Fighters from across the region will converge on downtown Mobile next month for the 24th annual U.S. Open Challenge and KSF-K Superstar Search, a two-part martial arts tournament that has become a fixture of the city’s sports calendar and a launching pad for some of the sport’s best-known competitors.
The event, set for Saturday, June 14, at the Mobile Civic Center, will showcase Sanshou and Extreme Sanda, full-contact Chinese fighting disciplines that blend striking, throwing and grappling techniques. The tournament is organized by the Shaolin Chan Foundation and the Shaolin Institute, both of which trace a direct line back to Mobile: Grand Master Shi Deru first introduced these fighting styles to American audiences when the city hosted its inaugural challenge competition two decades ago.
“It’s been 20 years since I hosted the first official U.S. Open International Sanda/Sanshou fight in the U.S.,” Shi Deru said of the tournament’s long run in the Port City. “As a result, great fighters such as David Sanders and Cung Le have their mixed martial art fighting roots as champions here in Mobile.”
Organizers describe the June 14 gathering as effectively two events under one roof. A daytime program will feature competition in forms, weapons and light-contact divisions, along with continuous sport sparring and a limited youth Sanda bracket. Once the sun goes down, the focus shifts to the KSF-K Superstar Search, a talent hunt for the next wave of professional Sanda and mixed martial arts fighters.
Tournament organizers say the nighttime search is designed to identify standout fighters who could eventually form the core of a new league under the Kung Fu Sanshou Federation banner. Competitors will be judged on a full range of fighting skills, including punching, kicking, kneeing, throwing, intercepting and grappling.
Athletes will officially check in during a weigh-in ceremony on Friday, June 13, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Downtown in Mobile. Saturday’s competition begins at 9:55 a.m. at the Civic Center, with the day building toward a final awards presentation at 9 p.m.
Tickets are priced in tiers, with day passes and student tickets set at $10 each, main event tickets at $20, front seating at $30 and VIP seating at $50. Organizers can be reached at 251-662-3225, and additional details are posted at shaolin-world.net and artofwarsanshou.com.
The tournament isn’t the only notable item on the local sports calendar this month. Two members of the University of South Alabama women’s soccer team, Grete-Lilijane Küppas and Tiina Trutsi, have been called up to represent Estonia’s national team in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. Estonia has faced difficult competition so far, falling 6-0 to the Czech Republic on April 26 and 5-0 to Spain on May 8, with a qualifier against Latvia scheduled for June 7 as the squad continues its push toward next year’s World Cup in Canada.
USA head coach Graham Winkworth said the call-ups are a significant honor for both players. Trutsi, who suits up for club side FC Flora Tallinn, was named the 2012 Estonian Female Player of the Year and has logged 15 international appearances, while Küppas, who plays for Tammeka Tartu, has six caps for her country. The Jaguars women’s soccer program went 14-6-1 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its history.
Also on June 14, cyclists across the region will take part in the RIDEYELLOW charity bicycle ride, one of the state’s largest organized rides. Founded in 2007 by Mary Trufant and Ann White-Spunner to raise cancer awareness and build grassroots support for people affected by the disease, the ride is hosted this year by Infirmary Health and will roll out of Halliday Park in Bay Minette starting at 7 a.m. Riders can choose from a 6-mile tribute ride, a 10-mile course suited for beginners, a 37-mile moderately hilly route for intermediate cyclists or a 62-mile course for experienced riders. Last year’s event drew more than 750 cyclists and roughly 200 volunteers, raising $60,000 for local cancer-fighting organizations. Anyone interested in riding or volunteering can call 251-937-9099 or visit rideyellow.org for details.
Meanwhile, the University of South Alabama has rolled out an expanded lineup of youth sports camps for the summer. Lady Jags softball coach Becky Clark will lead two camps in June at the newly renovated Jaguar Field: a Summer Fundamentals Camp for grades seven through 12 on June 17-18 ($130), and a Little Jag Fundamentals Camp for ages 6 to 12 on June 24-25 ($110).
Track and field coach Paul Brueske will host the Azalea City Track & Field Camps June 16-19 at the Jaguar Track Facility, open to athletes ages 9 to 19 for $105 before June 4 or $115 after. The camp covers pole vault, high jump, hurdles, shot put, javelin, hammer throw, discus, long jump, triple jump and distance events. Those interested can call 251-460-7656 or email pbrueske@usouthal.edu for more information.
Registration is also open for tennis coach Nick Brochu’s academy, which will run camps June 2-6 and July 7-11 at the Bruce David Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts. Open to players from first through 12th grade, the camps offer morning sessions for $150 and all-day sessions for $250 covering technical strokes and match strategy. Interested families can call 251-460-6873 or 251-709-2003, or email nbrochu@southalabama.edu. Full details on all University of South Alabama camps and clinics are available at usajaguars.com.