The Wanganui Kyokushin Karate team will be missing two of its finest hopes at this weekend's 50th New Zealand Kyokushin Karate Championships in Hastings.
Club spokesman Richard Hood said current national middleweight champion Chris Sheahon will not be competing in the full contact division because he has his black belt grading in a few weeks and won't risk injury.
And Hood's partner Tracey Boswell, who he also coaches, has been ill this last week and just can't shake it off.
"I'm no will to risk Tracey is she's not fully recovered," Hood said.
"Being full contact it is not worth risking serious injury if mind and body are not 100 per cent."