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  • Shihan Katsuhito Gorai, left, Christian Buffaloe, center, and his father/instructor Kenny Buffaloe. (Photo/Submitted)

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February 6, 2013

Buffaloe fighting in Japan

FOR THE DAILY SOUTHERNER SUBMITTED

ROCKY MOUNT — Christian Buffaloe, 13 year old local Kyokushin fighter, recently gained 2nd place in the youth division(12-13) in the 2013 Kyokushin USWC Championship Tournament in Los Angeles, Ca. There were competitors from 10 different countries. The  prestigious event was sponsored by the International Kyokushin Karate Organization in Tokyo, Japan and was a qualifying tournament for the upcoming International Kyokushin Karate Youth Championships in Tokyo, Japan in April. By gaining one of the top 3 places, Christian becomes a  contender for the World youth title representing the United States and North Carolina. There will be over 1,500 competitors from around the world fighting for the title of the best full contact youth competitor on the planet. Christian is very excited and looking forward to this great opportunity. Christian is the current All American Kyokushin Karate youth champion and has already started preparing for this championship event under his father/trainer Kenny Buffaloe, a former Edgecombe County resident.

In the 2013 Kyokushin USWC Tournament on Jan. 26, Christian  advanced to the finals of the youth division(12 - 13 years) and faced a strong, 3 time National Champion from the Ukraine with many years of tournament experience. Christian lost by a half point with only 2 seconds left in the match. His second place victory secures him a spot in the International Kyokushin Youth Championships in Japan as a contender for the world youth title.

Christian and his father/trainer Kenny will be featured on WITN TV 7's "Sunrise Show" on Tuesday, March 5 at 6:00 a.m. They will perform several Kyokushin Karate and weapons demonstrations and will then be interviewed about the new documentary movie on their lives and the upcoming International Kyokushin Youth Championships in Tokyo, Japan in April. The documentary movie is being produced by award winning director Jochen Kunstler and will be released this Spring. The movie will then be entered into several film festivals in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The goal is for the movie to be picked up by a major motion picture studio and released as a feature film in the future. The film tells the story of how Kenny

Buffaloe trained his son Christian here in rural North Carolina to be able to compete at world level in these international competitions with no previous experience or fighting opportunities. It also chronicles their unusual relationship as father/son and teacher/student in Kyokushin, a traditional Japanese form of the martial arts.

Kenny and son Christian will appear at the International Festival of Cultures at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 1:00 p.m. They will do demonstrations of Kyokushin Karate and Okinawan weapons, representing the culture of Japan. The event is free to the public.

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