, Team!

#karatebros #dreamteamokinawa #senseilife #okinawadojo #karatekid
...

65 3
A few words from our guest athlete Mateo Nacu about his experience at the High Caliber Denver.
Mateo finished 1st in Kata and 1st in Kumite at this karate event in Denver, Colorado.
Congratulations, champ!๐Œ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐จ ๐๐š๐œ๐ฎ
World Ranking #4 ๐ŸŒŽ
PKF ๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅˆ๐Ÿฅˆ๐Ÿฅˆ๐Ÿฅ‰
Youth League ๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‰๐Ÿฅ‰Thank you ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ž๐ข ๐‰๐š๐ฒ ๐๐š๐œ๐ฎ @jaynacu from @ensokarate for bringing your team and supporting our tournament! ๐Ÿค
Your guidance shines through in the success of your students. Best of luck!๐ŸŽฅ @jrlarroche#usakarate #dreamteamokinawa #karatebros #highcaliberdenver #karatedenver #ensokarate #athleteinterview

A few words from our guest athlete Mateo Nacu about his experience at the High Caliber Denver.
Mateo finished 1st in Kata and 1st in Kumite at this karate event in Denver, Colorado.
Congratulations, champ!

๐Œ๐š๐ญ๐ž๐จ ๐๐š๐œ๐ฎ
World Ranking #4 ๐ŸŒŽ
PKF ๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅˆ๐Ÿฅˆ๐Ÿฅˆ๐Ÿฅ‰
Youth League ๐Ÿฅ‡๐Ÿฅ‰๐Ÿฅ‰

Thank you ๐’๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ž๐ข ๐‰๐š๐ฒ ๐๐š๐œ๐ฎ @jaynacu from @ensokarate for bringing your team and supporting our tournament! ๐Ÿค
Your guidance shines through in the success of your students. Best of luck!

๐ŸŽฅ @jrlarroche

#usakarate #dreamteamokinawa #karatebros #highcaliberdenver #karatedenver #ensokarate #athleteinterview
...

314 1
Sensei Noรซl Nkuranyabahizi @coachnoel250 traveled all the way from Rwanda to support the High Caliber Denver tournament!We appreciate your help with officiating and the positive energy you brought. Looking forward to welcoming you and your team back in 2026! @thechampionssportsacademy#highcaliberdenver #okinawadojo #usakarate #senseilife #karatebros #karateunites

Sensei Noรซl Nkuranyabahizi @coachnoel250 traveled all the way from Rwanda to support the High Caliber Denver tournament!

We appreciate your help with officiating and the positive energy you brought. Looking forward to welcoming you and your team back in 2026! @thechampionssportsacademy

#highcaliberdenver #okinawadojo #usakarate #senseilife #karatebros #karateunites
...

102 4
๐Ÿ†‚๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ…ด ๐Ÿ†ˆ๐Ÿ…พ๐Ÿ†„ ๐Ÿ…ฝ๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ†‡๐Ÿ†ƒ ๐Ÿ†ˆ๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ…ฐ๐Ÿ†! ๐Ÿ‘Š
๐Ÿ’ฅ High Caliber Denver sends a huge THANK YOU for making this yearโ€™s event the best one yet!๐ŸŽฅ Relive the action with this incredible video by Ricardo Larroche with JRL - a true highlight of the tournament! @jrlarroche๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ History in the making! This was the first USA Karate-sanctioned event of 2025, and weโ€™re beyond grateful for the National Karate Federationโ€™s support @usakarate . Your backing helped us take this event to the next level. #LevelUp๐Ÿ‘ซ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ Team Okinawa - you are simply the best! This wouldnโ€™t have been possible without you.๐Ÿ•บ Referees & Judges - your exceptional performance kept the competition at the highest standard. Domo Arigato Gozaimashita!๐Ÿ‘จโ€โš•๏ธโ›‘๏ธ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€โš•๏ธ To our dedicated medical team - Mile High Internal Medicine, thank you for ensuring every athlete received top-notch care. @ermin.kreso๐ŸŒบ A touch of beauty! The stunning floral arrangements at the podium and VIP table were hard to miss. Huge shoutout to Amanda & Marchello @amanda_theflorist @marchellosfloral did you know those flowers were real? ๐ŸซถWe extend our gratitude to all Coaches, Senseis, Athletes, and club owners who supported our tournament this year!This year was nothing short of phenomenal! A special shoutout to our amazing Karate Brothers, Vitaly and Alex Padalka, our diligent team manager Laura Hansen @lauraj_hansen , and our operations manager Arturo Fuentes @the_fuga_studio . To all the volunteers, staff, and supportersโ€”your invaluable efforts made this celebration of karate possible. Weโ€™re deeply grateful, and your hard work hasnโ€™t gone unnoticed!๐ŸŽจShoutout to our amazing designer, Andrew Moroz @maroscreative His eye-catching designs truly elevated the event.
๐Ÿฅ‡ A special thank you to Sensei Paco Gomez @pacogomez21 the master of production, who helped bring it all to life!๐Ÿ”’ Commitment to excellence! We upheld the highest standards by ensuring all officials, coaches, 18+ athletes, and even medics completed SafeSport training.๐Ÿ”ฅ Weโ€™ll see you again next year!#dreamteamokinawa #karatebros #highcaliberdenver #usakarate #okinawadojo #senseilife #karatedenver

