Karate Canada National Championships 2010
I judged and earned my KC Kata Judge B license at the nationals this year!
http://www.nationals2010.ca/
It was an exciting weekend at the Sheraton downtown Toronto - my first national tournament ever! And I got to officiate which was very exciting.
I am looking forward to a new sport karate season 2010/11. The nationals next year will take place in Gatineau, PQ!
I need to do these online tests more often. Although I passed with a national license this weekend, I can do better.
http://karatereferee.com/index.php
I entered the nationals with provincial Kata Judge A and Kumite Judge A licenses. Judge A is as high as one goes for kata but kumite is more complex. I need to earn Referee B then Referee A before I am eligible for a national license in kumite. Something to strive for!
A new friend - Elizabeth Wijnstra and I after the nationals at our concluding officials meeting, March 21, 2010:
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday, July 08, 2007
WHAT KARATE MEANS TO ME
By Rosalind Corey Clark
July 2007
Karate has many meanings and can mean different things to different people. Karate is in my life because it has many special meanings to me.
Karate is an organization of people dedicated to seeking improvement of their skills and perfection of character by training in the martial arts. Through training in karate, one does not just learn karate. I have learned many things through karate. I have learned to apply the significance of body, mind and spirit in- and outside of karate. In fact, body, mind and spirit represent a big part of what I feel karate to be. It has meant finding a path of self-reflection emotionally, spiritually and physically. Initially in karate, I quickly realized that my body was weak and unfit; and though I have always felt strong physically, through karate I realized how to improve myself. Through training and practice, I improve physically and technically.
Oh Myo Zai Hyakku Ren Sen Ten
The Secret Reveals Itself by Practising One Hundred Times and Training One Thousand Times
I have always enjoyed being active and playing sports. Karate means that I not only exercise my body but I also exercise my mind. Karate involves learning new customs and traditions. It’s learning protocol within the dojo. It is learning respect of the martial art and its teachings for past, present and future. That is why we bow at the beginning and end of class. In karate one learns several dozen moves to a dozen or more kata, trains to perfect those moves and observes high-ranking belts and especially Sensei’s to mimic what they do. Karate means striving to perform kata with perfect stance, technique and timing of moves. It means exhibiting fierce eyes and visualizing an opponent as each move is executed.
Me Wa Shiho Wo Miru Wo Yosu
The Eyes See Everything, Even The Slightest Change
In karate, I learn to perform kata in a group of 2 or 3 or 5 people working as a team to synchronize movements using peripheral vision to understand the others’ timing; slowing in places, speeding up in others, lowering a stance, following through with each move. Karate means one must use the mind to execute kata with focus or “zanshin”.
Te Wa Ku Ni Ai Sunawachi Hairu
Techniques Result From A Clear Mind
With each additional grading in which I’ve participated, I gain a clearer understanding of the spirit part of karate. Spirit, to me, defines karate the most of body, mind and spirit. It takes a person with a little spirit to even try their first karate class. As a shy girl in university, I needed a friend to join karate with me. It takes spirit to do one’s first grading. It takes spirit to perform kata in front of an audience. Accomplishing these things in karate improve one’s character and allows one to grow as a person in general. My most outstanding personal experiences with karate spirit were during both my black belt gradings. For Shodan, I endured a 12-hour, seemingly mostly physical dojo grading performing nearly every technique I had learned since day one in karate. My body had muscle memory; my mind knew how to perform the moves, yet it was the spirit I developed through karate practice and training that allowed me to execute them under extreme fatigue and stress. For Nidan, somehow the spirit of karate increased for me even while I was doing my grading. More was expected of me than I anticipated; I accomplished more than I anticipated. Karate teaches that one can be encouraged and pushed to do better and they will succeed in doing so if one practices and trains from the heart.
Oh Myo Zai Ren Shin
The Secret Reveals Itself Only Through Training from the Heart
Although body, mind and spirit represent a significant part of karate, it would be an omission to not mention the other benefits of karate. Karate also means that I have generated close friendships in my life with a number of different people, people that I consider karate family. Karate means that one shares camaraderie with like-minded karate-ka. Karate has proven to be a big social aspect of my life, some of the greatest people I know I’ve met through karate.
Karate has also enabled me to travel to Okinawa. It is one of my favourite life experiences not only to have seen another part of the world, but also to have partaken in the traditions and culture and train in Naha, the birthplace of karate.
Karate was originally developed as a form of defense and most people today still think of karate as just that. I consider karate important as a means to defend oneself and feel a black belt in karate must be able to reasonably do so. I strive to uphold this. In a controlled manner, karate is used as defense in tournaments or sport karate. Being able to compete is a way for karate-ka to self-evaluate. Receiving a medal is fun and exciting but more importantly what one takes away from competing in karate is self-improvement and learning to lose as well as to win. Karate means learning from both successes and failures. Being able to deal with various situations perfects character.
Through karate I am more aware of my surroundings and of myself. We cannot control what happens around us; we can only control how we react to what happens to us and around us. Being self-aware means that one’s actions are better controlled. Controlling one’s actions, doing and thinking positive displays respect and helps to be a good person. Dai Sensei Yagi suggests that a positive character stems from being true to your heart and to do this requires diligence. I agree with this suggestion, which is to say karate means learning to be true to oneself.
