Charleswood Dojo in Winnipeg, MB

Just a reminder that because of the Victoria Day long weekend, there are no classes of any kind at Charleswood Karate on Saturday or Monday, May 19 and 21.

Enjoy your long weekend, and see you next week!

Sensei Porath, Lussier and Hinds

On Friday & Saturday, May 4 & 5, Budo IKD Manitoba hosted an excellent seminar with guest Sensei Marcel Lussier, 6th Dan and head of the Saskatchewan IKD.

Also, black belt testings were held on Saturday afternoon out in Stonewall at the Stonewall Karate club.

Sensei Lussier has an extensive competitive history up to and including gold at the Worlds level with the ISKF, and runs a club of his own in St. Louis, Saskatchewan (road trip, anyone?) while he maintains regular employment as a corrections officer at Saskatchewan Penitentiary.

If You Missed Sensei Marcel Lussier…

The seminar rooms were packed, and Sensei Lussier shared some high-quality tips and tricks for everyone who attended.

While it’s difficult to make a short list, some of the things there were special focus on included:

Sensei Lussier at the brown belt class

* Demonstrating the difference between “testing” kata and “competition” kata, including why they should be different from one another.

* Point-by-point examination of black belt testing kata.  His detailed explanation of Nijushiho should have been recorded!

* Discussing the difference between the “beginner” and “black belt” ways to execute basics techniques.

* Quizzing our understanding of exactly which of the Six Ways to Generate Power are being used in testing basics.

Videos & Pictures Are Up!

Since Charleswood’s resident webmaster was at this event, there’s pictures and videos for you to enjoy, whether or not you were able to make it out to Sensei Lussier’s seminar this time around.

Because testing was held in a small venue instead of a large gym, we can clearly hear everything that Sensei Lussier is saying, as a bonus this time!

He’s quite a talented and technical instructor, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing him again in the coming years.

• Tag anyone who isn’t tagged in this Facebook Album
• Check out the testing footage:
• IKD Shodan Testing footage
• IKD Nidan Testing footage
• IKD Sandan Testing footage
• Here are some pictures uploaded to the Charleswood Karate albums

Good work to those who attended, and especially to those who poured all their energy into their testing!

Friday and Saturday, May 4th and 5th Budo Manitoba welcomes Sensei Marcel Lussier, 6th dan & Chief Instructor of IKD Saskatchewan for an excellent weekend of Shotokan karate here in Winnipeg.

Seminar:  When, Who and Where

Sensei Marcel Lussier

The seminar is being held in two different locations:

Friday Evening May 4th
Location: Manitoba Japanese Cultural Centre
180 McPhillips, Winnipeg
(click for map)

5:30-7:00 pm – Brown Belt Class
7:00-8:30 pm – Black Belt Class

Saturday May 5th
Location: Stonewall Karate, Stonewall
(click for map)

10:00-11:00 a.m. White to Purple Belt Class
White to Purple Belt Testing to follow

1:00-3:00 Brown & Black Belt Class
Brown & Black Belt Testing to follow

Seminar & Black Belt Testing Fees

Charleswood Karate has its own kyu belt testing date set for May 12, 2012 at Westgrove School..  If you are testing for a level of black belt, you will be testing at this seminar with Sensei Lussier.

About Sensei Marcel Lussier

Sensei Lussier began karate training in Prince Albert in 1981.  He has since traveled extensively training under many of the highest ranking karate masters in the world.  He has won numerous medals at the ISKF Canada National Championships.  He won gold medals in senior men’s kata (forms) and kumite (sparring) at the ISKF World Shoto Cup, in 2008.   He has been honoured in the Saskatchewan Legislature for his accomplishments.  (See page 1937 of this link). Sensei Lussier is an IKD certified Class B Judge, Class B Instructor and Class B Examiner.  Sensei Lussier is a corrections officer at Saskatchewan Penitentiary.

All regular classes at the Charleswood dojo on 5924 Roblin Blvd (Young Tigers program excepted) are cancelled on Saturday May 12, 2012.

Instead, Sensei Ron has reserved space at Westgrove School (50 Westgrove Way) in order to hold a special class, followed by testing for brown and below, and then a hot dog party back at the dojo afterwards!

Testing for black belts! It’s scheduled for May 5, 2012 in Stonewall. Classes May 4 at MJCCC and May 5, at Stonewall Karate Club with testing after the class in Stonewall – talk to Sensei Ron.

All black belts are invited to attend, Sensei Ron has plans for us, too!

Where, When, Who Can Come, etc

Location:     Westgrove School, 50 Westgrove Way, Winnipeg
Class Time:  10 – 11 am (pre-testing class for all students)

Testing:       11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Cost:           $45 per person for those testing.

Class is free of charge and all are welcome.

Hot Dog Party @ the dojo, 5924 Roblin Blvd 1-2 pm!

There is no cost for the party, students and their families are all invited.

All black belts will help with instruction/leading the class.

See you at Westgrove School!

