volume22,issue11, nov.$2013$ - masaru shintani · theharmonizer$ volume22,issue11$ nov.$2013$ 4...

The Harmonizer Volume 22, Issue 11 Nov. 2013

1

Volume 22, Issue 11, Nov. 2013


2

The Harmonizer ~ Nov. 2013

VOLUME 22, ISSUE 11

In This Issue: Pg. 3 -‐ Message from the President Pgs. 4-‐5 – Upcoming Club Events Pgs. 6-‐8 – SWKKF Loses 3 Pg. 9 – 4th Annual National Shindo Clinic and Grading Pg. 10 -‐ Black Belt Grading – September 14th, 2013 Pgs. 11-‐15 – Striving For Consistency Pgs. 16-‐17 -‐ Mexico Shotokan Karate 2013 Pgs. 18-‐25 – Calgary ~ October Clinic Pg. 26 -‐ Karate Grading – Norfolk Affiliated Karate Clubs Pg. 27 – The Day the Block Won Pgs. 28-‐30 – The Shintani National Team – Summer Training Session Pg. 31 – Fruity Fuel for your Karate Kid Pg. 32-‐ Letter from the Editor

On The Cover: Sensei Ron Mattie-‐8th dan, Martin Gibouleau-‐1st dan, Sensei Roger St-‐Arneault-‐7th dan, Alexandre St-‐Arneault-‐1st dan, Brian Constantini-‐1st dan, Sensei Denis Labbé-‐8th dan.


3

Message From the President In Memory of Master Shintani Sensei Denis Labbé I would like to welcome everybody back for the 2013 - 2014 karate season. I hope you and your family had an enjoyable summer. We can look forward to a busy and productive season with many scheduled events and projects. I hope to see you in my travels! For all clubs – registration for all students is now due. You can download the registration form from the website, www.shintani.ca under the SWKKF Documentation.

Visit our website www.shintani.ca

For more information


4

Club Events Western Canada November 1-2nd, 2013 – Stony Plain Wado Kai – Clinics – Kyle Stellmach / Doug Scabar

November 8-9th, 2013 – Glanmorgan Wado Kai (Calgary) – Clinic and Tournament - Kevin Bowes

November 29-30th, 2013 – Moose Mountain Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Kevin Dyck

January 17-19th, 2014 – Edson Wado Kai - Clinics and Tournament – Chris Marler

February 7-8th , 2014 – Millwoods Karate Club – Clinics – Bill Hynes

March 14-16th, 2014 – South Calgary Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Heather Fidyk

April 4-5th, 2014 – Saskatoon/Warmen Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Crystal Johnson

April 11-13th, 2014 – Whitecourt Wado Kai Karate – Clinic and Tournament – Shelley McGregor

April 19th, 2014 – Olds Wado Kai Karate Club – Shindo Grading – Walter Greening

May 2-3rd, 2014 – Edson Black Belt Clinic/Grading – Chris Marler

May 9-10th, 2014, Synthesis Martial Arts-Boissevain – Clinic and Tournament – Jeff Gervin Eastern Canada

November 14-16th, 2013 – Delhi Wado Kai – Clinic & Tournament – Spring Kaye

November 21-24th, 2013 – Thunder Bay Wado Kai – Instructor’s Clinic – Denise Baxter

November 29-30th, 2013 – SWKKF – Senate Meeting – Denis Labbe

December 14th, 2013 – Oshawa-Whitby Wado Kai Karate – Juniors Tournament - Jose-Carlos Garcia

January 25th, 2014 - Fort Erie Wado Kai – Tournament – Charlie Piscitello

January 25th, 2014 – Timmins Wado Kai – Tournament – Willie Lebrun


5

January 31st – February 2nd, 2014 – Thunder Bay Wado Kai – Tournament – Denise Baxter

February 15-16th , 2014 – Shindo Federation of North America – Clinic and Grading – Jim Atkinson

February 22nd, 2014 – Simcoe South Wado Kai – Tournament – Tom Foster

March 1st, 2014 – Hanmer Wado Kai – Tournament – Gilles Dupuis

March 21-22nd, 2014 – Nordik (Hearst) Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Michel Gosselin

March 23rd, 2014 – Nordik (Hearst) Wado Kai – Black Belt Grading – Michel Gosselin

