ason Mandros performs his form in front of judges Saturday during the 27th annual Pineda's Kenpo Karate interschool tournament.
Hours, days and years of practice, memorization and sweat culminate up to the few moments a martial-arts student presents their skills in front of three judges.
For a form presentation, the student walks up to the judges, presents themselves, bows and begins their chosen technique. Every movement counts, every angle of the feet, arms and body. The student bows again, returns to their place and waits for their score.
Martial arts students from Green River, along with other area students and three martial arts schools from Utah competed in the invitation-only inter school tournament hosted by Pineda's Kenpo Karate Saturday. About 80 competitors took part in the 27th annual tournament, many competing in four or five events each.
The inter school tournament is always hosted in the spring, about a month before the annual Western Wyoming Karate Tournament, which qualifies any first or second place finishers an invitation to the annual Disney's martial arts festival in Florida this October.
"We do the smaller-scale one to help all competitors get ready for May. The main tournament is the qualifier," Jim Dean of Pineda's Kenpo Karate said. "Ideally we like it a month before. It gives us a month to get things corrected and get on the right track for the May tournament."
Green River students prepare long and hard for the tournament and any tournament competition.
"I practice every day," eight-year-old student Ethan Conley said.
Conley's hard work paid off; he was named Junior Grand Champion in the Forms division of the Green River school at the tournament.
Six-year-old Vincent Pavey was also named Junior Grand Champion in Forms. Austin Collar, 15, was named Junior Grand Champion in Self-Defense. Devin Bobbitt, 12, was named Junior Grand Champion in Weapons.
Pam Rael, 40, was named the Adult Grand Champion in Creative Form.
Like any of the students, Rael worries about messing up her form in front of people.
"I just think about what I'm doing and not anything else around me," she said.
Pineda’s 27th annual inter-school tournament results
Board Breaking
Beginner
Jesse Kniep, 1st
Caleb Morrell, 1st
Christian Oswald, 1st
Johnny Renfro, 1st
Dacen Lauriski-Adams, 2nd
Vance Lauriski-Adams, 2nd
Spencer Morrell, 2nd
Vincent Pavey, 2nd
Maddie Vogel, 2nd
Andrew Bozner, 3rd
Janey Burd, 3rd
Jason Mandros, 3rd
Zayne Rael, 3rd
Trenton Burd, 4th
Karson Hansen, 4th
Zaden Harrison, 4th
Jorim McKinney, 4th
Will Allen, 5th
Shelby Carson, 5th
Elijah McKinney, 5th
Alyson Robidoux, 5th
Intermediate
Austin Collar, 1st
Devin Bobbitt, 2nd
Cole Gilmore, 3rd
Garrett Gilmore, 3rd
Creative Forms
Pam Rael, Beginner, 1st
Flag Sparring
Beginner
Ethan Conley, 1st
Dacen Lauriski-Adams, 1st
Christian Oswald, 1st
Vincent Pavey, 1st
Shelby Carson, 2nd
Vance Lauriski-Adams, 2nd
Spencer Morrell, 2nd