๐Ÿ†‚๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ…ด ๐Ÿ†ˆ๐Ÿ…พ๐Ÿ†„ ๐Ÿ…ฝ๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ†‡๐Ÿ†ƒ ๐Ÿ†ˆ๐Ÿ…ด๐Ÿ…ฐ๐Ÿ†! ๐Ÿ‘Š
๐Ÿ’ฅ High Caliber Denver sends a huge THANK YOU for making this yearโ€™s event the best one yet!

๐ŸŽฅ Relive the action with this incredible video by Ricardo Larroche with JRL - a true highlight of the tournament! @jrlarroche

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ History in the making! This was the first USA Karate-sanctioned event of 2025, and weโ€™re beyond grateful for the National Karate Federationโ€™s support @usakarate . Your backing helped us take this event to the next level. #LevelUp

๐Ÿ‘ซ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ Team Okinawa - you are simply the best! This wouldnโ€™t have been possible without you.

๐Ÿ•บ Referees & Judges - your exceptional performance kept the competition at the highest standard. Domo Arigato Gozaimashita!

๐Ÿ‘จโ€โš•๏ธโ›‘๏ธ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€โš•๏ธ To our dedicated medical team - Mile High Internal Medicine, thank you for ensuring every athlete received top-notch care. @ermin.kreso

๐ŸŒบ A touch of beauty! The stunning floral arrangements at the podium and VIP table were hard to miss. Huge shoutout to Amanda & Marchello @amanda_theflorist @marchellosfloral did you know those flowers were real? ๐Ÿซถ

We extend our gratitude to all Coaches, Senseis, Athletes, and club owners who supported our tournament this year!

This year was nothing short of phenomenal! A special shoutout to our amazing Karate Brothers, Vitaly and Alex Padalka, our diligent team manager Laura Hansen @lauraj_hansen , and our operations manager Arturo Fuentes @the_fuga_studio . To all the volunteers, staff, and supportersโ€”your invaluable efforts made this celebration of karate possible. Weโ€™re deeply grateful, and your hard work hasnโ€™t gone unnoticed!

๐ŸŽจShoutout to our amazing designer, Andrew Moroz @maroscreative His eye-catching designs truly elevated the event.
๐Ÿฅ‡ A special thank you to Sensei Paco Gomez @pacogomez21 the master of production, who helped bring it all to life!

๐Ÿ”’ Commitment to excellence! We upheld the highest standards by ensuring all officials, coaches, 18+ athletes, and even medics completed SafeSport training.

๐Ÿ”ฅ Weโ€™ll see you again next year!

#dreamteamokinawa #karatebros #highcaliberdenver #usakarate #okinawadojo #senseilife #karatedenver
...

999 4
Happy birthday Sensei Alex, happy birthday Brother!
You are a great man, a talented teacher, an amazing father and husband, a remarkable son, an exceptional friend, and the best brother I could possibly imagine!
I love you and wish you to be happy ๐Ÿซถ
Enjoy every day of life, achieve new heights, and continue making a difference!
Proud to be your brother โค๏ธ
Have a magical birthday!!!#HappyBirthday #SenseiLife #KarateBros

Happy birthday Sensei Alex, happy birthday Brother!
You are a great man, a talented teacher, an amazing father and husband, a remarkable son, an exceptional friend, and the best brother I could possibly imagine!
I love you and wish you to be happy ๐Ÿซถ
Enjoy every day of life, achieve new heights, and continue making a difference!
Proud to be your brother โค๏ธ
Have a magical birthday!!!

