September 29, 2025

Written by Evan Bloom

Pictured left to right in front: Srihari Mohan, Hanshi Rande Lawrence, Sam Tadevossian

For Immediate Release

Onondaga County Has Two Karate Grand Champions

FAYETTEVILLE, NY. – September 29, 2025 – Two karate students from Lawrence World Class Karate in Fayetteville NY have returned victorious with Grand Champion status from the Golden Eagle Martial Arts challenge tournament recently held in Albany, NY.

59 martial artists took part in the competition and only two students from Lawrence World Class Karate prevailed. Nine-year-old Srihari Mohan was awarded Grand Champion status for karate students that do not yet have a black belt, and 18-year-old Sam Tadevossian brought home the Grand Champion title for black belts.

To receive their Grand Champion status, each student was expected to perform five katas, a choreographed set pattern of movements, flawlessly. 

Srihari performed Chinto, Shisochin, Bassai dai, Seipai, and Jion katas while Sam demonstrated Shisochin, Wansu, Jion, Seipai and Gojushiho sho katas.

Hanshi Rande Lawrence, head instructor at Lawrence World Class Karate said, “I am beyond impressed at both Srihari and Sam. They prepared for weeks for this competition. In total they had to remember a couple of hundred sequential movements which they had to perform without any errors. The competition was tough, and the results reflect the effort that went in.”

The Golden Eagle Martial Arts challenge tournament featured martial artists, from all styles, competing in a kata or forms only competition.

Lawrence World Class Karate dojo is the only karate school in Central New York specializing in traditional Japanese Shotokan and Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate Systems.

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Press contact for interviews with Hanshi Lawrence: 

Evan Bloom

Fortress Strategic Communications

evan@fortresscomms.com 

(315)744-4912