James Morrison, 14, is heading to Bregenz, Austria, this September to compete for the honour of becoming a World Martial Arts Champion.

James is a member of the Canadian National Martial Arts team and has been selected to represent Sagayo School of Martial Arts at the 2013 World Martial Arts Games held Sept. 4 to 9 at Schendlinger Hall in Bregenz. The seventh annual games bring together 500 to 1,000 of the top martial artists in the world to compete in over 300 divisions encompassing the disciplines of extreme martial arts, grappling, karate, kickboxing, kung fu, sport jujutsu, taekwondo and others.

“I’ll be practising all summer (and) probably do two-hour practices more likely than one,” James said, noting he would be competing in the point sparring, kata and continuous sparring events. “During the summer I’ll go to Yolanda’s (Sagayo) house and she’ll help me out there.”

James said he qualified for the games after winning a gold medal in hand forms at the 2011 Pan American Martial Arts Games. He also finished first in kata at the 2011 Scheers Western Plains Tournament and won a silver medal in point sparring at the 2012 Can-Am Classic Open Martial Arts Tournament.

Sagayo said James has continuously entered into tournaments since he started training with her three years ago and always does well. She said it is expected James would place high at the worlds this fall too.

“He has done really good,” said Sagayo. “He works real hard and does a pretty good job. He is representing the Sagayo School of Martial Arts here in Davidson, but he is also representing Canada (at the worlds). It’s quite an exciting thing for him.”

The Sagayo School of Martial Arts in Davidson usually closes down for the summer months due to low membership during that time, but Sagayo said she would be offering James special lessons to get him ready for the tournament.

“He is going to come and train here in Girvin,” she said, adding they’ll likely practise outside in her front yard. “I told him I’m willing to train him for July and August until he goes in September, because you don’t want to have a holiday for two months and then go for that tournament. You have to train.”

Michelle Morrison, James’ mother, said the family is holding a fund-raising drive right now to try and come up with the estimated $2,825 that is needed to get her son to Austria for the five-day tournament and back again. She said James is contributing his savings of $300 and they are putting up $500 for the trip, but that still leaves them a little over $2,000 short.

To read more please see the June 10 print edition of The Davidson Leader.