By Rosalind Corey Clark
July 2007
Karate has many meanings and can mean different things to different people. Karate is in my life because it has many special meanings to me.
Karate is an organization of people dedicated to seeking improvement of their skills and perfection of character by training in the martial arts. Through training in karate, one does not just learn karate. I have learned many things through karate. I have learned to apply the significance of body, mind and spirit in- and outside of karate. In fact, body, mind and spirit represent a big part of what I feel karate to be. It has meant finding a path of self-reflection emotionally, spiritually and physically. Initially in karate, I quickly realized that my body was weak and unfit; and though I have always felt strong physically, through karate I realized how to improve myself. Through training and practice, I improve physically and technically.
Oh Myo Zai Hyakku Ren Sen Ten
The Secret Reveals Itself by Practising One Hundred Times and Training One Thousand Times
I have always enjoyed being active and playing sports. Karate means that I not only exercise my body but I also exercise my mind. Karate involves learning new customs and traditions. It’s learning protocol within the dojo. It is learning respect of the martial art and its teachings for past, present and future. That is why we bow at the beginning and end of class. In karate one learns several dozen moves to a dozen or more kata, trains to perfect those moves and observes high-ranking belts and especially Sensei’s to mimic what they do. Karate means striving to perform kata with perfect stance, technique and timing of moves. It means exhibiting fierce eyes and visualizing an opponent as each move is executed.
Me Wa Shiho Wo Miru Wo Yosu
The Eyes See Everything, Even The Slightest Change
In karate, I learn to perform kata in a group of 2 or 3 or 5 people working as a team to synchronize movements using peripheral vision to understand the others’ timing; slowing in places, speeding up in others, lowering a stance, following through with each move. Karate means one must use the mind to execute kata with focus or “zanshin”.
Te Wa Ku Ni Ai Sunawachi Hairu
Techniques Result From A Clear Mind
With each additional grading in which I’ve participated, I gain a clearer understanding of the spirit part of karate. Spirit, to me, defines karate the most of body, mind and spirit. It takes a person with a little spirit to even try their first karate class. As a shy girl in university, I needed a friend to join karate with me. It takes spirit to do one’s first grading. It takes spirit to perform kata in front of an audience. Accomplishing these things in karate improve one’s character and allows one to grow as a person in general. My most outstanding personal experiences with karate spirit were during both my black belt gradings. For Shodan, I endured a 12-hour, seemingly mostly physical dojo grading performing nearly every technique I had learned since day one in karate. My body had muscle memory; my mind knew how to perform the moves, yet it was the spirit I developed through karate practice and training that allowed me to execute them under extreme fatigue and stress. For Nidan, somehow the spirit of karate increased for me even while I was doing my grading. More was expected of me than I anticipated; I accomplished more than I anticipated. Karate teaches that one can be encouraged and pushed to do better and they will succeed in doing so if one practices and trains from the heart.
Oh Myo Zai Ren Shin
The Secret Reveals Itself Only Through Training from the Heart
Although body, mind and spirit represent a significant part of karate, it would be an omission to not mention the other benefits of karate. Karate also means that I have generated close friendships in my life with a number of different people, people that I consider karate family. Karate means that one shares camaraderie with like-minded karate-ka. Karate has proven to be a big social aspect of my life, some of the greatest people I know I’ve met through karate.
Karate has also enabled me to travel to Okinawa. It is one of my favourite life experiences not only to have seen another part of the world, but also to have partaken in the traditions and culture and train in Naha, the birthplace of karate.
Karate was originally developed as a form of defense and most people today still think of karate as just that. I consider karate important as a means to defend oneself and feel a black belt in karate must be able to reasonably do so. I strive to uphold this. In a controlled manner, karate is used as defense in tournaments or sport karate. Being able to compete is a way for karate-ka to self-evaluate. Receiving a medal is fun and exciting but more importantly what one takes away from competing in karate is self-improvement and learning to lose as well as to win. Karate means learning from both successes and failures. Being able to deal with various situations perfects character.
Through karate I am more aware of my surroundings and of myself. We cannot control what happens around us; we can only control how we react to what happens to us and around us. Being self-aware means that one’s actions are better controlled. Controlling one’s actions, doing and thinking positive displays respect and helps to be a good person. Dai Sensei Yagi suggests that a positive character stems from being true to your heart and to do this requires diligence. I agree with this suggestion, which is to say karate means learning to be true to oneself.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
One Year Later...
I haven't been training much in the past year at all. I attended a couple classes last June following the grading and on December 30, 2006 for a "reunion". That was the last time. I am setting up a little dojo in the basement so I can train. I'm to help with the black belt grading tomorrow. Brian Langendock and Rowan Yee are grading for shodan. I also must complete and send my karate essay "What karate means to me". It's about 1000 words. Maybe I'll post it here...
