Ten (10) students of Macon’s New Heights Karate Studio to compete on Team U.S.A. at World Karate Commission championships in October 2023
These local competitors competed at World Karate Commission (WKC) Nationals on June 2-3, 2023, and returned to Macon, Georgia with a total of 28 national champion (gold medalist) titles, 17 silver medalist titles, and 16 bronze medalist titles.
MACON, GEORGIA, June 9, 2023 – Members of New Heights Karate Studio’s martial arts competition team will compete in 10 divisions as members of Team U.S.A. October 21-27, 2023 after dominating the WKC Nationals competition in Detroit, MI earlier this month. The student competitors—all of whom reside in central Georgia (Macon-Bibb, Jones, and Monroe counties)--range in age from 9 to 18 years and hold first, second, or third-degree black belts. New Heights Karate (NHK) Studio owners and instructors Tim Conkel and Rissa Kilar themselves hold 25 and 8 past world champion titles, respectively; both are sixth-degree black belts and will also compete on Team U.S.A. at the October 2023 WKC event.
NHK opened in Macon, GA in March 2023. Despite early challenges necessitating instruction via Zoom during the 2020 public health emergency, the school has enjoyed steady growth and growing popularity (including Macon’s Best of the Best awards in 2021 and 2022). Since forming its competition team—members of which participated in the team’s inaugural competition in December 2021—NHK has commanded a host of competitive achievements--most recently in its students’ successes at WKC Nationals and earning coveted spots on Team U.S.A.
Co-owners of the NHK Tim Conkel and Rissa Kilar can proudly say that, “Macon, GA is now home to Team USA! For the last 3 years, we have worked to build up courageous students to push past what is comfortable and achieve what is extraordinary.”
WKC World Championships are an annual martial arts competition where competitors from the world over vie for titles in disciplines ranging from martial arts forms to continuous and points-based fighting (sparring) to martial arts weapons. Disciplines are divided by age and weight range and include both traditional forms and weapons work as well as creative forms and weapons artistry. Counted among WKC countries are numerous South American (e.g., Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, among others) and European nations (e.g., Ireland, England, Austria, among others), as well as Canada, Mexico, and Australia, and others.
Direct all media inquiries to Tim Conkel at (478) 245-7826 (phone) or info@newheightskarate.com (e-mail).
