This Olympics Karate will mark its debut. The season will be extra special, especially for North Texas. The only two athletes representing Team USA in Kumite (fighting) are from none other than Plano dojo.

The Academy of Classical Karate announced that Tom Scott, 31, and Brian Irr, 32, will compete for Team USA. They will join Sakura Kokumai (CA) and Ariel Torres (FL), who is representing the USA in Kata (forms) for Karate. USA Karate Head Coach Brody Burns from Plano Dojo has been selected to coach Scott and Irr in Tokyo.

About Tom Scott: He is a full-time instructor at the Academy. He teaches kids Karate every day. He was raised in the Richardson/Plano area and went to St. Marks Catholic School, Jesuit Preparatory School, and graduated from Texas Christian University. He is ranked #6 globally, is a two-time Pan American Games Gold Medalist, and six-time Pan American Champion.

About Brain Irr: He is from New York and shifted to Plano when he was four. He began his training when he was eight to pursue his Olympic dream while training with Tom Scott and Head Coach Brody Burns. Coach Burns will be coaching the two in Tokyo. He is ranked #eight globally and has earned gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. Irr is also an instructor at the Academy of Classical Karate in Plano.

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The Academy of Classical Karate has been serving the Plano kids since 1988. The Academy’s vision statement is “better lives through the study of Karate.”

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