Highland Park High School (HPHS) has teamed up with the New Jersey Continuous Contact Karate League (NJCCKL) to promote values such as respect and discipline within the school, and to raise funds for the classes of HPHS.

On November 1, 2009 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, the high school, under the leadership of principal Fredrick Williams, will play host to full contact karate competitions presented by the NJCCKL, which is co-directed by Joel and Yvonne Levy of Highland Park.  The couple also own the Family Martial Arts Academy in Highland Park.

The NJ Karate League has been holding similar events around the state of New Jersey for the past two years.  Recently it was featured in Atlantic City, NJ and covered by ESPN 360.

“I am a graduate of Highland Park High School,” said Yvonne Levy.  “It just seemed natural to want to hold our events in my home town.  I have lived here all my life.”

“Our events are meant to be family friendly,” said Joel Levy, the league’s president.  “We have competitors of all ages who engage in single matches for three rounds per match.  The goal of this type of friendly and spirited competition is to grow and improve as a person.”   Many of Levy’s students, including his own children participate in these events.

The high school will get a percentage of the total ticket sales, both online, and at the door.  They will also keep all of the funds received from the concession stand, which is to be run by the Parents of Athletic Teams.  In addition, students from the high school will run a raffle to benefit the school.

The NJCCKL will hold its event(s) in the HPHS gymnasium, which holds over 1,300 spectators.

“The administration and the district greatly values community partnerships.  As such, we are happy to forge a bond with the NJ Karate League.  I am both pleased and confident that this public display will benefit the students which make up the diverse population of Highland Park High School,” stated Frederick Williams, the principal of HPHS.

Tickets for this event are available online at www.njkarateleague.com.  They can also be purchased at Family Martial Arts Academy, which is located at 17 North 4th Avenue, Highland Park.  Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the fights.  Tickets are $15 in advance, and $18 at the door.  This event is family friendly and children of all ages are encouraged to come in costume to add to the fun!

Tags: Martial Arts, NJCCKL

The New Jersey Karate League, featuring continuous full contact karate, was a huge success in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On August 30, 2009, the league, hosted by Shihan Joel Levy of Highland Park, NJ was in full force as part of the South Jersey Sports Extravaganza, held in the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Taking center stage as the culminating event of a two day gala of a variety of sports, six full contact matches took place in front of cheering crowds. The event was also covered by ESPN, and will be available for viewing on ESPN 360.

The event was opened with a title defense by Mike ‘Tequila’ Patrone, who successfully defended his 180 belt against a very game Roger Humphrey. It was a back and forth battle, with Patrone winning a 5 round unanimous decision. Patrone added a bit of fun to the atmosphere by entering the ring in a multicolored clown’s wig, and oversized tie. Of course these came off before the fight actually started.

Following this was a 145 lb match between Randy ‘Pinky’ Reid, and Erik Feeley. Feeley seemed cool and composed, and Reid came out very aggressive. A close battle, it was a split decision going to Reid. Feely reported after the bout that he broke his right hand in the second round, but still finished the fight.

The third match was a 170 pound battle betwee Alex ‘Scrape’ Jenzer and Kenny Cruz. Scrape came into the ring jumping around, waving his hands in the air, and pointing directly into the camera, to the delight of the crowd. Cruz waited patiently in his corner for the fight to begin. Despite the obvious height differential (Jenzer is 6′4″ at 170 lb.) Cruz did a good job of working inside of Jenzer. There were many fierce toe to toe exchanges throughout the bout. Jenzer managed to keep Cruz outside of his range enough and land clean shots winning a decision; which he then celebrated by getting up on his corner chair and whooping it up. Again, the crowd shared his enthusiasm and celebrated with him.

The fourth bout featured another set of 170 pounders in Tim Frick and Dominick Badillo. These guys went at it from the opening to the closing bell. Badillo won a split decision, which could have gone either way. Everybody’s grandmas were very nervous as these two battled it out.

The fifth match highlighted Marco Banuelos and Phil Tanenbaum. This pair of 15 year old 130 pound warriors was loaded with energy. They battled back and forth, each landing tremendous shots, both displaying their offensive arsenals and granite chins. Tanenbaum took a hard shot south of the border which put him down for a few minutes. The tough young fighter chose to continue and went back at Banuelos with a fury. After a few explosive exchanges, Banuelos landed a vicious body shot on Tanenbaum, and the referee called a stop to the fight.

The event concluded with a 180 match between Dovi ‘the evil twin’ Yarmush and Matt Greer. Dovi also entered the ring in clown regalia, adding more humor and fun to the show. The bout was paused early in the first round as Yarmush landed a sharp jab which caused massive bleeding from the nose of Greer. Greer took it casually, and wanted to continue to fight. The two clashed again, and Yarmush got the better of the exchange, further damaging Greer’s nose, and blood went everywhere. The match was immediately stopped by the referee, and Yarmush, was declared the winner. Yes, he put his clown wig back on after the fight was over.

Between matches the show was sprinkled with more entertainment as cheerleading squads performed, and bodybuilders were displayed and their awards were presented. The promoter of the South Jersey Sports Extravaganza, James Jefferson was ecstatic about the NJ Karate League’s presentation, as were the screaming fans, and ESPN.

Tags: Martial Arts, NJCCKL