March 29th, 2014 – SWOR Wado Kai – Tournament – Roger Frigault

April 26th, 2014 – Welland Wado Kai – Tournament – Anne Readhead

May 23-24th, 2014 – Clinic & National Master Shintani Memorial Tournament – Denis Labbe

June 6-8th, 2014 – Wawa Wado Kai Karate – Clinic and Grading – Duanne Wenman/Larry Laforge

June 14th, 2014 – Black Belt Grading – Host Delhi Wado Kai – Jim Atkinson


6

The SWKKF Family Loses 3 As we enter the 2013-‐2014 karate season it is important for us all to take a minute and reflect on the year that was just completed. The SWKKF lost 3 very prominent members of our karate family since January

and they will all be missed by those who came in contact with them over the years. Each of these members played a very important role for the SWKKF in their respective areas and for the organization as

a whole and will be dearly missed.

I am sure that at some point throughout their karate careers, Sensei Lyle, Sensei Dan and Sensei June have made memories with many of the members of the SWKKF, but in order to truly be able to pay tribute to these members, it is best to hear what they meant to their areas from the people who they

made the biggest impact on.

Sensei Lyle Muenchrath (Yodan) -‐ April 4, 1949 – January 22, 2013

It is with heartfelt sadness that I pass on the news about our dear friend and karate-‐ka Sensei Lyle

Muenchrath. On January 22, 2013 Sensei Lyle unexpectedly passed away at home in his sleep. To many students he was the one who straightened your posture, corrected your stance and pushed you through the most grueling warm up possible. He would listen when you had a problem to solve, go out of his way to help solve the problem, and would give you accolades when the problem was solved. As a role model for the young and over teen-‐aged people in the club he was an inspiration every time he stepped on the floor as he challenged both our mental and physical karate. Sensei Lyle began karate at age 39; he earned his Shodan in 1994 and was graded to the rank of Yodan in 2007. Sensei Lyle was an integral part of the start up of the South Calgary Karate club in 1995 and pinnacle in the many successes of the club, the tournaments, the Black Belt gradings and most importantly the success of students who are now high belts and Black Belts.

He has served as the only President of the South Calgary Board of Directors since 1995. He will be missed dearly by his wife Janet, son Adam, daughter Jill, other family members, and his very large karate family and by the Calgary community in general. We will miss him dearly,

-‐ Sensei Heather Fidyk


7

Sensei June Lebrun (Shichidan) – June 4, 1950 – March 16, 2013

Sensei June was born on June 4, 1950, and after an eight-‐month battle with cancer, passed on March 16th, 2013 at the age of 62. She started her karate career in the mid-‐1970’s and through the years of building up the Timmins Wad-‐Kai club (as well as clubs in Cochrane, Matheson, Iroquois Falls and Gogama), she planned and organized tournaments in Timmins and Cochrane, taught classes and was available to do anything that might help to help the organization – for years she handled the distribution of the federation books and was a key voice when it came to talking of safety for women in the SWKKF.

Growing up in the Timmins karate club, I was able to see Sensei June as many different things. She was the instructor who was always correcting the little things (like thumbs sticking out, knees not bent enough, etc.), she was also the instructor that was a mentor to the junior and women students of the club, often treating them like they were her own kids and helping them through situations – this meant that at times, she was not the most popular because she tended to “say it like it was”.

There were many people out there that only

knew her on the karate floor, but Sensei June was not only the highest ranking female black belt in the SWKKF and a key member of the Timmins Wado-‐Kai karate club; she was also a wife (married 47 years to Sensei Willie), a mother (sons Sensei Bill and Sensei Jim) and a Nana to 6 grandkids (Jennie, Stephanie, Jessica, Ryan, Ethan and Emily) and great-‐grandma to 3 great grandkids (Brayden, Kiana and Layla).