Karate Manitoba Uses WKF Rules

Karate Manitoba is completing its ruleset switch-over to WKF (World Karate Federation) rules this year at the Open Provincial Tournament scheduled for June 2, 2012.

The IDSL and Stonewall tournaments have been using the JKA (Japan Karate Association) ruleset, so there will be noticable differences.

Find out how these rules affect you or your child on Saturday, April 21 at 2 PM at Glenlawn Collegiate.  Bring $5 per person to enter, and if you train, bring your gi!

Charleswood members of all ranks are welcome to take part in this competition, and we need you supportive family members to help out with timekeeping and scorekeeping, so talk to a black belt if you have any questions!

Info Directly From Karate Manitoba

Guest instructor Norma Foster, Chair Karate Canada Officials Committee.

· World Karate Federation (WKF) Kumite Referee, Kata Judge
· Former chair, WKF Womens’ Sport Commission
· First woman appointed to WKF Referee Commission

This special informal session is for you if you are an athlete and want to understand how your performance will be judged under WKF rules, or if you are a parent and simply want to understand what the judges are doing that affects your child.

When: 2 – 4 pm, Saturday April 21, 2012
Where: Glenlawn Collegiate, 770 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg

Cost: $5.00

Athletes: Wear your gi, try it out and receive useful feedback!

See http://karatemanitoba.ca/KarateMB-Officials-Development.htm for more details.

Brown and Black belt training

Now that the Youth Advanced class has been going for a few months every second Wednesday from 7-8PM, Sensei Ron has added an all ages Advanced kata class for brown and black belts to the regular schedule for that time slot on the opposing Wednesdays.

Next Class: Wednesday,

May 16, 2012 from 7-8PM

If you’re planning on testing or entering into tournaments over the next while, or looking to challenge yourself more, you’ll want to come to these training sessions!

All Ages Karate: 3rd Kyu+

With the entry level restriction of brown belt and higher, Sensei Ron is able to cover more advanced ways of learning and teaching Shotokan Karate kata:

• Practicing kata beyond the early Heian kata, including black belt kata
• Learning bunkai (application) for various kata, including testings
• Advanced kata drills to help reinforce your learning

What To Bring With You

This is a normal training session which will continue as long as attendance supports it, so if you appreciate the extra training opportunity, lend your support as often as you can.

Make sure to bring a strong spirit and questions about your training!

If you’re not sure about what questions to ask, ask yourself, do you understand your testing kata’s applications? Are you confused about testing requirements for yourself or your child who also trains?

This is an excellent opportunity for advanced-level students to focus on material that doesn’t normally get covered in a class shared with white-blue belts.

See you at the dojo!

11 and under category ready for kumite

Hey everyone! Grab your mouthguards and gloves, it’s time for another round of the Inter-dojo Shotokan League of Manitoba!

The IDSL is the brainchild of Sensei Phil Harris, 5th Dan and head instructor of the Heijoshin Karate club here in Winnipeg.

Its purpose is to provide a fun way for all brown and black belts who train Shotokan in Manitoba, regardless of dojo affiliation, to come together for some friendly competition and officiating practice throughout the year.

Not Yet Brown Belt?

If you train Shotokan but haven’t reached brown belt, you’re still invited to come out to watch!

If you’d like to get involved, you can help out as scorekeepers and timekeepers, and get the best seat in the house.

New Brown Belts Invited, Too!

If you JUST got your brown belt (especially Charleswood students!), we look forward to seeing you join in!  This is excellent tournament experience in a low-pressure atmosphere and it’s lots of fun.

How To Take Part In The IDSL

Where: 

Charleswood Karate, 5924 Roblin Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

When:

Start time, 2 PM.  Estimated end time is 4 PM.

Entry Fee:

$5 covers all your matches on this April 28th date.

Entrants who are not members of Charleswood Karate may need to sign a waiver as well.

Who’s Invited:

Anyone in Manitoba who trains Shotokan karate and is 3rd kyu (brown belt) and above.

The age groupings are 11 and under, 12-17, and adult.

Previous events have seen participants from four or more clubs other than Charleswood Karate.  We hope to see participants from:  Lac du Bonnet Karate, Fort Garry Shotokan, Winnipeg Budokai, Victoria Karate, and maybe some new ones!

What To Bring:

Mouthguard, gloves, and an excellent spirit!

Medals At The Stonewall Karate Tournament

The event was held on March 10, 2012 at the Stonewall Legion in Stonewall, Manitoba, and the rounds went quickly and smoothly and it sounds like everyone had a great time!

Thank you to the officials and timekeepers, and to the competitors as well.  There was representation from not only Stonewall Karate & Charleswood Karate, but Winnipeg Budokai, Heijoshin Karate and the Brandon IKD club as well!

Links to pictures and videos at the bottom of the post!

Next Competition: IDSL April 7!

Before this post goes any further, we’d like to invite all brown and black belts to join the Inter-dojo Shotokan League event on April 7, 2012.

We’d love to see some new faces coming out to have some fun, while meeting people who train at other Shotokan clubs around Winnipeg, and getting some low-pressure competition experience in as well. You can find out more about this fun competitive league which is open to all Shotokan practitioners, regardless of what dojo you train at or who your instructor is, at the Inter-dojo Shotokan League of Manitoba website.

