TEN-YEAR-OLD Angelina Moulas is well on her way to becoming a third generational star in the world of martial arts, after placing at a national karate event.
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Oak Flats resident Angelina has been training since she was five, and is a junior black belt.
She trains at her family's dojo in Oak Flats, the Arthur Moulas Martial Arts Centre, where they practice the uechi-ryu form of karate.
Her father Nick, the dojo's owner/instructor has been training for 30 years, and teaching karate and Muay Thai for 15 years.
He was trained by his father, Hanshi Arthur Moulas.
Sensei Arthur is considered one of Australia's foremost authorities on Okinawan karate and kobudo.
Uechi-ryu is heavily influenced by the circular movements in kung fu from the Fujian province of China. It is principally based on movements of the Tiger, Dragon, and Crane.
Angelina was selected to represent NSW as part of its squad and compete at the nationals tournament, run by the Australian Karate Federation, in Adelaide earlier this month.
At the prestigious three-day competition, Angelina competed in the 10 years girls, under 35kg division, and finished second in sparring, or kumite.
Angelina said her favourite aspect of the sport was sparring and fighting, and had trained hard to gain her silver medal.
She also wanted to keep pursuing the sport.
"Every second weekend up in Liverpool she had squad training, state training," her father said of the hard work she did prior to the titles.
"Then also training here in the dojo, two, three times a week at least."
Nick said uechi-ryu was growing throughout the country and popular internationally.
"It's (martial arts) a great workout for the kids, it's good for their focus and normally it makes them confident," he said.