Sensei Mom, we will all miss you. -‐ Sensei Jim Lebrun


8

Sensei Dan Braconnier (Sandan)– Sept. 6, 1956 – Sept. 8, 2013

Danny Braconnier, Sandan and Head Sensei of the Brooks Wado-‐Kai Karate Club in Brooks, AB passed away unexpectedly on September 8, 2013 at the age of 57 years. Danny was born in Aldershot, England. He grew up in Laval, Quebec where he met his future wife and lifelong companion, Cathy. The young couple eventually moved to Alberta, where Danny worked in the oil and gas industry for 19 years. They settled in Tilley, started a family, and also owned and operated “The Store” there for 10 years. Danny’s love for the martial arts was obvious to all who knew him. He started with the Brooks Judo Club and obtained his yellow belt before taking up Wado Ryu Karate through a new club started by Senseis Dudley and Pam Driscoll. In a few years, Danny obtained his black belt and went on to help instruct and operate the Brooks Wado Kai Karate Club for almost 25 years. Karate was a passion for Danny and he attended many Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation workshops and tournaments in Western Canada and Ontario. He would recount the highlights of these events to his students and encourage them to attend similar events in order to learn and grow within the

sport. He often spoke fondly of his contacts with Sensei Shintani and his senior black belts, many of whom came to Alberta, and sometimes even to Brooks, to share their expertise at clinics. Danny loved spending time with his family. Both of his daughters, Danielle and Angie, practiced Wado-‐Kai Karate and achieved Shodan Ho and Shodan ranks, respectively. Danny was blessed with a granddaughter (Emily) and two grandsons (Brycen and Mason), whom he hoped one day would follow the family tradition and practice karate. Danny’s enthusiasm for and dedication to Wado Kai Karate will be sorely missed in southern Alberta. Funeral services were held on September 14 at the Smith Funeral Home in Brooks. In memory of Danny, if friends desire, memorial tributes may be made to the Brooks Animal Protection Society (BAPS), Box 86, Brooks, AB T1R 1B2. Condolences may be forwarded through http://www.sfh.ca or by telephone at 1-‐403-‐362-‐4636 or Toll Free 1-‐866-‐362-‐4652. -‐ Sensei Ron Howard

Please join me in sending well wishes to all those affected by the passing of these 3 members of the SWKKF and thank you to Sensei Heather Fidyk and Sensei Ron Howard for passing on their memories. Thank You, Sensei Jim Lebrun

The Harmonizer Volume 22, Issue 11 Nov.2013

4th Annual National Shindo Clinic and Grading

S a n c t i o n e d b y t h e S W K K F

Shindo Clinic

February 15, 2014 9:00am to 4:00pm Holy Trinity High School 128 Evergreen Hill Road Simcoe, Ontario N3Y 4N5 Cost $20

Shindo Grading

February 16, 2014 9:00am to 3:00pm St. Frances Cabrini School 373 Northern Avenue Delhi, ON N4B 1R3 Cost $39.55 ($35.00+HST $4.55)

For more information please visit www.shintani.ca or email [email protected] Pre-Registrations for clinic will also be accepted online. Grading application must be submitted one month prior.

Under the direction of the SWKKF the Shindo Federation of North America welcomes all to the fourth annual National Shindo Clinic. This year will also include a Shindo Grading. The clinic will provide instruction to all levels of Shindo knowledge from basic to advanced including 5 katas. All members are encouraged to attend and share in SENSEI SHINTANI'S DREAM.


10

Black Belt Grading – September 14th, 2013 On Friday, September 13th, a training clinic took place and it was given by Sensei Denis Labbé, 8th dan, president of the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation and Sensei Ron Mattie, 8th dan, technical director of the same organization. Several athletes were able to benefit from the teachings of these masters in karate in the style of Wado-‐Ryu. This clinic ended with advancement of black belts all day Saturday, September 14th. Because of the advancement, three karatekas earned their black belts, 1st dan and other brown belts became Shodan-‐ho (the step for the brown belts before they obtain a black belt). Martin Gibouleau, Brian Constantini and Alexandre St-‐Arneault received their black belts, 1st dan. In the group photo, from left to right: Sensei Ron Mattie-‐8th dan, Martin Gibouleau-‐1st dan, Sensei Roger St-‐Arneault-‐7th dan, Alexandre St-‐Arneault-‐1st dan, Brian Constantini-‐1st dan, Sensei Denis Labbé-‐8th dan.


