Event & Article Details
Another premier Martial Arts Event written by Johnnie Murphy
Jason Holmes and Akari Holmes hosted this on August 9, 2025, a Top Dog Martial Arts Event
This year’s tournament was held in Double Tree Hotel located at Houston’s beautiful Greenway Plaza area. Jason Holmes and the TKO organization pulled together to make this event an exceptional competition. This tournament was a WKL world karate championships qualifier and there were competitors from all over Texas and surrounding states attending. TKO is an impressive organization as last year’s TKO State championships were held in November 2024 at the beautiful Hilton Anatoli in downtown Dallas, Texas. It was attended by world class athletes. The WKL World Championships, an integral part of the overall relationship with the two entities, were held in beautiful Galveston, Texas at the San Louis Convention Center. Many people use these major events as a mini vacation’s as they are typically held at four and five star hotels grand ballrooms.
Many famous Martial Artists attended this year’s Top Dog Championships and helped judge in the massive adult and children’s divisions. One of the better known and great talented black belts were Derrick Stinson student of Chuck Norris and a master of Chuck Norris’s Chun Kuk Do and Kickstart system, who amazed everyone in the black belt kata divisions with probably one of the most entertaining creative weapons kata routines with a sword, a staff and cool music and areal techniques that wowed the crowd watching including myself. Although Derrick did not win due to a minor dropping error, I felt he was one of the stars of the tournament. World Champion Carol Parenti of Champions Bushido was another World Champion that was amazing in the women’s creative weapons division with one of the most awesome displays of musical creative weapons kata of the event.
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In the adult black belt sparring divisions, the senior gladiators ruled. With Tony Mosley now in his 50’s showing that senior champions still got it with an impressive win as he showed off his arsenal of kicks and blitzes that were reminiscent of his performances 20 years ago in the old NBL and Texas AOK matches as he took home his beautiful Top Dog champions ring in the senior 45 plus sparring division win. Not to be outdone Willie Hicks, the consummate Road Warrier was the last man standing in the adult black belt sparring as he showed why he is one of the greatest fighters in Texas. Willie ended up taking home the men’s sparring grand championship money and of course his Beautiful Top Dog champion’s ring. Christina Subonj who has become the one of the top competitors in Texas Sport Karate and is referred to as “Spongy” easily overcame her competition in the women’s Sparring and overall, Kata division to win her ring and the women’s grand championships in both combine men and women Kata and women’s point sparring.
This year’s talented TKO/WKL champions who attended this event set the standard for being one of this year’s most talented adult and children’s tournaments of this 2025 TKO season that I have been to. The children’s divisions were packed as was the entire venue with several divisions where the competitors could hardly be seated around the ring. The competition in both Sparring, Kata, Kickboxing, Grappling, Breaking and Philippine Arnis stick type fighting was unparalleled in the ferocity of competition. I would have to give the event an A-plus rating for the talent of these kids and adults as well as the efficiency and professionalism of the TKO officials. Congratulations to Jason and Akari Holms for this year’s exceptional event.
