(Nippon Karate-do Club/ supplied)

By Ian Gustafson

Provincial success

Red Deer karate athletes qualify for national championships

Jun 27, 2025 | 11:35 AM

Red Deer-based Nippon Karate-do Club is celebrating the accomplishments of their athletes and coaches at the Karate Alberta Provincial Tournament.

The tournament, which took place in Calgary, saw athletes from Red Deer excel and earn recognition across multiple divisions.

The event featured the top martial artists from across the province for a full-day of competition.

“Their achievements reflect not only their hard work and commitment, but also the high-quality instruction provided by our coaching team and the unwavering support of the Red Deer community,” as stated in a media release. “This success marks a significant milestone in the continued growth of karate in our region and serves as a powerful inspiration for other young athletes striving for excellence in martial arts.”

Four competitors from Red Deer brought home hardware including Cody Corotan, who earned silver medals in the advanced U14 male division. His medals were achieved in both the forms and sparring competitions.

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Blake Corotan also claimed silver in the same two events in the advanced U12 male division and Sophia Hernandez claimed the bronze medal in the advanced U16 female division in sparring.

(Nippon Karate-do Club/ supplied)

Finally, Jaeden Sioco also won two medals in the novice U16 male division including a silver in forms and a bronze in sparring.

All three athletes who competed in the advanced category are now ranked on the Karate Alberta team and will represent the province at the national championships. They hope to one day compete at the international level such as the Pan-American Championships and the Olympic Games.

“These outstanding achievements were made possible under the expert guidance of Sensei Jun Art and Sensei Jonard Corotan, dedicated coaches of Nippon Karatedo Club in Red Deer,” as stated in the release. “Both are seasoned traditional karate practitioners and elite Olympic-style karateka who competed at high levels back in the Philippines, bringing a wealth of experience and excellence to their students in Canada.”