11

Striving for Consistency in Wado Kai Karate Kata Submitted by: Sensei Dave Brunarski, Godan How many times while performing or watching kata, have you asked yourself: “Is the set on the right side or the left? Striking shuto or traditional Wado? Gedan Barai followed by Ude Uke or the opposite?” The answers don’t really change the kata in any serious way but for those of us who strive for consistency and may be a little on the compulsive side, it matters. Sensei Shintani cautioned us to: “keep kata pure”. To me, that means paying attention to all the details, large and small. If we unconsciously mix up a few moves and perform them that way, it may still feel right even though we have changed things. Another issue concerns when new kata should be introduced. The basic curriculum is comprised of 28 karate kata, 9 shindo and 1 long bo kata. The order was established to guide progress from basic to the most advanced skills. Trying to learn a more advanced kata ahead of your rank and/or technical ability may be counter-productive and hinder further advancement. For example, Chinto is a breakthrough kata with very advanced timing and hip action that takes time (years) to develop. That is why it is a Sandan kata. There are no shortcuts and it is very difficult to unlearn bad habits. So please heed the advice to learn kata in the order listed; from Power Kata upward and only when your sensei says that you are ready. The following chart is an attempt to identify some of the most frequently seen problem areas that contribute to inconsistency in our kata. 19 karate kata and 3 shindo kata are currently available on DVD (highlighted in bold), so please use them as an established reference. For the others, I consulted with sensei Cosby, Mattie and Atkinson as well as archival video of sensei Ciolfi and others performing the most advanced kata for comparison purposes. The point of this exercise is to make it a little more convenient to review the finer points of kata and challenge yourself to ensure that you are performing them as originally taught by sensei Shintani. I assume sole responsibility for any errors or omissions in this guide and welcome your feedback. You can reach me at: [email protected] In harmony, Sensei Dave

RANK COUNT

+/-

COMMENTS

GENSHO GODAN 90 1ST MOVE IS TO THE RIGHT

ALL SETS ARE LEFT EXCEPT LAST 2 ON RIGHT WITH

SEQUENCE:

• RIGHT TETTSUI UCHI, LEFT TSUKI, LEFT UDE


12

UKE

• RIGHT TETTSUI UCHI, RIGHT UDE UKE

• FINISH WITH HEELS & TOES TOGETHER

GAHANSHU 96 AT START, MOVE LEFT FOOT TO RIGHT & SET ON

RIGHT HIP WITH LEFT HAND CUPPING CLENCHED

RIGHT FIST

THERE ARE 4 HIGH-LOW DOUBLE ARM BLOCKS:

• RIGHT HIGH,LEFT LOW

• LEFT HIGH, RIGHT LOW



WANSHU YODAN 49 • BRING RIGHT FOOT TO LEFT & SET TO LEFT

WITH RIGHT HAND CUPPED OVER

CLENCHED LEFT FIST

• RIGHT HAITO ON TURN TO REAR

• END WITH RIGHT SHUTO STRIKE

KUMSHO 60 • AT START, LOOK RIGHT, SET LEFT, THEN 1ST

MOVE IS TO LEFT

• 2ND FORWARD SEQUENCE:

LEFT UDE UKE, RIGHT CHUDAN LEVEL TSUKI, LEFT

CHUDAN LEVEL TSUKI

SEISHUNTEI 63 • BEGIN & END WITH HEELS & TOES TOGETHER

• ALL SETS ARE ON THE LEFT SIDE

CHINTO SANDAN 48 SEE DVD

TEISHO-DAI 69 2ND SEQUENCE TO RIGHT:

RIGHT GEDAN BARAI & RIGHT UDE UKE

SEIPAI 90 • UDE UKE SEQUENCE: RIGHT, RIGHT, LEFT

• LEFT HAITO ON 1ST TURN TO REAR

• FINISH BY DRAWING LEFT FOOT ½ WAY BACK

BEFORE INITIATING LEFT GEDAN BARAI

KEMPEI 75 • BEGIN IN HACHIJI DACHI LOOK RIGHT, 1ST

MOVE IS TO LEFT

• SETS: L-‐(SET LEFT & STEP RIGHT), R(SET

RIGHT), L-‐(SET LEFT & STEP RIGHT), -‐L (SET

LEFT & STEP LEFT), -‐R(SET RIGHT & STEP


13

LEFT), L-‐(SET LEFT & STEP RIGHT), -‐R (SET

RIGHT & STEP LEFT),(LEFT SET OPTIONAL), L-‐

(SET LEFT & STEP RIGHT)

