March 13, 2022 was Luis Morales’ Virtual WKC Qualifier. This was the second WKC Virtual Qualifier of the season and a great opportunity for all of those competitors who performed well in February to keep their momentum moving ever closer to the WKC Virtual World Championships at the end of the season in July. And, as is true of every event, it presented an opportunity for each athlete to perform their best, and push toward a world title.

The WKC’s focus on international competition was apparent in these events with a huge turnout from Guatemala and Canada as well as a few from Ecuador, Mexico, and the UK.

Of these competitors, there were a few new names that stood out in our teen divisions:

Brent Haney competed out of Guatemala for the 15-17 boys dominated in multiple divisions with great skills and quite a variety of abilities. Showcasing traditional weapons, Kempo, Korean form and even jumping into the classical form pool, he brought an energy and technical ability to do high-level kata, and lots of them, in an impressive number of divisions. He’s a competitor to watch and if he demonstrates the same impressive fire and skill in future events, we’re all going to know his name.

Brent Haney | MAT Action

Brent Haney | MAT Actionwww.mataction.com

Austin Hladek won 15-17 boys classical in a definitive manner. Showcasing speed, power, and a dynamism that was exciting to see, even through a screen. Austin dominated his divisions and brought a certain energy to each performance, making it memorable and impressive. With such a good start, the sky is the only limit for this young man.

Aileeryia Steffen was the final newcomer that made us all doubletake. She was a tornado of power and delivery in her divisions, winning 5 out of her seven entries, and she dominated the girls' 15-17 divisions all day. Showcasing a poise and intensity that was unrivaled, she’s a powerhouse to keep an eye on and we can’t wait to see what future events hold in store for her.

To ALL of the competitors in the Morales’ WKC Virtual Qualifier, congratulations!

You can watch the action from the February event on YouTube with these links:

2022 WKC Virtual League - Plowden Event Zoom Room 1youtu.be

WKC Virtual League - 2022 Plowden Qualifier Event Ring 2youtu.be

2022 WKC Virtual League - Plowden Event Zoom Room (Ring) 3youtu.be

2022 WKC Virtual League - Plowden Event Zoom Room (Ring) 4youtu.be

And to those of you interested in dipping your toe into virtual competition and finding a new avenue to hone your skills, we have more events coming up!

The next Virtual WKC Event is the Bernardo & Douvris WKC Virtual Qualifier on May 29. Competitors who place in the top 4 of any WKC Black Belt division will earn the right to try out for their country's team for that division (Canada, USA and Guatemala only). We’re looking forward to seeing all of our up and comers step up and continue wowing us, and we’ll be on the lookout for more future stars!

For the next SMA Virtual Tour events, we have the Corona Cup on June 5, 2022. This is the third installment in the SMA Virtual Tour, and we couldn’t be more excited to host it for all of our returning competitors, and for all the new faces we hope to see.

If you’re interested in Virtual Competition, or just want to learn a little more about upcoming events, come visit us at www.mataction.com.

If you’re interested in some amazing coverage and great photos, come on over to www.sportmartialarts.com and check out what we have to offer.