Please support Brandon on his road to Pan Ams!

Hi,

My name is Brandon Nakajima-Wu and I am a USA Karate athlete. My karate journey began at Kai Leung’s Shotojuku dojo, my second home. I consistently train there while also studying at St. John’s University, working towards my Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Last summer, I competed at USA Karate Nationals and qualified for the opportunity to compete in the USA Karate’s Senior Team trials.

I have competed worldwide over the years, but this Senior Team Trials was extra special!

On February 19th, in Eatontown NJ, after 7 grueling rounds, battling it out with the best of the best in the country, literally spilling my blood sweat and tears (a bloody and broken nose, and vomiting), with my friends and family cheering me along all the way, I was able to secure second place! This gave me a spot on the National team and awarded me the opportunity to compete at the North American Cup and Pan American Games Qualifier in April, as well as the Pan American Championships in May as an official USA Karate representative.

For those of you that have been following me over the years may know this already but, I started karate at age 9 because I was shy, timid, and was getting picked on at school. At 10, I started competing locally to motivate me to continue the martial art. Since then I’ve made the Junior National Team 6 times and now the Senior National Team twice. Karate has taught me confidence, discipline, and perseverance. Karate has also given me the opportunity to travel the world, push myself to my limits, and make new friends. It is a great honor and I take pride in being able to represent our country now on an International stage.

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to compete at these elite level tournaments and test my abilities against some of the best in the world. Unfortunately, karate is a self-funded sport, and this is why I am asking for your help and support. All donations will be greatly appreciated and will go toward travel, hotel, competition, and training costs. Keeping up with my studies and allotting the time to train at an elite level is demanding but I promise to give it my all these next few months and when I compete. Hopefully, come April, I will be the North American Champion and come May I will be Pan American Champion.