NAIHANCHIN NIDAN 40 • BEGIN & END WITH HEELS & TOES TOGETHER

• LOOK LEFT, 1ST MOVE IS TO THE RIGHT

• FINAL NAMIASHI TO LEFT

SEISHAN 47 • BEGIN WITH LEFT FOOT & LEFT CHUDAN UDE

UKE

• RIGHT HAITO ON 1ST TURN TO REAR

GENSHO SHODAN 87 • RIGHT FOOT LEADS OFF

• 1ST SET ON RIGHT SIDE

• 2ND SET ON LEFT WITH SHIFT TO LEFT

• FINAL STRIKES: HIGH TO RIGHT THEN LOW

LEFT

TAISAI 45 • LEFT FOOT LEADS OFF

• FINAL STRIKES: HIGH TO LEFT THEN LOW TO

RIGHT

KUSHANKU SHODAN 75 FINISH: BRING LEFT FOOT TO RIGHT

CHOCODO 57 • BEGIN BY MOVING LEFT FOOT TO RIGHT, HEELS

& TOES TOGETHER

• LOOK RIGHT BEFORE MOVING LEFT

• NAMIASHI BEFORE & AFTER MOVING

SIDEWAYS

TEISHO 49 • SHUTO STRIKES: 3rd & LAST (6TH )

• LAST SEQUENCE TO RIGHT: OPEN-‐HAND

HAISHU UKE

PINAN GODAN BROWN 24 SEE DVD

SANKIO 40 1st MOVE IS TO THE RIGHT

NAMIASHI WITH TETTSUI UCHI ON 2ND TO LAST

MOVE

SEISHO 37 STEP FORWARD ON FINAL MOVE

PINAN YODAN BLUE 32 FINISH WITH HEELS & TOES TOGETHER

SHOPAI 42 BEGIN WITH LEFT OPEN HAND COVERING RIGHT

HAND, PALM UP


14

TEKKI

SHODAN

42 1ST MOVE IS TO THE RIGHT

PINAN

SANDAN

GREEN 21 SEE DVD

CHONAN

SHODAN

37 • 2ND TSUKI IN SEQUENCE TO FRONT IS PALM UP

• FINAL NAMIACHI IS TO LEFT

PINAN NIDAN ORANGE 28 SEE DVD

CHONAN 24 • TSUKI SEQUENCE: GEDAN-‐JODAN-‐CHUDAN-‐

CHUDAN

• FINAL NAMIACHI IS TO RIGHT

PINAN

SHODAN

YELLOW 24 SEE DVD

POWER KATA WHITE 18 SEE DVD

SHUSHI NO

KON SHO SHO ( MINOR ) DAI ( GREATER ) KOSHIKI SHUSHI NO KON

44 BO FOCUS POINTS IN SEQUENCE:

• RIGHT CHUDAN, RIGHT JODAN, LEFT GEDAN

• LEFT JODAN, LEFT JODAN, RIGHT JODAN

• LEFT JODAN

• RIGHT JODAN, LEFT CHUDAN, LEFT JODAN ( 3 x

)

• LEFT JODAN, RIGHT JODAN, LEFT GEDAN

• LEFT JODAN, LEFT JODAN, RIGHT JODAN

• LEFT CHUDAN, RIGHT CHUDAN

• LEFT JODAN, RIGHT JODAN, RIGHT JODAN

WANSHU

NO SHINDO

88 48

STILL IN DEVELOPMENT

CHINTO NO

SHINDO

67 STILL IN DEVELOPMENT

TAISAI NO

SHINDO


KUSHANKU NO

SHINDO

STILL IN DEVELOPMENT

SEISHAN NO

SHINDO

45 SHINDO FOCUS POINTS IN SEQUENCE:

• JODAN, CHUDAN,

• CHUDAN, CHUDAN, JODAN,


15

• JODAN, CHUDAN, CHUDAN, JODAN, CHUDAN

• JODAN, CHUDAN, CHUDAN, CHUDAN, CHUDAN,

GEDAN,

• JODAN, JODAN

• JODAN,CHUDAN, JODAN, CHUDAN

• JODAN, CHUDAN, CHUDAN, GEDAN,

• JODAN, JODAN, JODAN, JODAN,

• CHUDAN, GEDAN, GEDAN, JODAN, JODAN,

• CHUDAN, JODAN, CHUDAN

• JODAN, CHUDAN, CHUDAN

CIO BO TIE 34 • START IN OFFENSIVE GRIP ( LEFT JODAN )

