July 2010
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Sensei Scales goes to Okinawa

After much planning, Sensei Scales and a group of students and British friends made an extensive tour of Okinawa with a side of Japan. Here is the link he asked me to post.

B&B

(would anyone care to contribute a report on the B&B in Maple Ridge in March?)

Nanaimo Seminar

Nanaimo Shotokan hosted a two day seminar March 26-28. The event had 40 attendees. The instructors included Sensei Semple from the Nanaimo home club, Sensei Ingram from the Yukon and Sensei Ingrid Sheere from somewhere north of Port Coquitlam. The seminar fucussed on kihon for all grading levels with kata and kumite directed at the higher kyu and dan levels. Kata included Bassai Sho, Unsu, Nijushiho and Kanku Sho.

UVic Seminar

On Thursday, May 20, 2010, Sensei Jean arranged to have a Victoria Police Constable visit the UVIC Shotokan kids' class to talk about W.I.T.S. an anti-bullying program. The program helps kids by giving them strategies for dealing with bullying. W is for "Walk Away", I is for "Ignore", T is for "Talk it Out" and S is for "Seek Help". During the talk, the kids were able to ask questions and use real hand-cuffs! Sensei Jessica, Chief Instructor of UVIC Shotokan says "programs like this help the kids understand what the dojo kun is about - specifically 'refrain from violent behaviour'. It also provides an opportunity for kids to talk to their parents about bullying." It was great experience and we will be sure to have the Constable back in the future.

Summer Camp with Sensei Yorga

Summer camp was held June 4-5 this year at the Hollyburn Country Club in West Vancouver. The guest instructor this year was Sensei Ilya Yorga of the World Traditional Fudokan Shotokan
Karate-Do Federation. Yorga Sensei brought a keen insight into Shotokan fundamentals and the roots of our style. Over the weekend, we saw many ways of developing power quickly as well as looking at the Paean kata that Funakoshi Sensei would have practiced. Sensei Yorga was easily able to demonstrate these techniques as he is in remarkable shape. But he also called upon many willing volunteers to prove his points.

Yorga Sensei also brought an offer for ShotoCanada to associate with the Fudokan Organization, giving our chief instructors a place on their technical committee and an international tournament system for our athletes. We decided to join as associate members and will become the Canadian representatives of the organization.

It was wonderful to have a representative from our PEI group at camp (Yeah Stephen!) as well as visitors from Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Our own instructors pitched in and included a knife defense class with Sensei Holmes, bo with Sensei Scales and bo tai sai kumite with Sensei Ingram.

We'd like to thank Sensei Peter Stoddart of the Hollyburn Club for making the facility available and being his usual enthusiastic self as a participant in the camp.

Seniors Camp in the Yukon

On July 16, seven of ShotoCanada's senior dans and club instructors travelled to the Yukon for a weekend of training, talk and experiencing the Yukon wilderness at the Phoenix Dojo. The event was hosted by Rob Ingram of Kita Kaze and Helene Dobrowolsky who provided major logistical support. Friday evening began with discussions about the syllabus and training curriculum. On Saturday, all those who attended presented a half hour class on topics of interest to them. These included techniques for close fighting featuring bladed hand, grappling and take down bunkain and oyo from kata, kicking drills, escrima and a couple of kata we rarely do in Shotokan. This was followed by yet more discussion and, of course, socializing. The weather held. The bugs weren't too bad. Most of all, we got to see what other instructors have to offer and to start compiling a resource list of classes, drills and techniques that will benefit all of our dojo.

 

 

If you want to see your pictures up here, then please send them

Sensei Semple demonstrates on Mark Deugau at Nanaimo Seminar in March

More of Nancy Duchaine's fabulous images here

Uvic kids face the police

 

Jean Rodrigue of Victoria and Stephen DeGrace of PEI working with the sai at Summer Camp

More images here

 

 

Participants at the Yukon 2010 seniors camp in front of the Phoenix Dojo

Back row l to r: Rob Ingram, Ingrid Sheere, Judy Boyko
front row: Jean-Sébastien Rodrigue, Chuck Julson, Andrew Holmes, Jessica Moore, Mike Maxwell, Kyle Dulske

More photos here