Martial artists with Sudbury studio KMAC earned gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as numerous top five finishes across various divisions at the 2025 World Karate and Kickboxing Commission (WKC) World Championships, held in Niagara Falls, New York, from Oct. 25-31.
The event at the Niagara Falls Convention Center brought together “elite martial artists from across the globe, with competitors vying for the prestigious title of World Champion,” KMAC said in an email to Sudbury.com.
“The success of our athletes at this level reflects the hard work and commitment not only from the students but from their coaches and families,” Christian Fortin, head instructor at KMAC, said. “This is a collective achievement that speaks volumes about the strength of our KMAC community.”
KMAC martial artists competed successfully at regional and national levels to earn their spot at worlds.
“Their performance at the World Championships was the culmination of months of intense training, commitment, and perseverance,” the studio said.
The six-day event featured a variety of disciplines, from open hand and weapons forms, to point and continuous sparring, as well as team and tag divisions.
“Unlike many other competitions, the World Championships are divided solely by age and weight, not skill level or belt rank, making each division fiercely competitive,” KMAC said. “Over six action-packed days, KMAC athletes showcased their strength and sportsmanship in one of the most prestigious martial arts tournaments in the world.”
Athletes with the local studio took one one gold, one silver, six bronze and several top five finishes during the event.
Standout performances include:
Ocean Avery: Gold in tag team, silver in Korean Forms, and three bronze medals in point fighting, three-person team fighting, and mixed team divisions. “A phenomenal achievement that led the team’s medal count,” KMAC said.
Emma Stripay-Gobeil: Bronze in Chinese forms, bronze in three-person team fighting, sixth in Korean forms, and seventh in point fighting.
Jake Stripay-Gobeil: Bronze in three-person team fighting and sixth in point fighting.
Logan Richard: Fourth in both Korean and Chinese forms (Boys 14–15).
Breanna and Alexis Dufresne: Both placing sixth in Korean forms, with Breanna adding a fourth-place finish in Chinese forms (Girls 14–15).
Daymond Stripay-Gobeil: Fifth in Korean forms (Boys 16–17).
Eric Fortin (competing in Under 9 years old, less than 35 kg): Fourth in Chinese forms, fifth in Korean forms, and fifth in Sparring. “An incredible debut performance at his first World Championships!”