• BACKWARD SEQUENCE:

-‐RIGHT LEG STEPS BEHIND LEFT WITH LEFT

JODAN FOCUS

-LEFT LEG STEPS BACK WITH RIGHT JODAN

FOCUS

SHINDO

NIDAN

36 FIRST SEQUENCE SHINDO FOCUS:

GEDAN, GEDAN, JODAN

SOSHI HO

CHUDAN

CHIANTEI


CHONAN NO

SHINDO



16

Mexico Shotokan Karate 2013

Once again Darlene and I returned to our second home in Bucerias Mexico. The weather is always great and the people are very friendly. Over the last 12 years we gave made many friends and have gone to weddings, Christenings and a few parties. It is great to return to all our friends.

I went to the Shotokan Club and was given the opportunity to workout with Sensei Jose Luis Duenas Castaneda of the Shotokan Club of Bucerias, Mexico. Sensei Jose is a wonderful instructor who welcomes me into his club every year. This year I presented Sensei Jose with four books on the life of the founder of Shotokan, Master Gichin Funakoshi.

SENSEI JOSE AND SENSEI PETER

It does not matter where go, young karateka are the same everywhere. They enjoy life and are eager to learn and have fun. This year was no exception.


17

I also had a chance to work with some of the more advanced karateka. Again

their knowledge of the techniques and kata show the expertise and dedication of Sensei Jose.


18

Calgary October Clinic October 4-‐6th saw the 3rd annual Sensei Ron Mattie Clinic in Calgary hosted by the Dynamic Karate Association and Senseis Darren Humphries and Sandro Reffo. Sensei Ron presented a 3 day forum on kata strategies designed to develop proper form, maximum power, adapt sequences for your fighting style; develop the reality and spiritual part of your kata and to use all of the above in your kumite. Kumite strategies for simple scoring techniques, simple blocking techniques, side-‐stepping drills, distancing and developing a confident and spiritual mind prior to entering the ring. Both children and adults attended clinics that were presented in an enlightening and entertaining manner. Everyone had something to gain from Sensei Ron’s exceptional teaching style.

Sensei Ron

Form, Power and Speed -‐ Bringing it All Together To help progress our karate through each technique, each belt and each of our personal challenges toward mastering our basics, katas and kumite, Sensei Ron suggested that we think of each new challenge as having three distinct elements (like a triangle or pyramid). The first element is form. Whether we are learning how to make a fist as


19

white belts, or learning advanced techniques as black belts, everything begins with developing good form. Along with form comes the second element: power. Increasing power generally compromises good form, but as we struggle with the dynamic between the two, we gradually move both elements toward the pinnacle of the triangle, where our movements show good form and good power. The third element, speed, is best worked on separately, because focusing on speed compromises both form and power. As we reach the pinnacle of the triangle with our form and power, we can introduce speed, which causes a backward slide on the other two elements. As we work them again, we reach new heights, and introduce speed again, repeating the process until we've achieved all three and mastered the movement.


20

Ki-‐Ken-‐Tai-‐Ichi In addition to providing us with direct instruction about our form, power and speed, Sensei Ron enlightened us about ways of perceiving movement so we can receive and give instruction more effectively. The One Second Line : The Focus Line (Instructor’s Clinic Pamphlet, Calgary , September 18-‐20, 2009)


21

White To Green Belt ____________________________________________________> Stances Striking Hand Kamae Hand


22

Blue to Brown Belt ____________________________________________________> Stances striking hand -‐ kamae hand


23

Shodan ___________________________________________________> Stances Striking hand Kamae Hand


24

Nidan-‐Sandan ____________________________________________________> Stances-‐Striking hand

-‐ Kamae hand Yondan and up _____________________________________________________> –Stances _Striking Hand _kamae Hand


25

Shoes

After all was said and done during the weekend the stand out take home instructions, for kids especially, was shoes; and how to make sure that they are placed properly and neatly at the door of the dojo. This is the beginning of emplacing good habits, morals and character in children and karate by taking time with the minutiae. It was a great weekend and everyone on the floor of all ranks left feeling more knowledgeable and enlightened. As always we look forward to next year and what Sensei has in store for us then.


