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IKOKC SUMMER CAMP 2017

21 August
Monday, 21 August 2017 19:25 Written by ET 0 Comments

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Thank you to all the Shihans and Senseis and others who organized yet another wonderful summer camp.  The sessions were fun and informative and everything ran so smoothly – apart from the neighbour who never turned up to run midnight training.
Because I was doing my grading, the whole focus of my weekend was on that. I was stunned and honoured that you said I was best prepared from my grading.  I did work very hard and spent about 12 hours per week training and studying, but I had so much support and that is what really counted.  As you know, I came to train at your dojo as often as I could manage it.  I signed up for every Vancouver based work project I could get.  I also trained with Sensei Anthony a couple of times, and before he left, Shihan Tats.  I also asked Sensei Alex if he could help me with my tonfa and he came early one night to Shihan Tats’ dojo to help me.  Sempai Arthur came to the island to train with us.  All of these instructors gave so generously of their time and knowledge, I am very grateful to them and to you.
On the island, Sempai Brad and I couldn’t get together as often as we had hoped – our dojo training nights are the same , but we did manage a couple dojo field trips to Ladysmith and he managed to come to Gabriola a few times as well.  Having a partner going through the same thing was really helpful, and Sempai Brad is a walking Japanese encyclopedia – I learned a lot from him.  We were in touch by e-mail a lot too.
At my home dojo, every student from the youngest to oldest helped me.  Rowyn Vincent collected every one of the boards I broke.  I have no idea what she is doing with them but it gave me motivation to make sure I broke them.  Mya Diggan reminded me to play games and have fun.  Sydney Diggon had the perfect conditioning punch for me – nice and hard but not unbearably so.  The younger students were always in the sparring line up and I asked them to use their non-contact speed to make me work fast, fast, fast and they did.  Because Sensei’s concussion kept him from instructing, I had tons of the support from the older students who would run half the class or take over for me when I was out of the dojo.  Adam Velsen was great, taking over and organizing many classes, Dave Vincent turned up unfailingly to Friday night fitness and fighting at our home dojo and stepped up to the plate for sparring even when no one else came along so it was very demanding.  Simon Reeves was my strongest sparring partner and did not hesitate to hit hard.  Even though I felt like I was run over by a truck some mornings, I still appreciate it.  Paul O’Sullivan is also my coworker and I know he had an eye on me at work to make sure I was coping okay.  And Sensei Mike, did everything his concussion would possibly allow him to and more.  He came to the dojo as soon as he could, even though he is not yet training and stayed at the back, doing stretches.  Every so often, he would pop up and offer critical and essential feedback at just the right time.  He was also always available to answer my questions or to quickly look at just one kata and give feedback.  It was extremely difficult for him not to be involved full time in my physical training.  However, he is always a moral and spiritual support and was available no matter how crappy he was feeling to help. I know that he shielded me from the worst of his concussion symptoms because he didn’t want to worry me.  Even my 84 year old mother helped out by cooking our dinners on training nights.  Oh, and I don’t think my friends have disowned me for never coming to any social events because I had to train or get to bed early.  So you see Shihan, I thank you for your kind words and I pass them along to all the people who supported me.  I had a ton of help.  Osu!
