Sensei Emmy Knight
Performance Coach
Emmy Knight has been training in Wado Karate for 12 years and holds the grade of 3rd Dan.
Emmy has trained and competed all over the world since age 9 and has amassed over 150 medals and trophies.
She is the Sakura Performance Coach and Squad captain.
Wado Experience
Emmy began Karate aged 4 years old training at home with her Mom Becky and later at the Sakura Little Ninja’s class (Little Lions) in 2008 where she instantly showed her competitiveness. 18 months later she entered her first competition, the Mushindo Wadokai Championships, where she performed Pinan Nidan and won a bronze medal.
Emmy continued her training at Sakura and her competition success at local and National competitions. In 2010, aged 7 she began training at Way to Excellence courses with Sakagami Sensei 8th Dan as the youngest student to complete the 4 hour training course. In 2014 she competed in her first Wadokai European Championships and performed brilliant kata to win a Gold and Silver medal marking the beginning of her international career. In 2015 she began training with Sakagami Sensei privately in preparation for the Wadokai World Championships to be held in Japan in August the same year. Sakagami Sensei asked for special permission from the president of JKF for Emmy to enter the championships due to being only 12 years old, the required age being a minimum of 14 years. Emmy went on to perform Kushanku, Wanshu and Chinto Kata over the weekend of the championships and won a fantastic bronze medal. She also trained with Okumachi Sensei 7th Dan in the Tokyo Dojo during the trip to Japan along with her team mates from Wadokai England.
Emmy was awarded her JKF (Japanese Karate Federation) 1st Dan in June 2015, her JKF 2nd Dan in 2017 and her 3rd Dan in 2019. During the past 12 years she has trained with many different instructors in many dojo around the world and gained a great knowledge of Wado karate which she now uses to coach students at Sakura. Her competition success continued in 2015 with numerous local and national wins and in October she won another gold and silver medal at the Wadokai European championships held in Hungary. Emmy was the Aiwakai National Kata champion in 2015, 2016 and 2017 she also won numerous other medals in kumite and team kata/kumite. In 2016 Emmy won a staggering 36 medals and trophies in individual, pairs, team Kata and individual, team Kumite disciplines showing her amazing versatility. Along with training towards her 2nd Dan in 2017 she also managed to win bronze medals at the EKF and British championships in Kumite, Double gold in the Sakagami cup in Dublin for Kata & Kumite, 5th place in both disciplines in the Gothenburg Open and finished the year as the Wadokai European champion in kumite winning all 7 fights over the weekend. Emmy also won a silver medal in the same competition held in Sardinia for Kata and a silver for team kumite.
Present Day
Since 2016, Emmy has been the Sakura performance coach and squad captain. She is currently training in Shotokan Karate and in 2018 began competing using Shotokan Kata winning 3rd place at her first competition.
Emmy has been an amazing ambassador for the Association since she began competing in 2009 and continues to be an inspiration to all Sakura students.
Education & Hobbies
Emmy was home educated by her mom from 2011 to 2017 where she passed her GCSE mathematics 3 years early and now continues her academic education at Walsall College studying Sport and Personal training.
Away from Sakura Emmy enjoys gaming & music and she studies Ballet, Tap and Street dance.
Karate Achievements
2009
Sakura Inter-Club Championships – Kata Gold, Kumite Silver
Sakura Most Promising Student Award
2010
Mushindo Wadokai Championships – Kata bronze
West Bromwich Championships – Kata Silver, Kumite Silver
WAKF National Championships – Kumite Silver
Sakura Inter-Club Championships – Kata Gold, Kumite Silver, Pairs Kumite Silver
Sakura Junior Dedication Award
2011
Hon Yoso Kai Championships – Kata Bronze
Mushindo Wadokai Championships – Kata bronze
WAKF National Championships – Kumite Silver
Sakura Inter-Club Championships – Kata Gold, Kumite Gold, Pairs Kata Gold
2012
Sakura Inter-Club Championships – Kata Gold, Kumite Silver
Sakura 5 year Dedication Award
2013
Sakura Inter-Club Championships – Kata Silver, Kumite Gold
2014
Mushindo Wadokai Championships – Kata bronze
WAKF National Championships – Kumite Silver
Simon Coope Championships – Kata Bronze
Wado Kata Championships – Bronze
Wadokai European Championships – Hungary – Kata Gold & Silver
2015
Hartlepool Wadokai Championships – Kata Bronze
Mushindo Wadokai Championships – Kata bronze, Pairs Kata Silver
Hei Jo Shin Championships – Kata Bronze
UK Open Championships – Kata bronze, Kumite Bronze
JKF 1st Dan
Wadokai World Championships – Nagoya, Japan – Kata Bronze
USA Open Championships – Kata Bronze
Wadokai England Championships – Kata Silver, Team Kata Silver
Wadokai European Championships – Kata Gold, Silver
WKU Championships – Kata Bronze, Kumite Bronze
Sakura Best Competitor Award
Sakura Black Belt Award
2016
Mushindo Wadokai Championships – Wado Ind 12-13 Kata Gold, Ind 14-15 Silver, Pairs Silver, Team Silver, Open Ind 12-13 Bronze, Pairs Bronze, Team Bronze
GB Open Kata League – 16+ Kata Bronze
SIKC Championships – Kumite Bronze
North East Open Championships – Kata Silver, Kumite Bronze, Team Kumite Silver
WAKF National Championships – Kata Gold, Team Kata Silver, Team Kumite Bronze
UK Open Championships – 12-13 Kumite Gold, 14-15 Kumite Bronze, 12-13 Kata Silver, 14-15 Kata Bronze, Team Kata Bronze
Wadokai European Championships – Belgium – Kata Gold, Silver, Bronze
CEWKA Championships – 12-13 Kata Silver, 14-15 Pairs Kata Bronze, 16+ Pairs Kata Silver
Nissan Open Championships – Kata Silver, Kumite Gold
Wadokai England Championships – 12-13 Kata Gold, 14-15 Kata Gold, 16+ Team Kata Gold, 15 & Under Team Kata Silver, Team Kumite Bronze
Sakura Best Competitor Award
Sakura Dedication Award
2017
KSE Gloucester Championships – Kata Gold, Kumite Silver, Team Kumite Bronze
UK Open Championships – Kumite Gold, Kata Bronze, Team Kata Silver
Gothenburg Open Championships – Sweden – Kata 5th, Kumite 5th
Sakagami Cup – Dublin – Kata Gold, Kumite Gold
JKF 2nd Dan
British Championships – Kumite Bronze
WAKF National Championships – Kata Gold, 14-15 Pairs Kata Gold, 16+ Pairs Kata Gold, 14-15 Team Kata Silver
EKF Regional Championships – Kumite Midlands Region Team Medal Winner
Wadokai European Championships – Sardinia – Kumite Gold, Kata Silver, Team Kumite Silver
Sakura Black Belt Award
Sakura 10 Year Service Award
2018 (Competing with Shotokan Kata)
North East Open – Kata Bronze