CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – When then-8-year-old Kira Jones watched the movie Kung Fu Panda, she decided to learn karate to be like just like the panda. After a decade of practice, Jones now finds herself on a national kickboxing and karate team winning medals in worldwide competitions.
Jones, a senior in Middle College at Austin Peay, won six gold medals and one bronze in the World Kickboxing and Karate Union International Championship tournament held in Cardiff, Wales from Oct. 23-28. Jones represented the U.S. team IMPEX-KTOC, and won gold medals for hard style kata, traditional kata, weapons no music, traditional weapons, point fighting, and team point fighting.
Jones was honored for the accomplishment at the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
“It felt normal to me, but that’s just because I’ve been doing this for more than half of my life,” Jones told Clarksville Now.
She’s won so many trophies, she’s running out of space to hold them all. “We have an entire room that we kind of put it in, and we had to start breaking apart some of the trophies, and like, doing little collages with like resin because we’re running out of room.”
Ten years ago, Jones’ fascination with karate led her to training in martial arts, and she quickly began entering tournaments.
When Jones was 10 years old, her tournament team at a local martial arts studio disbanded, leaving her to compete by herself. Jones almost quit karate had it not been for her parents’ support and encouragement.
“They kind of just pushed me to keep going and saying things would eventually get better, and I mean they did because I’m now on a national team,” Jones said.
She began working with Joey Castro, a private coach and sensei at Juan Kan Karate Dojo, where she continues to train.
Now 18, Jones has a decade of karate under her belt, and she’s a private coach to 8-year-old Kaden Walker, who also medaled at the WKU International Championship tournament in his age group.