Sempai Arthur thought that perhaps the Dan candidates would be called on to do a skit, so we had a couple of quick meetings and e-mail exchanges to get that organized.  It was one of my favourite times because all of the candidates got together to work on something.   After winter camp, it was the only time we were all together not in a training class.  I thought it was really great and would say that if it is possible, to include something like that every year where the Dan candidates get together to plan some kind of entertainment, even if it is a group costume for the costume event.
I really enjoyed the dojo operators meeting at camp.  Shihan Brad did a great job.  I went to be Sensei’s second because he had to leave part way through.  I remember that you commented on wanting either to understand or find out more about the changing demographic in Richmond.  A very good friend of mine is the operations director at the Vancouver airport.  She is in charge of public consultation and recently has also been working on getting more cities in China to fly into Vancouver.  I think she could possibly have a lot of information about the demographic in Richmond as well as how to communicate and market to them.  Also, she would know a lot about doing business in the Chinese culture.  If you wanted, I would be happy to speak with her about what your challenges are and see if she was willing to share what she knows.  Just let me know.
I was chatting with one of the woman at camp and they were surprised to hear I wore breast guards during the sparring and asked if I had asked permission.  I looked at the optional safety gear and saw they are not listed there.  I am very sorry, it didn’t even occur to me that I should ask permission.  I sincerely apologise. I always recommend my students purchase and wear breast guards and consider them standard safety equipment.  Here is my thinking on this:
– although not technically part of the female reproduction system, breasts are sensitive tissue and important at least after reproduction for nursing babies.
– I have not found any research that shows blows to the breast are connected to breast cancer, however, they may cause hard lumps in the breast.  This can cause women to worry it is cancer .  They then ask for screening tests.  This is not necessarily a bad thing as it might lead to early detection of some other cancer, but it also means medical resources are being used up unnecessarily.  Also, the time lag between testing and results can be quite traumatizing for some women.
– I have checked in Sosai’s books and the breast itself is not listed as a target so wearing breast guards does not give an unfair advantage
– I only recommend one particular kind of breast guard – the Cool Guard Protective Bra. It has two small and slighlty flexible cups that cover only the breast area.
It is the only one that does not cover the solar plexus, which, as you know, is a standard target area.  I disagree with covering the solar plexus because it gives women an unfair advantage and it does not allow them to train the diaphragm muscle properly for their own protection.
– wearing a breast guard makes it easier for the men to spar with women.  They can hit to the chest area freely without worrying about accidentally touching breasts.
– After my grading, one of the women said as soon as they started sparring with me they realized I was not afraid to hit breasts because I was targeting the shoulders and upper chest.  If men are avoiding this area, women are not learning to spar properly.
Sorry for the long winded explanation!  If you agree with my thinking, would you possibly consider adding the Cool Guard Protective Bra and breast guard to the optional equipment list for grading sparring?
I have also been wondering about recommending it for tournaments but realize this is a much different and far more involved conversation and decision to make.
Osu, thank you Shihan for all you do.  I know we see only a fraction of it.  The IKOKC is an outstanding organization.
OSU!  EJ

