This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
A handful of Penn State Karate Club (PSKC) Alumni Black Belts took home medals at the 2024 IWKA Isshinryu World Karate Championships on Saturday, Aug. 3 in Pittsburgh.
Competitors traveled from around the country and world to compete in several different forms and categories. Six Black Belt Penn Staters placed in this year’s championships, including Nates Estes, who placed third in weapons; Eliza Gabel, who placed third in weapons; Laura Egan, who placed third in sparring; Breanne Decker, who placed second in sparring; Jennifer Koszarsky, who placed third in empty hand and third in weapons; and Jaeson Koszarsky, who placed fourth in empty hand.
The 2024 championship in Pittsburgh marked the return of the biennial competition after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, the IWKA World Championships were held in London, and the next in 2026 are planned to take place in India.
PSKC is one of the oldest university-based martial arts programs in the United States. The student-run club is sanctioned by Penn State and has been an active group on campus for more than 50 years. According to PSKC, the group promotes physical fitness, academic success, leadership, self-defense and cultural experiences through traditional Okinawan karate.
Dane Sutton, an alumnus who now serves as one of PSKC’s advisors, was one of the group’s founding members in January 1972. Sutton is now recognized as Hanshigo, Master Instructor, and holds the rank of 10th-degree Black Belt. He along with other alumni Paul Cote, 9th Dan; and Don McCandless, 8th Dan, serve as advisors and examiners for the Black Belt Rank as well as visiting instructors.
The Dan ranking system is commonly used in Okinawan karate to indicate the person’s ability.
Jaeson and Jennifer Koszarsky, two of the medal recipients at the 2024 IWKA Championships, are both 6th Dan and volunteer as lead instructors for the current PSKC students. According to the club, there are thousands of PSU alumni worldwide who are also PSKC alumni.