#HappyBirthday #SenseiLife #KarateBros
...

65 10
๐™ƒ๐™ž๐™œ๐™ ๐˜พ๐™–๐™ก๐™ž๐™—๐™š๐™ง ๐˜ฟ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง 2๏ธโƒฃ0๏ธโƒฃ2๏ธโƒฃ5๏ธโƒฃWe had a pleasure of having USA Karate athlete of the year and a Double Pan American champion - Isabela Sanchez @isa.karate at the High Caliber Denver karate championships.This young lady is a great example of true karateka and an awesome person overall.
Congratulations on your strong performance, Isa! ๐Ÿ”ฅ
Btw, next year we will have weight divisions ๐Ÿ˜‰Of course, congratulations to a proud father Sensei Luis Sanchez @luisblackbelt and @floridakarateclubs#karatebros #dreamteamokinawa #highcaliberdenver #senseilife #usakarate #denverhighcaliber #karatedenver #interview๐ŸŽฅ @jrlarroche

๐™ƒ๐™ž๐™œ๐™ ๐˜พ๐™–๐™ก๐™ž๐™—๐™š๐™ง ๐˜ฟ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ซ๐™š๐™ง 2๏ธโƒฃ0๏ธโƒฃ2๏ธโƒฃ5๏ธโƒฃ

We had a pleasure of having USA Karate athlete of the year and a Double Pan American champion - Isabela Sanchez @isa.karate at the High Caliber Denver karate championships.

This young lady is a great example of true karateka and an awesome person overall.
Congratulations on your strong performance, Isa! ๐Ÿ”ฅ
Btw, next year we will have weight divisions ๐Ÿ˜‰

Of course, congratulations to a proud father Sensei Luis Sanchez @luisblackbelt and @floridakarateclubs

#karatebros #dreamteamokinawa #highcaliberdenver #senseilife #usakarate #denverhighcaliber #karatedenver #interview

๐ŸŽฅ @jrlarroche
...

486 29
๐‘๐„๐†๐ˆ๐Ž๐ ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐”๐’๐€ ๐Š๐€๐‘๐€๐“๐„ ๐“๐‘๐€๐ˆ๐๐ˆ๐๐† ๐‚๐€๐Œ๐ &
๐˜๐Ž๐”๐“๐‡ ๐ƒ๐„๐•๐„๐‹๐Ž๐๐Œ๐„๐๐“ ๐‚๐€๐Œ๐ ๐Ÿ‘ŠA huge thank you to the incredible instructorsโ€”Luis Sanchez @luisblackbelt , Kamran Madani @coach._kam , and Eduard Sagilyan @eduard_sagilyan_  for sharing their expertise and passion!Both studios were buzzing with energy, determination, and a deep love for karate. So many talented athletes came together, eager to learn, grow, and take their skills to the next level. You all are truly inspiring!There are no shortcuts to successโ€”only discipline, commitment, and dedication will take you to the top!Okinawa Dojo was proud to welcome High Caliber Denver participants, Region 2 karateka, and guests from across the country.HOSTS:
Vitaly Padalka @vitalyokinawa
Alex Padalka @alexokinawaLetโ€™s keep pushing forward! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿฅ‹๐Ÿ”ฅ#karate #USAkarate #noshortcuts #discipline #commitment #dedication
#HighCaliberDenver #dreamteamokinawa #karatebros #senseilife #karatedenver

๐‘๐„๐†๐ˆ๐Ž๐ ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ
๐”๐’๐€ ๐Š๐€๐‘๐€๐“๐„ ๐“๐‘๐€๐ˆ๐๐ˆ๐๐† ๐‚๐€๐Œ๐ &
๐˜๐Ž๐”๐“๐‡ ๐ƒ๐„๐•๐„๐‹๐Ž๐๐Œ๐„๐๐“ ๐‚๐€๐Œ๐ ๐Ÿ‘Š

A huge thank you to the incredible instructorsโ€”Luis Sanchez @luisblackbelt , Kamran Madani @coach._kam , and Eduard Sagilyan @eduard_sagilyan_ for sharing their expertise and passion!