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2014 Summer Camp report

 

Kyokushin Summer Camp has almost become a family tradition for us. We train hard, we have fun, we learn something new, but most importantly–we meet new people and get to know each other better.

To me this camp was special–I had to undergo the final portion of my Dan grading–30 man kumite. Although, to my own surprise, I was less nervous than I expected, the thought of it was always in the back of my mind.

The theme of the first class was 1000 punches, 1000 kicks. The main objective of such training is to stay focused all the way to the end: start strong, finish stronger. We ended the class with a few sparring sessions–the Kyokushin way to say “Hello” to old buddies and to meet new ones.

The next day brought a variety of classes: ido geko, katas, bo/tonfa, kumite, self-defence, and of course water training. That’s where we mastered some of the best techniques of the secret ancient style Scoopikai. Thanks for sharing, Sensei Terry.

Sunday was my D-day–30 man kumite. This kind of test is not as much for your fighting skills as it is for your character, your spirit and your inner core. Sooner or later you get to the point when your body is utterly exhausted and can’t take it anymore. Would you stop and live with the thought that you did well enough, or would you find a way to carry on? The highlight of the day for me was Sempai Neil’s 20 man kumite. At the age of 56 he finished them all. Way to go, Sempai!

After my last fight I could finally take a deep breath. But my troubles were far from over. I had to face yet another challenge–stage fright. As a Dan candidate I was required to participate at the Kyokushin’s Got Talent concert. I loved last year’s performance, but it’s one thing to enjoy the show, and another to be a part of it. At the end I just had to steady my shaking knees, ignore the goose bumps on my skin and follow the camp’s motto: Just say OSU and do it. And I’m glad I did. I’d never imagined it would be so much fun. The fact that I had no clue what I was doing made our skit even more hilarious. I’d like to say many thanks to all the Dan candidates for being great teammates, especially to Sempai Ryan for putting it together. Overall, the concert was a huge success. I’m sure the phrases like “I want more tonfa!” and “Sinsay, I wanna be Sosai!” are going to live for many years to come.

In conclusion, I’d like to express my gratitude to Shihans Stuart and Don–you are the heart and soul of this organization. Many thanks to all the Senseis and Sempais and to all the instructors who helped to make this camp another great success. I’m deeply grateful to my first Canadian instructor Shihan Les Banas–I will never forget your lessons. And finally I want to bow to Sensei Tats and to say: Arigato gozai mashita! Your hard work and perseverance are a great source of inspiration to me.

Many thanks to all the good people of the Kyokushin family who stood by my side in training and fighting. Your support made it less difficult.

 

Yours in Kyokushin,

Alex Kleschelsky.

Summer Camp is an event to look forward to every year. It has all the great training and instruction that you could ask for, but with a great fun element added that always makes it a pleasure to attend. This year proved no different, with lots of different classes being offered.

Summer camp started off with a bang, the spirit training of 1000 punches and 1000 kicks to get everyone’s spirit up, preparing us for the rest of the camp, followed training by an excellent kumite class. We were then given time to unwind, play some guitar and enjoy ourselves. The next morning’s training started at 6AM sharp with a run and ido geiko, the training sessions every couple of hours after. The weather held this year, giving us nice sunny days to train under, which made the secret scoopy-kai water training even more enjoyable! The Saturday evening brought us back the surprise midnight training where many, (including myself) learned that you should always sleep in gi pants!

Sunday came, and with it the dan candidate fights. This time I found myself on the side being tested, which gives a very different feel. The fights went well, and all of the Dan candidates were successful, achieving their dan upgrade! Many congratulations to Sempai Adrian, Sempai Ryan, Sensei Irek and Sensei Alex! This was followed by the second year of the Kyokushin’s “Got Talent” show, which showed some amazing abilities, as well as some skits that made me laugh hard enough that it hurt!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the camp, and special thanks to those who helped organize and run the event.

Osu!

Mark Berg

IKOKC Black Belt Camp

18 June
Sunday, 18 June 2017 20:57 Written by ET 0 Comments

2017 IKOKC Black Belt Camp writeup

This was my third Black Belt Camp and once again all five training sessions were chock full of great information. This camp was the first I’ve been to that had an attendee from outside of Canada. Sensei Baurzhan travelled all the way from Kazakhstan! It was great meeting Sensei Baur and seeing some pictures of his four dojos back home. OSU!

I’m certainly enjoying the new method of warm-up that’s been implemented in camps this past year. Sensei Anthony and Sempai Arthur lead what I like to call a strong yoga heat-up.

Shihan Stuart guided us through some of Sosai’s teachings contained in “This is Karate” and “Advanced Karate”. We learned to think about 5 concepts and how they apply to self defence and fighting. We then actively engaged our minds while executing the self defence with a partner. We also applied this same thought process to Garyu kata.

Saturday’s full day of training was capped with a fantastic evening hosted by Shihan Larry and Sempai Kathy at their home in Enderby. Amazing meal and a great social event getting to know more about other members we don’t regularly train with; very insightful. A big thanks to Shihan Larry, Sempai Kathy and everyone involved in hosting the evening and the camp itself.

Camp closed with the last training on Sunday morning except for those involved with the two Dan Candidates technical exams. Their Sunday was a lot longer and for that I would like to extend my sincere gratitude. OSU!

I believe the 2017 Black Belt camp was a huge success and I look forward to next year’s camp. Shihan Stuart and Shihan Don always offer top tier instruction and I know I will see many of the first-timers again next year; attend one Black Belt Camp, you tend to come back. OSU!

