The 48-year-old, of the Funakoshi Karate tournament squad, was runner-up in the open women's Champion of Champions final in Melbourne on the weekend.

Cole qualified for the face-off after becoming the national champion in the light-weight (under 60 kilograms) woman's black belt sparring event at the tournament.

"It was nerve-racking, actually," she said of reaching the Champion of Champions bout.

"What they do, is get the winners of the four different weight divisions to all fight off against each other."

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It meant Cole fought against a 23-year-old woman who was a weight division above her in the final.

But despite making what is considered the grand final of the karate circuit, she said that was not her proudest achievement from the weekend.

She was most pleased to become the national champion in woman's black belt open kata.

"That's where you perform a routine of blocks, punches and kicks," she said.

Cole, who had never made the final four of the kata, said she won by 0.01 as per the judges scores.

"That's as close as you can get without a tie," she said.

Funakoshi Karate instructor Peter Conroy said Cole was the first person from his club to make the champion of champions final.

She was also part of the Victorian team that finished second in the state versus state sparring at open level.

Jill's son Tobi took third-place in the light-weight men's black belt sparring.

It was the 19-year-old's first time in the open black belt division.

Conroy was full of praise for the teenager.

"His development and personal growth over the past few decades has been just phenomenal," he said.

Meanwhile, the squad's newcomer Will Kemp was part of the Victorian team that took second-place in the senior advanced male state versus state sparring.

Warrnambool-based youngster Justin Glennen claimed second with the state team in the 15-17 years males black belt state versus state sparring.

Brian Peach competed in the male black belt sparring.

Conroy, who teaches at Terang and Camperdown, coached and judged at the tournament.

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