Pennsylvania Karate Championships celebrate 50 years

The Pennsylvania Karate Championships are golden in 2023.

They also have expanded to two days.

The 50th championships, a keystone event in the region since the early 1970s, will be Friday and Saturday in the grand ballroom of the Quality Inn in New Kensington. It is where the event began all those years ago.

“Everything has been prepared, and we’re ready to go,” tournament co-director Kelli Caliguri said.

“My dad (Frank Caliguri) always takes pride in us putting on a first-class event. I’ve had a few sleepless nights over the past couple of months thinking about what all needed to be done. But it is here, and everyone is excited. There are so many people who have done an amazing job helping get this event ready so people can come in and have a fun couple of days. That is our main goal every year.”

Frank Caliguri said many local martial artists, including more than 20 youth and adults from the Caliguri’s Academy of Martial Arts in Lower Burrell, will be in competition.

The state awards will be presented to those who have been competing all year and have earned points with various victories and other place finishes.

“The competition season ended last month, and the awards are presented here,” Frank Caliguri said. “It also is the first tournament where they can earn points for the new season. It is an ending and also a beginning all in one.”

Frank Caliguri said this tournament is special because it gives local martial artists the chance to compete against others who come in from throughout the country.

Kelli Caliguri said excitement has been building to welcome competitors arriving from California, New Mexico, Indiana, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Florida and several provinces in Canada.

“There aren’t too many other tournaments in the Pittsburgh area like this, but those ones are to a smaller scale where the outsiders don’t come in for it,” Frank Caliguri said. “People know us, and they know what we do. They want to come in and be a part of the 50th.”

Competition will be in children and adult divisions for sparring, kata, weapons, chanbara and self-defense.

The open tournament, with many styles represented including karate, kung fu, taekwon-do, is the third-oldest consistent event of its kind in the United States.

Cash prizes will be awarded in black belt divisions and to black belt grand champions.

“We decided to split it into two days to give everybody the maximum time to have their competition,” Kelli Caliguri said. “We didn’t want to jam everything in and make it feel rushed. We used to do two days years ago, and then we stopped.

“Now that it has grown again, we felt expanding it back to two days was the best for everyone.”

A special feature this year to celebrate the milestone 50th event is the Pioneer of Karate Award for black belts with more than 50 years in martial arts.

“We have approximately 80 of these masters coming in from all over the country — Arizona, Florida, California, Texas, New York, Ohio, everywhere — to be a part of it and to be recognized,” Frank Caliguri said.

“Over the years, most of them have been to my tournament at one time or another. We have a pretty well-known tournament.”

Caliguri said the pioneers of mixed-martial arts also will be recognized.

“We promoted the first Tough Guy contests and MMA events in 1980,” he said. “It is on display down at the sports museum at the (Sen. John) Heinz History Center. We will be honoring the first MMA fighters and judges. There is a lot going on above and beyond just the regular karate competition.”

Spectators are welcome both days. Competition begins Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at the gate.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Karate Championships, visit academyofmartialarts.org, call 724-335-9300 or email mastercliguri@aol.com.