(2013 Super Grands stage) 2 2014 SUPER GRANDS Twenty-fifth year reunion WINNING THE WORLD TITLE Super Grands – in Buffalo – The Niagara Frontier, where it all began 25 years ago. Winning the authentic* sport karate world title...that’s what the NBL Super Grands World Games became all about. International players will once again converge to battle for the coveted titles at the twenty-fifth anniversary games. With its history as the most prestigious sport karate event in the world, Super Grands World Games 25 will again attract the best sport karate contenders to compete for the 120 officially recognized blackbelt world titles for juniors, adults and seniors. The final two players of each of the 120 world title divisions will battle it out on stage in their respective Grand Finale evening show. The 120 winners achieve instant recognition, symbolized by the awarding of specially designed world championship rings and NBL world title gold embroidered black belts. And again this year, six overall World Grandchampionships will be held during the Awards Presentation Super Show awarding $5,000 prize money and special one of a kind NBL red metalic embroidered black belts for each grandchampion. But that’s not all! In a simultaneous tournament, the Sport Karate Amateur Internationals will also award the amateur titles to the world’s best players in both blackbelt and under blackbelt ranks in the 160 international title division categories. The Super Grands has a history of incredible and unpredictable competition and has transformed many an unknown player into instant superstar. Most of today’s champions and the giants of the past twenty years have won Super Grands world titles or placed in the World Games. Is it your turn? Super Grands World Games – where the official World’s Sport Karate champions are crowned! * authentic: Of first-hand authority, original. Real, actual, ‘genuine.’ (opposed to imaginary, pretended.) – Oxford English Dictionary 2014 SUPER GRANDS 3 SUPER GRANDS I - Niagara Falls, New York, USA -1990 • The Metro All-Stars Team coached by Hector Santiago wins the • The Super Grand starts its historical journey at the Niagara Falls Team of the Year Award. Convention Center and awards the first of what becomes the iconic • The Guate-Kenpo school under Erick Schumann of Guatemala world champion NBL black belt. wins their first School of the Year Award. • Joey Uyeda of 29 Palms, California, USA becomes the first overall junior forms world champion. SUPER GRANDS IV - New Orleans, Louisiana, USA - 1993 • Christine Bannon-Rodrigues of Warwick, Rhode Island, USA • With Burbon Street only a stones throw away, the Super Grands is becomes the first overall adult forms world champion and earns the held at the Clarion Hotel on historic Canal Street in New Orleans where most world titles with a total of 4. each world champion is presented with what becomes the envy of every • Richard sport karate player each year, the Barefield of San iconic NBL World Championship Jose, California, gold ring. USA becomes the • Jimmy Pham of San Jose, first overall men’s California, USA wins the overall jun- point sparring ior contemporary forms world title. world champion. • Ramir Mosqueda of San Jose, • Linda Denley California, USA wins the overall of Houston, Texas, photo by Heather Crump adult contemporary forms world title. USA becomes the • Ray Wizard of Los Angeles, first overall California, USA wins the overall women’s point men’s point sparring world title. sparring world • The junior boys’ Karate USA champion. Team of San Francisco, California, • The John Paul USA under coach Levy Ignacio Mitchell Team become the first and only team to suc- coached by Don cessfully win a team sparring title Rodrigues wins the three years in a row and against all Team of the Year odds their three separate sparring Award. teams place first, second and third. • Ben Kiker’s • Team Full Contact coached by United Karate of Alyxzander Bear wins the Team of Georgia, USA wins the Year Award. the School of the • The Guate-Kenpo Year Award. school of Guatemala wins the School of the SUPER GRANDS Year Award for a second II - San Jose, year. California, USA - 1991 SUPER GRANDS V - • The San Jose Hollywood, California, Civic Auditorium photo by Heather Crump USA - 1994 plays host to the • Super Grands gets a second Super Hollywood review as it's Grands. held at the Hilton Hotel • Kim Do brings in Burbank California. the house down in • Juan Jose the Grand Finale Two time world champion Trace Rodriguez of Guatemala with his form to the and Adrian Ulanoff of music “Great Balls Megellas of Collyville, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, of Fire”. USA – 2013 winner of 15-17 cre- USA tie Christine • Richard ative weapons and junior musical Bannon-Rodrigues’ Barefield again weapons record of 4 wins in a sin- wins overall men’s gle Super Grands. point sparring. • Guatemalans, Juan • Christine Bannon-Rodrigues earns the most world Jose Rodriguez and titles with a total of 4 and grand total of 8 from two Mauricio Valenzuela years, a record unmatched until 1995. shock the forms compe- • Guest appearance by Larry Lam (Leonardo) of Five time world champion Julia Moreci of Los Gatos, California, tition world by winning Ninja Turtle fame. USA – 2013 winner of junior open musical forms, 15-17 girls’ both the junior and adult • The John Paul Mitchell team wins the Team of the creative forms and junior girls’ choreographed musical forms contemporary overall Year Award for the second year in a row. world titles. • Kiai Martial Arts under Carol Cox of Salt Lake • Danielle Dixon of City, Utah wins the school of the Year Award. San Antonio, Texas, USA and Mary Youshock of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA put on the most memorable girls’ point sparring title fight as SUPER GRANDS III - Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA - 1992 Dixon regains the title. • The Super Grands are held in the Atlantic City Convention Center • Special appearances by Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Billy Blanks, on the historic boardwalk on the Atlantic Ocean. Bill Wallace, Jhoon Rhee and Emmanuel Lewis. • Derrick Pendergrass of Harrison, Tennessee, USA wins the overall • The Sherman Oaks Karate Team coached by Bernie Krasnoo wins junior contemporary forms world title. the Team of the Year Award. • Hiro Koda of Montgomery, Alabama, USA wins the overall adult • The Guate-Kenpo school of Guatemala wins the School of the Year contemporary forms world title. Award for a third year in a row. • Flyweight, Maxime Langlois of Longveuil, Quebec, Canada wins the overall men’s point sparring world title. SUPER GRANDS VI - San Antonio, Texas, USA - 1995 • Jody Sasaki of Oxnard, California, USA wins unprecedented third • With a fiesta flair, the Super Grands is held in the Civic Auditorium consecutive world titles in both traditional self-defense and kenpo. on the famous San Antonio Riverwalk in Texas and debuts the 25 foot 4 2014 SUPER GRANDS Super Grands balloon on the hotel roof that is visible throughout the • The Firefighters Team wins the Team of the Year Award for the city's skyline. second year in a row. • Tony Lopez of San Antonio, Texas, USA wins the most world titles • The Guate-Kenpo school of Guatemala wins the School of the Year with four. Award for the sixth consecutive time. • Juan Jose Rodriguez ties Christine Bannon-Rodrigues’ all time record of 8 total world titles. SUPER GRANDS IX - Savannah, Georgia, USA - 1998 • Team Karate International coached by Chris Colombo wins the • The four Grand Finales features a gigantic competition viewing Team of the Year Award. screen visible to all Finale attendees as they sit in their hotel guest room • The Guate-Kenpo school of Guatemala wins the School of the Year balconies and watch the super-star Finales as they unfold in the hotel Award for the atrium. fourth consecutive • Adrian time. Ulanoff of San Antonio, Texas, SUPER GRANDS USA sets a new VII - Washington, standard winning 7 D.C., USA - 1996 world titles in a • With an single year during Americana theme photo by Heather Crump his retirement of red, white and Super Grands com- blue, the Super petition. He topped Grands is held at Juan Jose the famed Rodriguez’ 14 W a s h i n g t o n overall world titles Marriott Hotel in with his total of 20 the nation’s capital. during five consec- • Juan Jose utive years. Rodriguez reigns • Adam once again with the Longoria becomes most overall world the fourth player to titles totaling 11 win five or more over four years. titles in a single • Mark Hicks of year. Oakland and Leo • Danielle Creer of Los Dixon of San Angeles, California, Antonio, Texas, USA both win their USA wins a spar- point sparring titles ring title for the for the fourth year seventh consecu- in a row, setting tive year in a row, new world records. the longest contin- • The uous span in NBL Firefighters Team history. sponsored by Neal • Ryan Huntley Adams, wins the of Anaheim, Team of the Year California, USA Award. wins a junior point • The Guate- sparring world title Kenpo school of for a record four Guatemala wins the years in a row. School of the Year • Adrian Award for the fifth Ulanoff wins his consecutive time. fifth musical forms title in a row, a SUPER GRANDS record for the most VIII - Colorado contemporary Springs, Colorado, forms titles won in USA - 1997 consecutive years. • At the foot hills • Matthew of the picturesque Winsper of Great Rocky Mountains Three time world champion El-Java Abdul-Qadir of Syracuse, New York, USA and four time world champion Britain stuns the the Super Grands is Jermond Wiggins of Atlanta, Georgia, USA – 2013 winners of light heavy and middleweight point sparring crowd by winning held at the Sheraton the men’s mid- Hotel sporting a dleweight division.