Local martial arts stars bring home more gold to Sandpoint
Left to right, Audrey, Michael Jr., and Taylor Jenkins pose with their martial arts trophies from the Rainer Invitational next to the Statue of Liberty replica at Sandpoint City Beach.
(Courtesy Photo)
Last month, the Jenkins trio brought home a handful of medals after a martial arts competition in Tri-Cities, Wash. On Aug. 26, the siblings, who train at Sandpoint Martial Arts under Mike Szotkowski, did much of the same, dominating the competition at the Rainier Invitational in Tacoma.
Inspired by their parents, Sarah and Michael Jenkins Sr., who competed in martial arts growing up, Audrey, Taylor, and Michael Jenkins Jr. continue to pursue martial arts at the highest possible level for their ages, often competing in the advanced divisions at tournaments.
“Before every competition, I tell them to be proud of who they are and proud of where they come from,” Michael Jenkins Sr. said.
The trio surely represented Sandpoint well in Tacoma this past weekend, bringing home a total of six trophies. In fact, they were the only competitors from the entire state of Idaho who had a chance to show off their skills at the tournament.
Audrey, Taylor, and Michael Jr. all competed in the advanced division, meaning they competed against anyone under a black belt level. The tournament started with forms and ended with point fighting.
Michael Jr. was one of five competitors in the 6-and-under division. He came away with first-place trophies in both forms and point fighting. In point fighting, Michael posted a perfect record of 5-0 en route to the championship.
Audrey was one of 27 competitors in the 8-and-under advanced division, which consists of both boys and girls. Audrey finished in fourth place in forms, and then closed out the tournament with a first-place finish in point fighting. She also posted a 5-0 point fighting record.
Because Michael Jr. and Audrey were both point fighting champions, tournament rules indicated that they had to fight each other in the 8-and-under Grand Championship. Audrey would go on to defeat her brother in a close 6-4 match.
“Michael and I spar every day.” Audrey said. “I didn't want to fight my brother in the championship; my brother is tough. He made me work for it.”
Lastly, Taylor was one of seven girls who competed in the 12-and-up advanced division. Taylor made a name for herself early on, quickly defeating two higher-ranked competitors after amassing a 7-0 point lead against them, which, according to tournament rules, ended the match via mercy rule.
In Taylor’s third match, she faced off against the eventual champion, who happened to be 14 years old, two years older than her. With 30 seconds left in the fight, Taylor was down six points but went on a quick five-point run, losing by just one as time expired. It was Taylor’s first tournament loss in point fighting.
“That girl was tough," Taylor said. “It was a good fight, and I will be ready for a rematch at the City of Destiny Classic next month.”
In their last two tournaments, the Jenkins martial arts trio has brought back 10 awards to Sandpoint. They will head to Tacoma on Sept. 30 for the City of Destiny Classic. The tournament is considered to be Class “A,” which makes it a nationally recognized event.