26

Karate Grading – Norfolk Affiliated Karate Clubs

A karate grading for the Norfolk Affiliated clubs (Simcoe, Port Dover and Delhi) was held on Tuesday May 28, 2013 at the Holy Trinity Catholic High School. This grading was well attended by white and kyu ranked belts that were very enthusiastic and eager to show what they had learned during the year. The event was well-‐organized and structured and made good use of the space available. Everyone did an awesome job! The assistance of the higher belts made for a more enjoyable and less stressful experience for the younger children. There were plenty of smiles to go around as participants received their strips or belts and certificates. The demonstration of Kushanku by the brown and purple belts showed a dedication and passion for karate that Sensei Shintani would have been proud of. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of funds raised by the clubs to support the excellent work done at the JURAVINSKI Cancer Centre in Hamilton. Everyone should be very proud of what they accomplished in raising money for this very worthy cause. The night ended with pizza and drinks for everyone to enjoy. I would like to thank everyone involved (volunteers, participants and parents) in making this night a success. Congratulations to everyone who attended and did their best. Joe Terdik Brown belt


27

The Day That the Block Won

Back in the 70's, many Black Belts did "Breaking" demonstrations at the tournaments that Sensei Shintani held himself during the year. At one particular tournament, a young Black Belt brought a large patio slab that was approximately 3' X 3' and at least 3" thick. It was supported on 4 concrete blocks (each one place at a corner). He had his wrist and hand wrapped (for support I would imagine). He bowed to the audience, stepped up to the left side of the patio slab and slammed his fist down into the middle of the block. There was a thud, but nothing happened! Again he slammed his fist down, the same thud and again the same results....nothing. He looked around at the other Black Belts standing around, silently seeking their advice. " "Hit harder", Aim through", Put your body behind it"", came the suggestions and over and over he tried. Now even the audience could imagine the pain that was being felt with every attempt. Finally, I spoke up and told the Black Belt to step back from the block, bow to the "Block" and then, to the audience. Today the block one, tomorrow would be another day. The audience went wild and stood up applauding the Black Belt for humility. Actually, I believe he received the loudest applause of all the demonstrations that day. Garry LaPlante Shichdian Shintani Karate Federation


28

The Shintani National Team – Summer Training Session The weekend of August 23rd marked the summer training session for the Shintani national team. After weeks of training apart at our own clubs, it was exciting to see the team gather together from across Canada for three intense days of karate. On Friday afternoon we met up in Calgary with kumite coach Sensei Michel Gosselin who started the team off with two hours of plyometric and speed conditioning drills. The focus on speed would remain through our kumite training Friday evening and all through Saturday, as we drilled hand and foot speed, quick retraction, and timing, watching our sparring partners for the right second to attack. In between kumite sessions we worked with our kata coach Sensei Sanford DeWitt on international versions of Sochin, Wansu, and Chinto, refining timing and unfamiliar stances and being challenged by very different versions of familiar sequences. For the final workout on Sunday we headed to the springy flooring of the Altadore Gymnastic club to work a series of clinches and takedowns with Sensei Sanford and team member Christian Boivin, which was great fun and a good lesson in taking advantage of the human body’s predictable responses.

Picture 1 Caption: Thank you to all those who showed their support both on and off the floor. One of the best parts of this weekend was the opportunity to work with our teammates, drawing from each other’s energy, showcasing what we’d learned, and giving suggestions and advice as we grew together as a team. We were also fortunate to have a huge number of other karateka in attendance, with representatives from many clubs including Whitecourt, Edson, and Bushido in Alberta, Living Skies in Saskatchewan, and Simcoe, Nordik and Kawartha Lakes in Ontario, as well as the local area clubs of Okotoks, Dynamic & Hosukei Karate, and of course our hosts, South Calgary. In fact, the team was outnumbered on the floor for most of the weekend!


29

We were also joined by past team member Sensei Evan Junkin, and by Sensei Blaine Beemer, both of whom did a great job of pushing us and keeping the intensity high. The energy and enthusiasm on the floor was phenomenal, and we were very lucky to have so many different partners to work with. It was a humbling reminder that there is something to learn from every opponent, and I hope that we were able to give as much knowledge as we gained.

