Quick learner shows mojo in the dojo
Melissa Dunn’s love for karate was launched after watching her older brother win a medal when she was five.
Eager to emulate brother Isaac’s success, she started out in the sport and 14 years on, the Christchurch athlete has thrived on the world stage, evolving into one of New Zealand’s best karateka (karate practitioner). ‘‘I just saw him winning some medals and a little five-year-old thought I want medals, so I started,’’ she said.
The 19-year-old put her name in bright lights at the Commonwealth Championships in Birmingham in September – capturing six medals in her under-68kg category (five bronze and a silver). It was a successful meet for New Zealand competitors, winning 22 medals, which included six golds.
Dunn is a unique karateka, competing in both the kata and kumite disciplines with most specialising in one or the other.
Kata involves a set routine of movements that the athlete must memorise and perform individually. The more common kumite event refers to sparring with competitors – performing defensive and offensive techniques in a standing competition. Her silver at the Commonwealth Championships came in the kata, with four bronze in the kumite and another in the kata.
‘‘I was just hoping to win one [medal] to be honest. I didn’t really expect that at all. It was a good tournament.’’
Dunn has been mentored by Sensei Rebecca Dobson at Kofukan Karate since first taking up the sport as a five-year-old.
The duo share a special bond, both attending Christchurch’s Villa Maria College at different times. Former head girl Dunn even asked to be placed in the same school house (Brodie) Dobson was once in, given the impact she has had on her.
‘‘I don’t know a time where anyone else has got six [at the Commonwealth Championships],’’ Dobson said. ‘‘It’s a testament to her and her character. There’s always the worry about fitness and if I was putting too much pressure on her being in all divisions, but she really rose to the occasion.’’
Dobson described Dunn as ‘‘right up there’’ in terms of karate talent in New Zealand. Karate was a lifelong sport with some international competitors winning medals in their 40s, so she was still in the formative stages of her career.
Dunn quickly picked up the intricacies of the sport and was gifted at grasping new information and implementing it on the mat.
Dobson realised there was something special about her when she was eight and shone as the only female in a competition, not being overawed.
‘‘She had to fight the boys in the eight-nine [year old] division. There were no girls for her to fight. It was just her no-fear attitude that came out on the mat that other people would shy away from it.
‘‘She really, really tried and managed to medal, even against the boys, which showed her tenacity for the sport.’’
Dunn competed at the world junior championships in Konya, Turkey, in October, her second junior worlds. She lost in the elimination rounds, but said just attending the event was a huge deal, gaining experience against highly skilled European opposition.
‘‘It’s pretty awesome seeing the level of people our age from around the world. They’re pretty much professional. The Italian team get paid to do it from [the age of] 14-20. That just shows you how much funding they get from their countries.’’
Dunn, who achieved her black belt when she was 12, studied firstyear engineering at the University of Canterbury this year. Next year, she planned to switch to nursing, attending the Ara Institute of Canterbury.
Karate made a cameo debut Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020 with Andrea Anacan New Zealand’s lone competitor in the kata discipline.
The sport is among nine on the short list for possible inclusion in the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, fuelling hope it could gain inclusion on a permanent basis. It could potentially become a future Commonwealth Games sport too, maybe as early as 2030.
‘‘If it gets in the Olympics again that would be outstanding. Melissa is young enough to do that,’’ Dobson said. ‘‘If she decides she wants to do something, she’s going to do it.’’
The number of women competing in karate had risen over the last decade in New Zealand. So much so, it was nearly a 50-50 male-female split at her Kofukan club, which had 52 members.
Dunn had tried other sports over the years but karate had always remained her No 1 passion.
‘‘It’s taught me some good things – how to cope under pressure and that helped me a lot in that head girl role and public speaking. I feel like it made me very co-ordinated growing up. I can do any sport and not feel like a gumby doing it.’’
‘‘She had to fight the boys in the eight-nine [year old] division. It was just her no-fear attitude that came out on the mat.’’
Rebecca Dobson, right, mentor of Melissa Dunn, left