Jay Shaw
Armstrong

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2017 Spring Camp

05 June
Monday, 05 June 2017 17:59 Written by ET 0 Comments

 

DSC_06572017 Spring Camp (May 26th – 28th)

This was my first time attending the Spring Training Camp in Calgary, Alberta. These training camps usually make for a fun time and I was hoping to use the weekend to brush up on my kata and kihon skills in preparation for my upcoming Shodan technical test on June 17th (where did all the time go!)

The camp proved to be just that: intense training and lots of fun. Our instructors this weekend were Shihan Brad and Sensei Dean who put us through our paces and generously imparted their knowledge & experience throughout the weekend.

Some of the many highlights of the camp

The first class on Friday included a warmup that involved running & punching combinations, and then it was straight into kihon lead by Shihan Brad that incorporated the 30 basic techniques that are commonly used in Kyokushin karate (19 hand techniques and 11 kicking techniques), followed by some cool combinations. Later in the evening we had a team competition where we competed in events such as: who has the largest feet, who can jump the highest, complete a jigsaw puzzle the quickest and hold a plank the longest. Our team won & we were rewarded with prizes.

Saturday – After a surprisingly ok nights sleep on the dojo floor, we were awakened by a barking dog that enthusiastically greeted everyone in the dojo, and then it was outside into the beautiful morning sunshine to play frisbee games on the grass and this was a wonderful way to get warmed up in preparation for the days training. The Dan candidates then split off from the main class and Shihan Brad patiently went through Kata’s and Kihon in preparation for our upcoming tests.

A cool yoga class was given by Sempai Sherry at lunch time that helped to rejuvenate us in preparation for an afternoon that finished up with a very sweaty and exhausting one hour of pad work under the instruction of Sensei Dean.

The food throughout the weekend was excellent and plentiful, and a big thankyou to Sempai Michelle and others for their incredible work.

I would like to thank the Shihan Brad and Sensei Dean for donating their time to instruct us in Kyokushin karate – they did an amazing job. And also, a big thankyou to Sempai Dennis from Calgary who took great care of the Edmonton participants.

I look forward to seeing everyone again soon. OSU!

Mike Roberts

Edmonton, Lakewood.

Calgary Kyokushin spring camp; what a hidden little secret! This was my first time to the camp and I wish I had come sooner. It was taught by two excellent experienced instructors: Shihan Brad Gillespie and Sensei Dean Bawtinheimer.  This camp is exactly what I needed in order to prepare for my upcoming nidan exam.  Thanks to Shihan Brad Gillespie, I was able to work on some katas under his supervision in a small group with people who had similar goals to.  Spending my time running a dojo in Edmonton, having three active kids and a busy professional career does not leave a lot of extra time to focus on my own karate skills.

I missed the first class on the Friday but arrived just in time for the 8 am class on Saturday.  This class started off with a fun warm up game that I am sure that the students in Edmonton will love.  Seeing how Shihan Brad and Sensei Dean taught their classes was excellent professional development for me in my own instructing.

The food and meal preparation was excellent.  The work with the food was led by Sempai Michelle Gillespie.  She had an excellent team of volunteers who always had food ready.  One thing I can definitely attest to is never being hungry.  I believe I ate $110 (the cost of the camp) worth of food that weekend by myself.  There were always snacks on hand, which I needed after the last class on Saturday with Sensei Dean.  I was exhausted after the kicking drills that he led and I needed some quick nourishment.

Many thanks to Craig and Robin who generously offered the use of a shower at their home for both myself and Sempai Damon. Much needed after the hard training. After the shower, the camp organized a social gathering for the families.  On one side of the gym kids watched a movie and on the other side the adults socialized.  I found that I was too exhausted to be to outgoing that night but of course the saturday night supper was excellent.  As Shihan Brad had said, “Taco in a bag; fire hall special”.

