Kata, literally meaning forms, are a set sequence of karate moves requiring speed and precision required by karatekas, practitioners of karate. They are usually made up of kihon, or the basics of karate. Kumite, or sparring, is the combination of basic techniques and more complex forms against an opponent.

This past October, senior Akane Wakai and sophomore Moe Wakai both competed for the U.S. international team in the Shoto Cup, an international karate competition held in Tokyo, Japan. Both siblings competed in separate rounds of sparring and forms. Akane Wakai placed 7th internationally in the forms competition.

“It was my first time competing against people my age, and it was really neat to see people my age, high school girls, who take it as seriously as I do and even more seriously sometimes,” Akane Wakai said. “That was really inspiring because a lot of times I just train with people who are older and more experienced.”

The sisters have trained for three and a half years at the Japan Karate Association of Boston. Due to the low number of high school athletes who take the sport so seriously, potential members of the U.S. team are chosen by instructors across the nation if they are deemed ready. The sisters’ instructor, Eiji Toryu, endorsed their participation in the competition.

According to Akane Wakai, the forms event is a competition between two people in each preliminary round. The judges give a specific set of instructions for which movement to perform, and then decide the winner between the two. In the final round, a karateka performs the form of their choice, and is graded using a point system.

In competition sparring, the purpose is to apply karate techniques against an opponent in order to score points under certain regulations. These regulations determine valid techniques and target areas.

“Sparring didn’t go as well as forms,” Akane Wakai said. “I placed 7th in forms. For sparring, I went up against a Danish girl who was about six feet tall. She hit me in the face twice and that was really painful, actually. She didn’t have much control.”

Akane Wakai lost in the first round of sparring, but said it was a good experience for her months of practice.

“People had prepared me more timewise for sparring, and I felt—not bitter, but more disappointed that I got out in the first round. I couldn’t do as much as people taught me,” she said. “I cried a lot after the first round. I mean, it was painful, but it was also just that losing is tough.”

According to Akane Wakai, after her loss, she was able to watch the adult division compete.

“Seeing that was even more incredible,” she said. “It made me want to do it more and train harder.”

Moe Wakai said she did not want to compete at first, but her sister and parents motivated her to participate after she was also endorsed by their instructor.

“If I were alone, I wouldn’t have had the motivation I had with my sister doing it next to me. It got me motivated to compete,” Moe Wakai said. “She usually trains next to me or around me. Whenever I’d catch a glimpse of her, she’d have a lower stance or a better something and I would try to imitate her. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. She helped me to learn.”

According to the Japan Karate Association, the goal of karate is not just to score points. Karate is also about developing balance within each athlete both mentally and physically. The idea of karate is that through rigorous training, athletes can also cultivate good character.

Yutaka Wakai, the father of the two sisters, attended the competition along with his wife to see his daughters compete.

“Their performances were great. We saw that they showed their strong spirits, had no fear, were not nervous, were enjoying the moment and were relaxed,” he said. “We were glad to see that they showed good friendship and could also make some new friends during the tournament.”

Yutaka Wakai said that he and his wife were very proud of their daughters and were happy that they felt so appreciative toward everyone who supported them along the way.

“This was a great opportunity for them to know their level in the world,” Yutaka Wakai said. “We would like them to continue it as valuable mental discipline and to seek perfection of character.”

According to Akane Wakai, she was able to learn more about her sport by interacting with the members of other teams, such as the Japanese international team.

“They are so amazing. The best way to describe it would be breathtaking. That’s the kind of karate that I’d like to pursue,” Akane Wakai said. “We got to bond because we had karate, this shared interest. Once we were on the mats, we were opponents, but after that we were just teenagers.”

Conor Amrien can be contacted at [email protected]