Kiyou Shimizu isn’t just an athlete, she’s an artist. Just take a look at footage of her stunning win during the 2014 World Karate Championships in Bremen, Germany. She makes strong, deft movements across the mat, throwing herself gracefully in the air before landing in a low lunge with remarkable precision.
At this particular meet, she was storming through the Chatanyara Kushanku, a particularly complicated kata. The kata is an element of karate that consists of choreographed movements designed to be practiced alone in an effort to perfect one’s techniques. With her face focused and determined, the commentators in Bremen praise Shimizu’s boldness, speed and accuracy. Though a solitary figure on the mat, the energy she’s expending is electric — and the crowd, which responds enthusiastically, feels it.
Shimizu became the world champion in women’s kata at this event, and it’s a win that she hopes to repeat at this year’s Summer Olympics. It would be a particularly sweet victory for her and Japan, as these Games mark the first time karate — in both its kata and kumite (sparring) forms — will be included in the roster of events.