Joe Johnston

OSU


I had the pleasure of training at the Calgary Kyokushin Karate Spring Training camp over the weekend of May 26 to 28, 2017.  Myself and 1 of my students attended.  I have attended the camp only 1 time prior many years ago.  This year, as the last time I attended, Sensei Dean Bawtinheimer was assisting with the training and drills in the camp.  Between Sensei Dean and Shihan Brad the variety and intensity of the training was perfect.  I found it refreshing to focus on the technical aspects of higher level handbook/belt requirements at an analytical pace.  I sincerely appreciated the direct and often 1-1 critiques and corrections of my technique.  Conversely, Sensei Dean provided a variety of high intensity drills for basics and fight training that left me satisfyingly exhausted.   Additionally, I was able to steal some teaching drills and ideas to bring back to my own dojo which I am always excited to try once I return home (Beware Banff!).  It is one of the great benefits of training with different people, at other dojos, and under different instructors.

Provided you are comfortable sleeping in the gym (bring ear plugs) the value for this camp is phenomenal.  The fee included 6 (maybe 7) training sessions plus two dinners breakfast and lunch.  We wrapped up early in the morning on Sunday which left time to assimilate back to normal life and/or commute home.  One point sticks out in my mind from our technical practice which I will finish with, regarding blocking in kata.  Remember to “Whip it, whip it good”.  Thank you Shihan Brad and Sensei Dean for a fantastic weekend and a special shout out to Sempai Dennis Forget and Lisa for the impromptu hospitality on Friday night (which saved me for Saturday).

Osu
Daymon Miller
Head Instructor
Nidan
Banff Kyokushin Karate

 

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34th Canadian Kyokushin Karate Championships

28 May
Sunday, 28 May 2017 23:35 Written by ET 0 Comments

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Non-Contact:            12 yrs & under (55lbs & under)

1

 Oscar Lau North Richmond

2

 Lucas Bell Langley

3

 Daylen Moore POCO

3

 Charlotte Sauer Gabriola Island
Non-Contact:            12 yrs & under (56 ~ 75 lbs)

1

 Gavin Espinoza South Delta

2

 Devan Fioraso Cloverdale

3

 Kale Moore POCO

3

 Keegan Mountain POCO

Non-Contact:            12 yrs & under (76lbs & over)

1

 Maddy Nugent South Delta

2

 Galadriel Brolly Vancouver UBC

3

 Jeramie Hein South Delta

3

 Katrina Strutt South Delta
Non-Contact:            13 ~ 16 years

1

 Jennifer Taylor Newton

2

 James Donham South Delta

3

 XXXXXX

3

 XXXXXX

Kata – Division 1

1

 Aidan Chiu North Richmond

2

 Shane Mountain POCO

3

 Ellyana Nugent South Delta

3

 XXXXXX

Kata – Division 2

1

 Patricia Wallace Vancouver UBC

2

 Deanne Smith Langley

3

 Nichole Pilich

3

 XXXXXX

Kata – Division 3

1

 Ryan Adib Calgary

2

 Isaac Saito Langley

3

 Avani Johal South Delta

3

 XXXXXX

Kata – Division 4

1

 Ben Grosse Newton

2

 Rachel Antonchuk Calgary

3

 Taha Lina BCMS

3

 XXXXXX
Kata – Division 5

1

 Leo Gillespie Calgary

2

 Alina Chen Richmond

3

 XXXXXX

3

 XXXXXX

Kata – Division 6

1

 Rayanne Fatih Richmond

2

 Jed Siddon Armstrong

3

 Dave Vincent Gabriola Island

3

 XXXXXX

Kata – Division 7

1

 Spencer Gillespie Calgary

2

 Rowan Gibson Calgary

3

 Richard Gibson Calgary

3

 XXXXXX
Kata – Division 8

1

 Adam Velsen Gabriola Island

2

 Steve Antonchuk Calgary

3

 XXXXXX

3

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Kata – Division 9

1

 Ana Feher Edmonton

2

 XXXXXX

3

 XXXXXX

3

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Kata – Division 10

1

 Max Gillespie Calgary

2

 Michelle Gillespie Calgary

3

 EJ Hurst Gabriola Island

3

 XXXXXX
Kata – Team

1

 Calgary

2

 Richmond

3

 Armstrong

3

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Children 12 & under KD       60 lbs & under

