When the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations World Championships get underway next week in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, 17 people will be competing for the United States.

Seven of them are from Rhode Island.

That would be a lot for any state, let alone the smallest state, but for Rhode Island, it’s not even that unusual. With Warwick’s Don Rodrigues Karate Academy as the epicenter, Rhode Island has become a major player in the world of martial arts.

“It may be small state, but we’re rich in talent as far as martial arts goes,” Don Rodrigues said. “The state of Rhode Island has more competitors on the team than any other state in the country. We’re pretty excited about that.”

Rodrigues, who’s been to 10 world championship events, is serving as the coach of the national team this year. Though he’s a veteran of the circuit, he said big events like this one never get old. He and his competitors won’t just be happy to be there.

“There’s a lot of pressure but when you get in the ring, you’ve got another person standing across from you and it’s up to you to beat that person,” Rodrigues said. “That’s how we approach it. I think we can do pretty well over there.”

Four of the seven Rhode Islanders train with Rodrigues – Steve Kempf, Nicole Pelland, Calvin Ross and Kimberly Ross. Also on the team are Dennis Molloy, who runs Warwick’s State of the Arts Karate, and his students Jonathan Casey and Trixie Dumas.

For all of them, a focus on preparation has been the common threat. For several of them, there’s a bit of added confidence, too. All of Rodrigues’ students will be making return trips to the world championships, and they expect that to make a huge difference.

“When you go the first time, you don’t really know what to expect,” Kempf said. “It’s a totally different atmosphere. You go to a tournament anywhere in the country, and you know what to expect. You leave the country, you don’t know. You don’t know what the atmosphere is going to be like and you don’t know your competition. It’s a different fighting style with different judging. But having seen it, I feel a lot more confident. It’s mental, more than anything. You know what you need to do to get it done.”

Kempf will be making his second trip, as will Calvin Ross, who’s competing in weapons and forms. He also has a little extra confidence this time.

“The first time I went over, I wasn’t expecting to do anything, I just wanted to see how it worked,” Ross said. “This time, coming back, I’m more prepared and I’m going to try a lot harder to come home with a win.”

Kimberly Ross and Pelland are also veterans of big events, and they’ll be both be making their third trip. Pelland, of Cranston, made it to the quarterfinals at the championships two years ago. This year, she’s confident that she can do more.

“I’m really excited,” Pelland said. “I think I’m going to win the gold this time.” Pelland has focused on stamina in her training, a product of knowing what to expect.

“It’s three two-minute rounds,” Pelland said. “If you’re not in shape, that could beat you more than skills. That’s the main thing I’ve been focusing on.”

While Rodrigues’ competitors have a wealth of experience, Molloy, Casey and Dumas will be making their first trip to the world championships.

While some newcomers might tread lightly, Molloy, for one, is shooting for the top. He’s competed on big stages before, just never in Europe.

“Other than my fear of flying,” Molloy said, “I’m very excited.”

Molloy will be competing in the super-heavyweight division. He and Rodrigues both like his chances.

“I feel confident because I’ve been competing pretty regularly all year,” Molloy said. “It’s not like I’ve been taking a lot of time off. I feel I’m in shape. I’ll just be happy with whatever happens. I know I’ve prepared.”

That’s not a bad perspective for all the competitors to adopt. Win or lose, it’ll be a great experience.

“It’s great to go over there and meet people from other countries,” Calvin Ross said. “It’s not just how they perform in karate, it’s what their lifestyle is.”

That makes for a unique opportunity. For most, a path like this wasn’t even on their radar when they started karate. Now the path takes them to Italy.

“When I first started karate, I was about 12 years old,” Kempf said. “That was 17 or 18 years ago. I didn’t even want to do my homework then, let alone training for a world championship. The way it turned out is just unbelievable.”

Kempf and the rest of the competitors will relish their chance. The Rhode Island contingent will leave on Monday, with the competition set to begin on Thanksgiving. Though they’ll be away from home for the holiday, a few championships might make up for it. And with Rhode Islanders all around, they’ll feel right at home.

“Everyone has prepared and I think they’ll all do well,” Rodrigues said. “Now let’s see if we can win some medals.”