Be sure to become a fan of the IDSL page on Facebook if you hang around on there.

Photos And Videos Of The Event

We’ve got a lot of video content from the Stonewall tournament, and there are still great pictures to be uploaded from Sensei Ron’s camera.

There were some issues that prevented recording at the start and the end of the tournament, but there’s lots from the middle parts this time!

To make it easy, we’ve put all the videos in a big list, and broken it down into sections:

• Junior Men, Kata and Kumite
• Junior Women, Kumite
• Adult Men, Kyu Ranks Kata
• Team Kata & Team Bunkai events
• Adult Women, Kyu Ranks, Kata & Kumite
• Adult Women, Black Belts, Kata

There’s also a small photo gallery on Facebook (if you’re in there and not tagged in the photo, please tag yourself!), and a larger gallery will be uploaded here on the Charleswood website in the next while.

Share It! Spread The Word About Charleswood!

The Charleswood Karate profiles online are designed to give members a number of ways to keep up with what is going on with the club, and also, it’s to spread the word about Charleswood Karate. You can help by sharing our videos and pictures and blog posts on YOUR blog, Facebook page, YouTube account, or on Twitter, and linking back to the club’s website.

And of course, if your friends or family have questions about karate, let them know they can train 2 classes for free to check it out some time!

Sensei Mark Minarik, 5th Dan from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is coming to town, and while he’s affiliated with the ITKF and not the IKD like we are, he’s still an excellent Shotokan practitioner who is well-known in general and well-respected by anyone who has met him.

This is a unique opportunity to take in a seminar with a very experienced and very personable Sensei from Saskatoon, and all students are encouraged to join in.  Brown belts and higher, especially, would find this extra training beneficial.

Where, When, How Much?

Where: 

St. Paul’s High School Gymnasium, 2200 Grant Ave, Winnipeg

When: 

Friday, March 30:       7-9p
Saturday, March 31:   10a-12p, 2-4p
Sunday, April 1:         10a-12p

Costs & Registration:

Sensei Ron has secured us a group rate, which lets you take any two classes and pay a total of $50.  Sign up at the dojo.

About Sensei Minarik

Sensei Mark Minarik is a 5th degree black belt registered with the International Traditional Karate Federation, training most of his career under the late Hidetaka Nishiyama.

Sensei Minarik has been running his club under the name “Midwest Karate Saskatoon” since the 1990′s and has developed a strong following over the years.

As an official, He is currently ranked as a Provincial Level A, and an International Level C official with the respective Traditional Karate governing bodies.

As an athlete, Mark Minarik has been involved in the sport since 1978:

* Provincially he has held the title of kumite champion for 10 consecutive years, 1990 -1999.
* He had first place success at the 2001 Western Canadian meet in Saskatoon, and the 2002 meet in Brandon.
* Nationally, he has won meets in Saskatoon, Newfoundland, Montreal and Winnipeg.
* He has been a member of the Canadian national team since 1986 and competed internationally until 2002.
* He has been at world competitions in Austalia, Peru, Canada, Italy and Yugoslavia and in Pan-American events in Mexico, Puerto Rico (where he won two gold), Argentina, Colombia (where he won anouther gold), and Chile.

These seminars are open to both Charleswood Karate members as well as the general public, with a base requirement of 13 years of age.

The focus will be working on “common sense” basic self-defense including break-holds, strikes & avoiding situations, plus suggested exercises you can take home with you to reinforce what you’ve learned.

When:

March 24, 2012: Co-ed seminar, 1 – 3 PM
March 25, 2012: Women’s seminar, 11 AM – 1 PM

Where:

Charleswood Dojo, 5924 Roblin Boulevard
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Costs & Registration:

Costs are $25 per person, per class.

Contact Sensei Ron online, or call (204) 896-3354

Read on for more information about these learning opportunities, and be sure to invite your friends and family, as no prior martial arts experience is required and this is solid stuff everyone should know!

How Self-Defense Training Is Different

Self Defense techniques taught in every day class as we work towards testings and tournaments are quite different from those taught for a real attack outside the relative safety of the dojo.

Inside the dojo the interactions are quite controlled: There are instructors and rules, and everyone is there with the spirit and mindset for sport.

In a confrontation outside the dojo, the attacker intends to cause real harm to the opponent.  There are no “illegal attacks” and often nobody there to intervene.

No Martial Arts Experience Required

The focus of these Self Defense courses is on the development of personal-safety skills that can be easily mastered by anyone, whether or not they have any prior martial arts experience.

These personal safety skills will be taught and practiced within a comfortable learning environment, and are designed and lead by experienced black belt instructors.

Bring your parents, bring your brothers and sisters, bring your kids.  Heck, bring your cousins, aunts & uncles, and your grandparents, too!

Wear your casual sport clothes – loose-fitting, no zippers, big buttons, dangly bits, and no shoes.

See you (and your friends, families and coworkers) at the dojo!