WINNERS ALL. Although it was Parker Shelton (middle) who won the trophy, Mike Stone (left) and Jerry Piddington also felt triumphant at the First East Coast Four Seasons Championships. Piddington promoted the event, and Stone is the originator of the Four Seasons

    1ST EAST COAST FOUR SEASONS KARATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

RICHMOND, Virginia -Despite torrential rains that virtually flooded this city, some 300 contestants arrived to do battle in the 1st East Coast Four Seasons Karate Championships. Director Jerry Piddington's rules for the American Karate Academics-sponsored event called for no head contact, but groin contact was permitted.
A rare East-Coast appearance by California's Mike Stone and a samurai demonstration by Louis Casamassa and Terry Hayfert added to the uniqueness of the occasion.
The lightweight finals pitted Noel King against Mike Morse, with Morse immediately taking the aggressive role. After delivering a flurry of kicks that King easily avoided, Morse scored on a fast hook kick. King began to liven up and quickly evened the score with a reverse punch. Then he scored again with a body punch. With less than 30 seconds remaining, Morse scored with a second hook kick to tie the match, 2-2. In sudden-death overtime, two minutes passed before King landed a body punch for the point and lightweight championship.
In the middleweight division, Joe Corley and Carson Hurley fought for the title. There was an element of revenge involved, with Hurley obviously wanting to make up for his defeat to Corley at David Adams' tournament in Belmont Abbey, North Carolina. Hurley opened with a lunging backfist that Corley avoided. Corley then bounced in with a side kick but was unable to get confirmation from the judges. He tried another one later, and this time got the point. Hurley came right back, scoring with a groin kick to tie the score, 1-1. Both fighters grew cautious, but just before time ran out, Corley let go with a reverse punch to the body. He scored and became the middleweight champion.
Veteran competitor Parker Shelton faced new black belt Alan Miller for the heavyweight crown. Miller, who had fought well all through the eliminations, was confident as he entered the ring, but Shelton won, 2-1, on body punches.
Three black belt finalists now got set to battle each other for the grand championship. The first match-Noel King vs. Joe Corley-proved to be an endurance test. After regulation time ended in a scoreless tie, the two karateka battled 12 minutes into sudden-death overtime. King finally ended the suspense with a body punch.
King then faced Parker Shelton and fought offensively, while his cagey opponent relaxed and waited for an opening. Shelton scored on a side kick to the body and won both the bout and the grand championship, 1-0.
Third-place finishers in black belt kumite were heavyweight Fred McDowell, middleweight Jack Motley and lightweight Teruyuki Higa.
In the brown belt division, John Boone topped the heavyweights, while Mike Merritt took second and Tony Shedrick third. Von Helton won the middleweight title, followed by Warren Rogers and James Thomas. In lightweight competition,
Irving Holloway won first, Marvin Hamilton second, and Jim Lewis third.
Karen Ulmer won the women's heavyweight title, while
Janice Crumpler finished second and Marjorie Harris third. The lightweight title went to Sharon Daly, who finished ahead of
Mary Mathews and Nora McCarley. -Christopher Jay