A Vancouver teen halfway around the world is hoping to make his country proud of him today.

Khyber Barnett, 17, is a member of the Canadian team competing in the World Karate Federation Junior, Cadet, and U21 Championships 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The tournament, which runs Thursday to Sunday (November 12 to 15), has attracted 1,425 competitors from 91 nations. The Canadian delegation is comprised of 27 young athletes competing at various levels (there are almost three dozen categories in total).

Started at a very young age

Barnett, a Vancouver College student who lives with his family a short walk away from his dojo (training facility), near Main Street and Southwest Marine Drive, has been involved with karate for most of his young life.

 “I started when I was five,” he told the Georgia Straight by phone the day before he flew to Indonesia with his parents (both of whom have trained along with their son for the past dozen years).

“I just remember I really was not very good when I started. When I was eight I changed dojos, and I ended up really sprouting there.”

“There” is Kimeru Shotokan Karate, which has the distinction of having produced more national and "kata" champions than any other Canadian dojo. Karate kata are various ritualized and specific movements and postures that simulate fighting and are practised and perfected over years of strict training. Athletes can compete in solo kata—as will Barnett, against 16- and 17-year-olds—or as a team.

“For kata, you are trying, essentially, to do everything perfect,” Barnett said.

Won many honours in 2015 alone

Barnett might not always be perfect, but he has acquired his share of honours since he started competing in his chosen martial art. In 2015 alone, he won bronze (solo) and gold (team) medals in kata at the USA Karate Open as well as gold and silver in solo kata at the Junior International Cup and North American Cup, respectively.

He shares the number-one Canadian ranking in male team kata (with Bunkai), holds the top national rank for male kata (form), and boasts the title of Karate Canada’s national junior male athlete of the year (2015).

In his home province, he is 2015’s Karate B.C. junior male athlete of the year and also captured that organization’s provincial male grand champion title (which includes adults). As well, a recent invitation to try out for the Karate B.C. senior team saw Barnett nab the number-two spot. This means that at next years national championships (the selection tournament for Team Canada), he will compete on behalf of both the junior and senior B.C. teams.

“Sprouting”, indeed. And that is by no means a comprehensive summary of his accomplishments and recognition.

Pumped about travelling to world juniors

The junior world championships take place every two years, alternating with the senior competitions, and Barnett is tickled to be there representing his country at this latest one.

“Oh, yeah, I’m definitely excited. It’s kind of a challenge, a personal challenge to represent Canada as best as I can,” he explained. “There is a long qualification process. This year, you had to win the national championship.”

The juniors is also the first time he has competed outside of North America. “It’s the biggest karate tournament in the world, definitely the biggest one I’ve been in,” he said.

To prepare for tournaments, Barnett said, he mainly relies on practicing his kata, although he “sometimes looks up the videos of my competition”. “I’m going up against 45-plus other countries [in his category], and each will be sending their best competitors.”

Stranger to nerves and superstition

So, is he apprehensive about Jakarta? “I’m not the type to really get nervous,” he said, noting that he doesn’t feel ill or get sick before competitions. “I’m more worried about actually getting there,” he added with a laugh.

Barnett explained that instincts and training tend to take over when it’s his turn to compete, although his memories of the contests themselves aren’t always consistent.

“Once it starts, I’m good. Some tournaments, I remember every move. Others, I remember everything before and after—I don’t remember any of my time on the mat at all!”

One thing he doesn’t share with some athletes in other sports is superstition, instead substituting confidence. “No, I’m not superstitious in the slightest,” he declared. “I know how I’ve trained and I know what I can do.”

Another dream awaits

Asked if he thinks he might ever get tired of participating in karate competitions, Barnett paused slightly (“There’s always that possibility”) before revealing what will be his driving ambition for the next few years.

“There’s also a possibility that karate will get in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” he noted. (The International Olympic Committee will decide on karate’s inclusion—along with four other sports, including baseball—in August 2016.)

“Karate in Tokyo: that would be fun,” Barnett said.

“That would be a dream.”

With a little more sprouting after Jakarta and a favourable decision by the IOC in Rio de Janeiro next year, maybe Khyber Barnett’s dream will become reality.