SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego may no longer have professional football or basketball teams, but it does have a fiercely competitive karate team celebrating another world championship title.
Team Freestyle, based out of a martial arts studio in Point Loma, just returned from the International Sport Karate Association tournament in Orlando, Florida this summer, as world champions in the demo performance division.
The group of young athletes competes in the world's largest martial arts competitions, proudly representing San Diego on the international stage.
"It's just great kind of being like the underdogs. San Diego like packs a punch," Norie McLaughlin said.
The team performed the same routine they practice daily to earn their world championship title.
"I was really, really happy because we put a lot of time into it," said Abigail Hunck.
"It was really indescribable. It was like a year of just like sacrificing and blood, sweat, tears going into it," McLaughlin said.
Team Freestyle practices together three times a week for five hours at a time. Many members also train individually for their own categories, an additional 1 to 2 hours per day.
Team member Judah Sagawa explained the team's journey to victory. He said their team won back in 2023, but then some teammates left for college and they had to start over again, forming a new team that moved in perfect sync. In 2024, they lost by 0.01 points.
"So we really just worked as hard as we possibly could that following year, and then in 2025 we were able to take the win," Sagawa said.
"That was one of the most special moments of my life," he said.
The team is handpicked by Sensei Will Jackson. Unlike the all-star teams they compete against, every single member of Team Freestyle comes from the same studio.
"Everyone's basically family. We're all really close with each other. We all motivate each other," one team member said.
The teammates even critique one another to improve their performance.
"That's what we need. We don't win without that and I think having a team where everyone can hold each other accountable, that's the reason why we've been able to be so successful," a team member said.
Hunck previously won three world championship titles in sport karate. Now she and Team Freestyle are gearing up for their next big stage - a tournament in Chicago this January.
"Just because we won last year doesn't mean we can take a break. We still have to keep training and get ready for next year, winning the IK world title," Hunck said.
