U of G student prepares to unify multiple league titles
Nathan Skoufis, 22, is an active competitor in the martial arts world, holding a fifth-degree black belt in karate; he is also the head instructor at Guelph Family Martial Arts. He has won world championships in several leagues including:
- the National Black Belt League (NBL)
- the North American Sport Karate Association (NASKA)
- the International Federation of Martial Arts (IFMA)
- the North American Federation of Martial Arts (NAFMA)
Even more, he has competed and won over 150 regional and national events, while also being the youngest adult competitor to win a grand championship. The best part is, he achieved all of this by the age of 20.
Now, Skoufis is reaching for a new goal and it is something that has never been done before: the unification world championship tournament. The victory would make him the only person in recent history to achieve this feat. For the past three years, Nathan Skoufis has been the undisputed NASKA champion. To unify his titles he must win this year’s NBL. Skoufis has won the NBL four times already, however no one has been able to do it in the same calendar year. Skoufis told The Ontarion, “that’s one of the things I’m going to be shooting for. It’s a goal that I had from the time I was really young.”
For Skoufis this has come full circle. At age 10, no one would have imagined this kid in a karate class would later become a world champion, let alone obtain a black belt. Many people who take part in this art lose motivation along the way and give up on their goals. But for Skoufis, this isn’t just a long-term goal, this is something historic.
“I’m chasing the goal to put myself into the martial arts record books,” Skoufis explained.
For the young martial artist, this solidifies everything that has brought him to this point. Skoufis wasn’t an instant success or a prodigy. He was even told to quit karate at one point. This shows everyone that, through hard work, training, and dedication, you can reach your goals. Throughout it all, Skoufis’ mantra has been: “Stick to your goals and stay positive along the journey.”It’s a message that can be applied to any craft, anyone’s life. Just keep moving forward.“I don’t look just in the moment, I try to keep looking to the future and keep accomplishing as many things as I can,” Skoufis told The Ontarion.
Be on the lookout for Nathan Skoufis. He has his sights set on the Black Belt Hall of Fame.
Photos by Mars Chester Chow