1

 Brandon Gill Richmond

2

 Keegan Mountain POCO

3

 Christopher Jay North Richmond

3

 Antonio Yeung POCO

Children 12 & under KD       61 lbs to 70 lbs

1

 Ian Sinclair South Delta

2

 Sean Duncan POCO

3

 Avani Johal South Delta

3

 Elijah Sutton Langley

Children 12 & under KD       71 lbs to 80 lbs

1

 Brendan Greef POCO

2

 Sean Mirzaei POCO

3

 Ryan Adib Calgary

3

 Isaac Saito Langley

Children 12 & under KD       81 lbs to 90 lbs

1

 Shane Mountain POCO

2

 Reyhan Abu Malouh BCMS

3

 XXXXXX

3

 XXXXXX

Children 12 & under KD       91 lbs to 100 lbs

1

 Ahmed Hassona BCMS

2

 Peyton Brosinski South Delta

3

 Katrina Strutt South Delta

3

Children 12 & under KD       101 lbs & over

1

 Austin Nghiem Richmond

2

 Lucian Chen Richmond

3

 Leo Gillespie Calgary

3

 Keenan Bell Langley

KD 13 & 14 yrs – 121 lbs & over

1

 Sebastion Saddul South Delta

2

 Jacob Russell Cloverdale

3

 Aidan Kurtenacker Cloverdale

3

 Spencer Gillespie Calgary

KD 13 & 14 yrs – 120 lbs & under

1

 Jed Siddon Armstrong

2

3

 XXXXXX

3

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KD 13 ~ 14 yrs  Women

1

 Danielle Ha Burnaby

2

 Jennifer Taylor Newton

3

 XXXXXX

3

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KD 15 & 16 yrs – men

1

 Max Gillespie Calgary

2

 Anthony Nghiem Richmond

3

 XXXXXX

3

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Open Women

1

 Rowan Gibson Calgary

2

 Yvonne Lu Burnaby

3

 XXXXXX

3

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Spirit Award (morning)

1

 Pete Fradley Children’s Spirit Award: Keegan Mountain POCO

2

3

3

(afternoon)

1

 Jason Shattenkirk Technical Award: Sebastion Saddul South Delta

2

 Jeff Fast Spirit Award: Spencer Gillespie Calgary

3

 Team Award (most points): Calgary

International Friendship tournament

28 May
Sunday, 28 May 2017 23:15 Written by ET 0 Comments
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Kyokushin Karate International Friendship Tournament April 15th 2017

 

My name is Richard Gibson and I train out of the McKenzie Lake Dojo. I just came back from a fantastic karate and travel experience in Japan. My travelling companions were Shihan Brad Gillespie, Sempai Michelle Gillespie and their 3 sons Max, Spencer and Leo; Steve Antonchuk and his wife Edita with their two daughters Rachel and Jordan; and my wife Cara and our daughter Rowan.

In November of 2016 we booked flights to participate in the International Friendship Tournament in Japan on April 15th 2017. It would be my second time travelling to Tokyo but my first time competing. Rowan had competed in 2014 as did Steve (and Doug Shermack of the Calgary Dojo). Our plan this time was to compete in kata and then to spend a week touring the country.

My katas were Saifa and Kanku. I practiced kata at home, at work, at lineups at McDonalds and pretty much anyplace there was spare moment. I know my teammates were doing the same. Yes, there were some strange looks from bystanders. The Calgary Cup and the Alberta Open were also perfect venues to practice in front of an audience. Conquering ones fears is part of the Kyokushin experience!

