Since then he has mastered the art of double katana sword wielding and is able to do manoeuvres with two swords that many professionals can’t even do with one. 

As a result of his prowess with sword in hand, the Fire Phoenix Martial Arts student is off to Orlando for next month’s prestigious US Open. He will be joined in the States by fellow student Beau Brown, 11.

Whereas Gibson, 14, prefers the strength and direct nature of the dual sword routine, Brown’s weapon of choice is the bo staff. This allows her to incorporate twists and turns into her routine.

“Jye has amazing skills with swords, he does things with swords I’ve never seen before,” Anneke Wright from Fire Phoenix said.

“The strength required to wield one sword is a lot, but the strength required with your non-dominant hand is crazy. He’s throwing and catching the weapons, spinning around, essentially juggling with swords.

“Beau tried a few different weapons and the bo staff just worked for her. The way she likes to move complements the movements you can do with that weapon.”

Gibson will compete in the extreme weapons, traditional weapons and sparring competitions at the Open, while Brown will contest extreme weapons, traditional weapons and traditional forms events. The duo will also perform a joint routine in the showmanship event. 

“Their routines go for about two minutes each and they have to choreograph it themselves. They have to learn the skills and have the ability to put them together in a way that is entertaining and demonstrates their skill level.”

The competition marks the first time students from the Corrimal-based club have been selected to represent Australia at a US Open.

“Jye and Beau are the first students we’ve had selected and they’ve definitely earned it,” Wright said. “They both train four to five times a week, a couple of hours a day, on top of their own personal routine preparation.”