Shomeiko Ingham upset the form book to capture the grandchampionship from Angela Tull-Simmons, the masters winner, 28.9 to 28.3, during Saturday night's 20th edition of the Bermuda Open Karate Championships held at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.

In the process, the Fordham University student - back on the Island for spring break - narrowly brushed aside the challenge of perennial winner Talia Iris by two tenths of a point to win the black belt category.

During another close encounter, Nichole Burch was crowned women's weapons grandchampion, winning by just one tenth of a point after her bout with American Karen Ware.

Iris, meanwhile, bounced back to seize first place in sparring.

In the junior category, American Allen Bartoli was the boys' over-0 weapons grandchampion and first in the boys' 10-13 sparring. However, he had to settle for second place behind Bermuda's Dominic Butterfield in the black belts forms 10-15 age bracket. Butterfield placed first in sparring ahead of Jade Darrell in the boys' 14-15 age group.

Butterfield and Iris are among the Bermuda team which is due to compete in September's World Karate Organisation Championship in Birmingham, England.

American Britanny Cavanaugh was first in the girls' brown belt forms 10-15, first in weapons and second to Sherica Miller in sparring.

Bobby Smith made a successful return to competition after a long absence to win the men's over 40 black belt forms and men's forms grandchampionship, while Eugene Ford defeated Vernon Alexander 3-1 to win the men's over 40 sparring, before advancing to beat out Alan Looby and secure the grandchampionship 3-0.

Looby had finished second after a match disqualification to Nascimento Daniel in the men's black belt sparring, but Daniel didn't continue on medical advice.