Syracuse is the place to be for Martial Arts competitors from across the north-eastern United States and Canada this Saturday, as the North Area Family YMCA host their annual Open Martial Arts Tournament. Hundreds of competitors and supporters will be gathered at Northside Baptist Church in Liverpool to share the love of martial arts, and to watch competitors of all ages and talent levels compete.
Sensei James Coker of the North Area Family YMCA always loves to see how far the competitors in his classes have come, and takes pride in knowing that the activity helps them in their everyday lives as well.
"It helps them in their school work ," says Sensei James Coker from the North Area YMCA, "even if they play outside sports like basketball or football you see the improvement."
But all of the focus will be on Martial Arts this weekend, and hopefully gaining more interest from the community.
"(To have) everybody to come and see it in one spot locally," says Martial Arts Competitor Kelly Stone, "(to) see the talent that we not only have here but in the surrounding area, (it will attract) competitors to come here and make it bigger (so we can) have a lot more fun."
Click on the video link for more on our area's competitors.