Both studios were buzzing with energy, determination, and a deep love for karate. So many talented athletes came together, eager to learn, grow, and take their skills to the next level. You all are truly inspiring!

There are no shortcuts to successโ€”only discipline, commitment, and dedication will take you to the top!

Okinawa Dojo was proud to welcome High Caliber Denver participants, Region 2 karateka, and guests from across the country.

HOSTS:
Vitaly Padalka @vitalyokinawa
Alex Padalka @alexokinawa

Letโ€™s keep pushing forward! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿฅ‹๐Ÿ”ฅ

#karate #USAkarate #noshortcuts #discipline #commitment #dedication
#HighCaliberDenver #dreamteamokinawa #karatebros #senseilife #karatedenver
...

92 6
๐Ÿ•ด๏ธ๐Ÿ‘
Huge thank you to the team of professional Referees and Judges, whose dedication and passion for the sport elevated this yearโ€™s event!
The High Caliber Denver 2025 was a success thanks to all of you.๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ‘ ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐š๐ฅ:
6 WKF, 8 PKF, 2 International, 27 USA karate licensed officials๐–๐Š๐… ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Chief Referee Fariba Madani
Cyrus Madani
Jay Farrell
Jorge Caro
Dejan Miloshevski
Vincent Garcia๐๐Š๐… ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Jony Martinez
Julius Parniczky
Mark Lingl
Francisco Gomez
Henry Barnabei
Brandie Robinson
Jordan Fox
Sergey Kushnir๐‘๐ฐ๐š๐ง๐๐š ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Noรซl Nkuranyabahizi๐‚๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐›๐ข๐š ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Rony Rodriguez๐”๐’๐€ ๐Š๐š๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‹๐ข๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ž๐ ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
John Bolosan
Candice Tsutsui
Marius Gilca
David Munden
Kamran Madani
Alberto Pereda
Robert Yegikyan
Daniel Meshkov
Anton Livits
Martin Gissa
Kerstin Harring
Daniel Skhisov
Kieu Vu
Yusupov Ali
Andrew Chu
Michelle Miska
Sam Robinson
Helen Cartwright
Tyson House
Eric Ohm
Gino Moraga
Kevin Thomas
Ade Lau
Philippe Lepercq
Ashton Levine
Gonzalo Cubillos
Sokhibdzhon Salimdzhanov@usakarate
#usakarate #officials #referees #judges
#highcaliberdenver #Karatebros

๐Ÿ•ด๏ธ๐Ÿ‘
Huge thank you to the team of professional Referees and Judges, whose dedication and passion for the sport elevated this yearโ€™s event!
The High Caliber Denver 2025 was a success thanks to all of you.

๐Ÿ’๐Ÿ‘ ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐ญ๐š๐ฅ:
6 WKF, 8 PKF, 2 International, 27 USA karate licensed officials

๐–๐Š๐… ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Chief Referee Fariba Madani
Cyrus Madani
Jay Farrell
Jorge Caro
Dejan Miloshevski
Vincent Garcia

๐๐Š๐… ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Jony Martinez
Julius Parniczky
Mark Lingl
Francisco Gomez
Henry Barnabei
Brandie Robinson
Jordan Fox
Sergey Kushnir

๐‘๐ฐ๐š๐ง๐๐š ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Noรซl Nkuranyabahizi

๐‚๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐›๐ข๐š ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
Rony Rodriguez

๐”๐’๐€ ๐Š๐š๐ซ๐š๐ญ๐ž ๐‹๐ข๐œ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ๐ž๐ ๐Ž๐Ÿ๐Ÿ๐ข๐œ๐ข๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ:
John Bolosan
Candice Tsutsui
Marius Gilca
David Munden
Kamran Madani
Alberto Pereda
Robert Yegikyan
Daniel Meshkov
Anton Livits
Martin Gissa
Kerstin Harring
Daniel Skhisov
Kieu Vu
Yusupov Ali
Andrew Chu
Michelle Miska
Sam Robinson
Helen Cartwright
Tyson House
Eric Ohm
Gino Moraga
Kevin Thomas
Ade Lau
Philippe Lepercq
Ashton Levine
Gonzalo Cubillos
Sokhibdzhon Salimdzhanov

@usakarate
#usakarate #officials #referees #judges
#highcaliberdenver #Karatebros
...

79 7