Emory Leads Field For 2019 US Open
After 59 world titles and 12 ISKA championships, Mackensi Emory is not satisfied.
Winning all but three grand championships in the past two years, the 22-year-old California native looks to continue her impressive career on Independence day weekend, as she joins some of Karate’s greatest athletes for the 2019 ISKA US OPEN in Orlando, Florida.
Starting gymnastics at just 10-months-old, Emory has been developing as an athlete her entire life. Integrating her over 12-years in gymnastics with her work as a martial artist, leading her to be ranked #1 in the world by ISKA.
The first female tricker to ever land a double corkscrew, Emory takes pride in her accomplishments, and looks to stand firm as the top athlete in the sport, even with the threat of competition looming in the form of Sammy Smith, a New York native who has snagged a couple of titles out of Emory’s hands.
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“She’s the only other female in my division that pushes me to the level I want me to be at,” Emory told FIGHT SPORTS prior to the 2018 ISKA US OPEN.
“Sammy and I aren’t the closest friends, we are rivals, but I have a lot of respect for her. A lot of her performance has pushed me to up that aspect of my form.”
Not only has Emory taken the world of martial arts by storm, but the Californian has transitioned into the world of TV and movies by becoming a stunt woman.
Looking to be a role model for young athletes, she hopes to inspire and entertain with each performance, especially when she returns to Orlando for the 2019 ISKA US OPEN from July 4-6th in Orlando, Florida.