Our departure day of April 12th was upon us before we knew it. The 12 of us from Calgary, and Western Branch Chief Shihan Stuart, met at the Vancouver airport early in the morning and we flew across the Pacific and landed in Tokyo the next afternoon. After a series of trains we arrived in Honbu, the headquarters for Kyokushin Karate worldwide. It is a very small dojo with several floors. If you’ve watched youtube videos of Kancho Matsui demonstrating techniques it was probably filmed in Honbu. There were many competitors around the world getting their participant numbers. Shihan Stuart and Shihan Brad were greeted by many of them, including the officials at Honbu. Our team checked in, had a quick group picture outside of the headquarters, and then it was off to find our accommodations, some food, and adjust to the new time zone.

The greater Tokyo region has a population of over 37 million people (greater than all of Canada). It is a sight to see and experience. People, restaurants, shops and trains are everywhere. However, the people are friendly, the streets and stations are excessively clean and the trains are extremely efficient. Google maps were a lifesaver for guiding us around. During our brief respite before the tournament we visited a number of landmarks including the Asakusa Shrine, Tokyo Skytree, the National Museum of Emerging Science (home of the dancing Honda Robot named Asimo), and the Toyota City Automobile Showcase and an amusement palace (the first of several sensory overload places we saw).

The next day we made our way to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, an impressive structure built in 1954 and used for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It has been modernized throughout its history and is being expanded for use in the 2020 Summer Olympics. The competitor and spectator lineup outside the main door went around and behind the building, easily thousands of people. Once we were through the main doors our support crew of Cara, Edita, Rachel and Jordan went up to secure seats in the stands. Shihan Brad, myself, Rowan, Steve, Michelle, Max, Spencer and Leo made our way down to the competition floor. It was awe inspiring to see the size of the venue with 11 rings set up for the tournament.

Steve and I were participating in the Senior Kata division (35 years and older). We made our way to the ring and warmed up along with several other competitors. Some of them definitely had a presence; their practice katas were solid, flowing and accurate. I was feeling a little anxious about how this competition was going to work out. All competitors from all the rings were then lined up, and after an anthem and speeches, we were led in Kihon by previous world tournament fighters. That was an impressive way to begin the day!

Our kata division was assigned a random starting order. I was fourth up! The first competitor went out on the mats, but the bow and start process was different than what I was used to. The second and third competitors went up and I still hadn’t figured out how they were bowing and starting their kata. Then it was my turn, still trying to figure out what to do, I waited for the acknowledgement by the judge, shouted out my name and kata (‘Saifa’!). It was probably the wrong protocol but at least it sounded confident. The nervousness dissipated and I started my kata.

I am happy to say that it was the best version of Saifa kata that I have ever done. No major mistakes and I put as much into it as I could. That feeling of ‘presence’ still eludes me but I am sure with time it will come. My scores were that of a beginner. I gained experience, as did Steve with his kata. When I watched the others performing their kata it occurred to me that the top place finishers were unbelievably accurate, the top 10 were very good, and the rest were human. They struggled with the same moves that I did. The saying ‘a black belt is a white belt who never gave up’ came to mind. It inspired me to work hard when I returned home and to go back to Tokyo in the future to compete again.

The rest of the Canadian team had personal bests or gained experience as well. After that it was our time to be in the stands and watch the Friendship Tournament kumite and get ready for the World Weight Category Championship the next day.

I could write pages of what that was like. The team katas had realistic combinations of precise kata and bunkai. The Russian teams took all three spots on the podium. There was an incredible kata demonstration by Rika Usami of the World Karate Federation. This guest kata was to highlight the collaboration of the two organizations to demonstrate karate in the 2020 Olympics.

The World Weight Category spectators were anticipating exciting matches and the competitors did not disappoint. After the tournament was over, the Canadian crew experienced the food and sights of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka for another week.

I hope to return to compete, learn and vacation there again soon. Thank you to Shihan Brad for the opportunity to participate. Thank you to our training and travelling partners and everyone at the McKenzie Lake Dojo who make it a special place to be every week.

Osu!

Richard Gibson

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