STRIKING
DISTANCE
THE FILM
Tournament competition in Kata, Sparring and Team Demonstrations creates confident and fearless young women.
Over the course of 18 months, the Tournament Team coached by Shihan Scott Brailey went from beginners at the bottom of the heap to Australian Champions.
Overcoming anxiety, body image, fear, depression and all the other challenges that beset teenage girls, this fearless group of young warriors set out to turn stereotypes on their heads - and won a tide of support and fans wherever they went.
Watch them tackle school work, exams, family issues and normal teenage "life", and juggle it all with training for the Elite National All Styles Tournament. You'll be cheering them on as they face their fears and get within STRIKING DISTANCE of their dreams - to be the Australian Champions.
THE TOURNAMENT TEAM
The Tournament team is a squad of 16 girls from year 7 - 12 from the Inner West of Sydney.
Carmen is the reigning state and Australian champion, who has no fear. She gives sparring everything she's got and loves to fight. Kata is Carmen's bug bear - she just can't slow down.
Ella loves Kata and hates sparring. She's on Carmen's heels, catching up. Carmen & Ella are best friends who genuinely love to compete against each other.
Ruby is the hardest working girl in the dojo, but struggles with self belief. She is loved by everyone in the team. She is often shy, but has a very wicked sense of humour
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Iyla & Sabine are best friends and are the newest members of the senior squad. They fight, train and socialize together and make up many of the team demo groups - with their long legs and reach they are hard to beat!
THE INSTRUCTORS
Shihan Scott Brailey & Sensei Paul Barton are the coaches responsible for the formiddable amount of silverware the Tournemant Team has won in its four years in existence.
Sensei Barto is responsible for all the strength and conditioning training the Team is put through, making them strong and fit. Each week he has a new form of torture to put the girls through in their quest for elite level fitness.
Shihan Scott Brailey is the driving force, the master trainer begind the astounding achnievements of the Team. His patience with the girls, along with his love of martial arts, combines to create fighters who are skilled, fearless and brave on and off the mats.
THE JUJITSU SQUAD
If you want to join the Tournament Team, you first have to be a member of the Squad. 60 girls from a high school in Sydney's Inner West, these girls are a force majeure of friendship, support, committment and fun.
The Squad unites girls from all backgrounds, school years & social groups. Everyone is equal, everyone is a friend... and when the Squad gets together, it is LOUD, funny and inspirational all at the same time.
THE DOCUMENTARY
Shot over 18 months the documentary follows a group of high school girls & their coaches as they participate in martial arts competitions in Australia and Japan, culminating in the prestigious National All Styles Competition in Melbourne, Australia.
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