Zayne Rael, 2nd
Will Allen, 3rd
Karson Hansen, 3rd
Zaden Harrison, 3rd
Jesse Kniep, 3rd
Oakley Quintana, 3rd
Maddie Vogel, 3rd
Jorim McKinney, 4th
Caleb Morrell, 4th
Andrew Bozner, 5th
Johnny Renfro, 5th
Alyson Robidoux, 5th
Charlotte Burd, 6th
Elijah McKinney, 6th
Intermediate
Devin Bobbitt, 1st
Austin Collar, 1st
Trenton Collar, 2nd
Cole Gilmore, 3rd
Garrett Gilmore, 4th
James Harris, 6th
Forms
Beginner
Ethan Conley, 1st
Jesse Kniep, 1st
Vincent Pavey, 1st
Jordan Brady, 2nd
Trenton Burd, 2nd
Karson Hansen, 2nd
Zaden Harrison, 2nd
Jason Mandros, 2nd
Christian Oswald, 2nd
Maddie Vogel, 2nd
Will Allen, 3rd
Janey Burd, 3rd
Charlotte Burd, 3rd
Dacen Lauriski-Adams, 3rd
Vance Lauriski-Adams, 3rd
Elijah McKinney 3rd,
Jorim McKinney, 3rd
Spencer Morrell, 4th
Oakley Quintana, 4th
Pam Rael, 4th
Zayne Rael, 4th
Johnny Renfro, 4th
Intermediate
Devin Bobbitt, 1st
Austin Collar, 1st
Trenton Collar, 1st
Garrett Gilmore, 2nd
Cole Gilmore, 3rd
James Harris, 3rd
Padded Sword Sparring
Beginner
Ethan Conley, 1st
Dacen Lauriski-Adams, 1st
Christian Oswald, 1st
Johnny Renfro, 1st
Trenton Burd, 2nd
Jesse Kniep, 2nd
Vance Lauriski-Adams, 2nd
Caleb Morrell, 2nd
Spencer Morrell, 2nd
Zaden Harrison, 3rd
Zayne Rael, 3rd
Alyson Robidoux, 3rd
Andrew Bozner, 4th
Shelby Carson, 4th
Jason Mandros, 4th
Jorim McKinney, 4th
Oakley Quintana, 4th
Karson Hansen, 5th
Will Allen, 6th
Intermediate
Austin Collar, 1st
Trenton Collar, 3rd
James Harris, 3rd
Self Defense
Beginner
Jesse Kniep, 1st
Will Allen, 2nd
Ethan Conley, 2nd
Pam Rael, 3rd
Intermediate
Austin Collar, 1st
Trenton Collar, 1st
James Harris, 2nd
Garrett Gilmore, 3rd
Cole Gilmore, 4th
Sparring
Beginner
Trenton Burd, 1st
Karson Hansen, 1st
Zaden Harrison, 1st
Dacen Lauriski-Adams, 1st
Spencer Morrell, 1st
Christian Oswald, 1st
Pam Rael, 1st
Alyson Robidoux, 1st
Andrew Bozner, 2nd
Jordan Brady, 2nd
Charlotte Burd, 2nd
Vance Lauriski-Adams, 2nd
Caleb Morrell, 2nd
Oakley Quintana, 2nd
Zayne Rael, 2nd
Jesse Kniep, 3rd
Ethan Conley, 4th
Vincent Pavey, 4th
Intermediate
Devin Bobbitt, 1st
Austin Collar, 1st
Trenton Collar, 2nd
Garrett Gilmore, 2nd
James Harris, 2nd
Cole Gilmore, 4th
Weapons
Beginner
Trenton Burd, 1st
Ethan Conley, 1st
Karson Hansen, 1st
Christian Oswald, 1st
Jordan Brady, 2nd
Janey Burd, 2nd
Jesse Kniep, 2nd
Vance Lauriski-Adams, 2nd
Will Allen, 3rd
Elijah McKinney, 3rd
Vincent Pavey, 3rd
Oakley Quintana, 3rd
Pam Rael, 3rd
Maddie Vogel, 3rd
Dacen Lauriski-Adams, 4th
Jason Mandros, 4th
Intermediate
Devin Bobbitt, 1st
Garrett Gilmore, 1st
James Harris, 1st
Austin Collar, 2nd
Trenton Collar, 2nd
Cole Gilmore, 3rd
Junior Grand Champion Forms
Vincent Pavey, Beginner
Junior Grand Champion Self Defense
Austin Collar, Intermediate
Junior Grand Champion Weapons
Devin Bobbitt, Intermediate
Adult Grand Champion Creative Forms
Pam Rael, Beginner
Junior Grand Champion Forms
Ethan Conley, Beginner
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