The Penn State Karate Club has helped students learn traditional Okinawan karate for more than 50 years. Former members of that club continue to represent Penn State on one of the practice’s largest international stages.

Competing among roughly 300 participants in various events at the IWKA Karate World Championships in Pittsburgh in August, PSKC alums collected honors across multiple categories. Breanne Decker ’13 Sci and Laura Egan ’13 Edu earned second- and third-place honors respectively in sparring. Nate Estes ’97 Edu and Eliza Gabel ’13 H&HD received third place in their respective men’s and women’s weapons categories, and Jaeson Koszarsky ’94 Sci won fourth place in empty hand.

The championships are typically held every other year in rotating locations around the world, but this was the first since 2019, due to rescheduling caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike previous tournaments, in which competitors received numeric scores similar to those of Olympic gymnasts, this year’s events utilized a multiround, single-elimination format. Koszarsky, who also assisted as a judge for other events at the championships, says one of the more valuable parts of the experience was sharing knowledge with instructors from the United Kingdom, India, and Oman.

The PSKC was founded in 1972 by a group of students including Dane Sutton ’76 Agr, who is now head instructor and a club adviser. Many alumni have close relationships with current students and get together multiple times a year to practice a style of karate that emphasizes self-defense and fitness. “It’s been helpful inside and outside the dojo,” Koszarsky says. “The focus that you begin to develop from working on karate can apply to all aspects of your life.”