DARIEN, Conn. — Darien had a strong turnout at the 2024 Kenpo Classic on June 2. The martial arts tournament attracted 350 athletes from Connecticut and New York, ages 3-8, competing in 18 unique divisions.
Events at the tournament held at Wilton Field House included:
- Maneuver – A series of skilled movements including blocks, strikes and throws used in self-defense.
- Kata – longer, highly detailed choreographed martial arts movement patterns
- Sparring – A full-contact, “free-form” combat sport in which fighters use protective gear and compete to outscore their opponent.
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Sensei Michael Nahan, owner and head instructor of Kenpo Karate in Darien, organized the tournament.
Great accomplishments for Kenpo Darien students
- DHS students William Raskoff, 15, and Arjun Vaidya, 16, took first and second places, respectively, in the Sparring Teen, a double-elimination event. Darien students swept the division with Alexander Trzaska taking third place and Aaron DeHamer taking fourth place.
- Five-year-old Winston Nahan (last name LQ) had a big day at Wilton this year, becoming the youngest to win placement trophies in multiple events. He took second place in both the 5-year-old sparring and the 4-6 year-old maneuvers.
- Dylan O'Connor (age 6) fought with great heart in the sparring 6-year-old class. After an early loss, he worked his way through the lower groups and made it to the finals where he faced another Darien student, Lede Kaspryske. Kaspryske had an undefeated record in the winners group. In an incredible back-and-forth final, O'Connor won a tiebreaker match point to take the win. Kaspryske took home the second place trophy in his first tournament.
- Another incredibly close match in the Sparring 9s saw a similar unfold. Max Alvarez, with laser-like focus and a determined gaze, scored match point in the tiebreaker to take first place. Alvarez was up against the talented (and ever-present at trophy ceremonies) Bodie O'Brien, who took home two trophies that day with a stellar performance: second place in Sparring 9s and third place in Maneuvers 9s.
Other tournament results
Sparring Age 5
- Jace Rose wins
- Winston Nahan came in second.
- Reeve Smith came in third.
- Karen Malone came in 4th.
Sparring 6 years old (Group A)
- Grace Murphy came in second.
- Victor Mora took third place
- Henry Lumpkin came in 4th.
Sparring 6 years old (Group B)
- Dylan O'Connor is #1
- Lede Kasprisk came in second.
- Darren Xu came in third.
Maneuver Age 4-6 years (AK)
- Andrea Dooley came in second.
- Colby Fulton placed 4th
Maneuvers for 4-6 year olds (LQ)
- Winston Nahan came in second.
- Liu Ho-ju came in third.
- Noah Lee came in 4th
Maneuver Age 4-6 years (RZ)
- Darren Xu is #1
- Saanvi Thakkar came in 4th.
Darien student wins sparring in 7-year-old class:
- Patrick Crowell wins
- Finn Graves came in second.
- Charlie Moore came in third.
- Charlie Grant came in 4th.
Maneuver Age 7
- Augusto Peloso came in third.
Sparring 8 years old
- Jackson Wilczek came in second.
- Maggie Grant came in third.
- Max Davis finished 4th
Maneuver Age 8
- Jackson Wilczek came in second.
- Adriel Cook came in third.
- Christina Filewich came in 4th.
Sparring Age 9
- Max Alvarez wins
- Bodie O'Brien came in second.
- Henry Moore came in third.
Maneuver Age 9
- William Kramer is #1
- Camila Hernandez came in second.
- Bodie O'Brien came in third.
Darien student wins 10 and under sparring division:
- Danielle Courtney is #1
- Aryan Patel came in second.
- Marshall Davis came in third.
- Jack Jongman came in 4th.
Maneuver Age 10
- Wiley Graves came in second.
- Chantal Kostlewski came in third.
Sparring 11-12 years old
- Tyler McMaster is #1
- Stefan Belopavlovic came in second.
- Jacob Zaremba took third place
Under 12 years old
- Stefan Belopavlovic came in third.
Darien student wins Sparring TEEN:
- William Raskoff is #1
- Arjun Vaidya comes second
- Alexandre Turzaska came in third
- Aaron DeHamer finished 4th
Darien students conquer Kata Forms Teen:
- Aaron DeHamer took first place
- William Raskoff came in second.
- Tavisha Tucker came in third.
- Ali Maturo came in 4th.