Picture 2 Caption: The team gathers with coaches on Friday ready for a tough weekend. (from left to right: Sanford DeWitt, Bernadine Jugdutt, Michaela Battista, Ashleigh Fidyk, Scott Knowles, Joel Schroeder, Scott Hill, Michel Gosselin, Cameron McGregor, Zachary Raymond, Heather Fidyk; front:

Brodie Hicks, Christian Boivin)

A special thank you goes out from all of us on the team to our coaches as well as to Senseis Heather and Darren Fidyk and Sensei Cheryl Boivin for hosting us and running things smoothly all weekend. We would also like to extend our continued gratitude to Sensei Ron Mattie for his wisdom, encouragement, and support, and though he was unable to join us at this event his presence was certainly felt. All in all it was a fun and productive experience, and we came away excited and inspired to train hard and represent the SWKKF to the best of our ability.


30

Thanks from me to all of the members of the national team, for your dedication, your spirit, and your friendship. I look forward to our next event together!

Picture 3 Caption: After three days of training, tired but pumped and happy!

(from left to right: Ashleigh Fidyk, Evan Junkin, Christian Boivin, Zachary Raymond, Cameron McGregor, Cheryl Boivin, Joel Schroeder, Michaela Battista, LJ Veszi, Brodie

Hicks, Bernadine Jugdutt, Scott Knowles)

-‐Bernadine Jugdutt


31

Fruity Fuel for Your Karate Kid

Supercharged Banana Berry Smoothie

1 cup of frozen berries 2 frozen bananas 1 tsp. Red Maca

1 ½ cups of cold water

Blend all of the ingredients in your blender until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

Sensei Jim and I are very excited to announce the launch of

© KaRAWte -‐ our newest series of workshops that combine healthy food and fitness for karate kids!

These workshops are interactive and can be brought to

your club. If you’d like to know more about them, feel free to visit our sites:

http://www.personalbestwadokai.com

https://www.facebook.com/personalbestwadokaikarate

Submitted by: Jodi Lebrun

Personal Best Wado-‐Kai Karate Club London, ON

As a Raw Food Coach and a mom of 4, two of whom are karate kids, I know how important it is to properly fuel our active children before and/or after a class. I also know that time is valuable and that you don’t want to spend ages in the kitchen ~ this smoothie recipe only takes moments to make and it’s full of healthy goodness! I keep bags of frozen fruit (from freezer section at Walmart or grocery store) and bananas (just peel and freeze your ripe ones in a Ziploc bag) in our freezer at all times so that I always have them on hand. Red Maca is “a powder (raw) that is an adaptogenic root that enhances your ability to deal with stress while boosting energy, endurance and performance.” It is also rich in calcium, potassium, iron, essential fatty acids and protein. All very beneficial for kids.

And the best part? Your kids won’t even know that it’s in there!


32

THE HARMONIZER IS PUBLISHED UNDER THE MANDATE OF THE SENATE OF THE SHINTANI WADO -‐KAI KARATE FEDERATION (SWKKF). THE SWKKF DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR STATE-‐ MENTS OF FACT OR OPINION MADE BY ANY CONTRIBUTOR. STATEMENTS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE SWKKF. ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION OF ARTICLES, AD-‐VERTISEMENTS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DOES NOT INDICATE ENDORSEMENT OF THE SAME BY THE SWKKF AND THE SWKKF ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY.

L e t t e r f r o m t h e E d i t o r With the days getting shorter and the holidays right around the corner, I can’t help but look back on 2013 with mixed emotions. As a SWKKF family, we all said goodbye to some wonderful Karatekas, while, at the same time, we welcomed new students into our clubs and we enjoyed a variety of amazing workshops, clinics, trips and tournaments. I urge you all to take some time to be grateful for your loved ones and for all that you have accomplished over the past year and I encourage you to set some exciting goals for the coming year. Have a safe and joyful holiday season and continue to send me your stories and submissions for future issues! If you have any questions or ideas for future issues, please email me at [email protected].

J o d i Personal Best Wado-Kai Karate Club London, ON www.personalbestwadokai.com https://www.facebook.com/personalbestwadokaikarate Email us at: [email protected]

volume22,issue11, nov.$2013$ - masaru shintani · theharmonizer$ volume22,issue11$ nov.$2013$ 4...

Documents