I haven't been training much in the past year at all. I attended a couple classes last June following the grading and on December 30, 2006 for a "reunion". That was the last time. I am setting up a little dojo in the basement so I can train. I'm to help with the black belt grading tomorrow. Brian Langendock and Rowan Yee are grading for shodan. I also must complete and send my karate essay "What karate means to me". It's about 1000 words. Maybe I'll post it here...
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Recently Graded
There is a special opportunity to travel to Okinawa for a 50th anniversary "karate" event this October 2006. Unfortunately, unless I get a new job and/or more pay/vacation, I cannot go. Probably in 2008 I will go again. However, right now I'm aiming for going to India (karate trip) in December 2007!
In February 2006, MMKD (Markham Meibukai Karate Dojo) had our second annual fundraising event Kagame Baraki (Japanese dinner and karate demonstration) to celebrate Japanese new year and new beginnings. A good time was had by all and we raised the same as we did last year ($4000). We will be getting new mats for the dojo, as well as putting money towards paint for the Hombu dojo in Okinawa.
In March, MMKD hosted a "Gasshukku" (special karate training/social get-together) over the first weekend. I started to learn kata bunkai (application techniques) there.
In April, 5 of us competed in a Seiwa-Kai tournament in Niagara Falls and brought back 8 awards including Andrew who won Grand Champion for kyu belts. MMKD also hosted the Goju Games were I got creamed by 2 young male black belts.
In June, I was graded for my Nidan (second degree) black belt and passed. I have a separate blog on the details of what I had to do.
In July I'll be busy being step-mom and covering some classes while Sensei is away.
As requirements for "Nidan" I took 2 "coaching" courses this spring called Introduction to Competition A and B:
"A" entails Ethical Coaching, Planning a Practice & Nutritional Advice.
"B" entails Sport Program Design, Teaching/Learning & Mental Preparation.
I also took First Aid and CPR again (as I did 2 years ago for "Shodan"). Feel much more comfortable with it now.
I'd like to take a nutritional course this year. It's $750 and this module is one quarter of getting a Natural Nutrition Program (diploma) through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. Module One includes the most practical portion of the entire program, which is the Symptomatology course. It contains enough information that I will know if I want to take the remaining 3 modules and get certification. "Students who successfully complete the program qualify for the professional designation R.H.N. (Registered Holistic Nutritionist/Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant)."
So, something to look forward to! Life changes in 2006!
There is a special opportunity to travel to Okinawa for a 50th anniversary "karate" event this October 2006. Unfortunately, unless I get a new job and/or more pay/vacation, I cannot go. Probably in 2008 I will go again. However, right now I'm aiming for going to India (karate trip) in December 2007!
In February 2006, MMKD (Markham Meibukai Karate Dojo) had our second annual fundraising event Kagame Baraki (Japanese dinner and karate demonstration) to celebrate Japanese new year and new beginnings. A good time was had by all and we raised the same as we did last year ($4000). We will be getting new mats for the dojo, as well as putting money towards paint for the Hombu dojo in Okinawa.
In March, MMKD hosted a "Gasshukku" (special karate training/social get-together) over the first weekend. I started to learn kata bunkai (application techniques) there.
In April, 5 of us competed in a Seiwa-Kai tournament in Niagara Falls and brought back 8 awards including Andrew who won Grand Champion for kyu belts. MMKD also hosted the Goju Games were I got creamed by 2 young male black belts.
In June, I was graded for my Nidan (second degree) black belt and passed. I have a separate blog on the details of what I had to do.
In July I'll be busy being step-mom and covering some classes while Sensei is away.
As requirements for "Nidan" I took 2 "coaching" courses this spring called Introduction to Competition A and B:
"A" entails Ethical Coaching, Planning a Practice & Nutritional Advice.
"B" entails Sport Program Design, Teaching/Learning & Mental Preparation.
I also took First Aid and CPR again (as I did 2 years ago for "Shodan"). Feel much more comfortable with it now.
I'd like to take a nutritional course this year. It's $750 and this module is one quarter of getting a Natural Nutrition Program (diploma) through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. Module One includes the most practical portion of the entire program, which is the Symptomatology course. It contains enough information that I will know if I want to take the remaining 3 modules and get certification. "Students who successfully complete the program qualify for the professional designation R.H.N. (Registered Holistic Nutritionist/Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant)."
So, something to look forward to! Life changes in 2006!
Sunday, June 04, 2006
My Nidan Grading
Not too bad. Silly me thought I'd get away with an easy grading; it was by no means easy. I also envied Morana (a 3rd degree bb at another club/different style) who did the "spiritual" test (joined the "1000 Club") because she was finished by noon and my grading didn't start until 1! So I started at 1 p.m. and it went until 5 p.m. We did all our kata together (at least 13 different ones, some twice) then had to do our favourite kata alone and then Sensei picked a kata for us to do (by ourselves). We did other drills but the toughest part came with sparring.
There was Paul, Brian and I going for nidan but only Paul and I had to spar continuously for 45 minutes. There were 5 others, 2 of which would be sparring each of us, the other 3 waited. When a minute was up a fresh, rested person sparred us. That continued until everybody went around 8 times each, so in 45 minutes we both did 40 rounds of sparring. My legs are rubbery, my arms the most sore because I had to try to keep my guards up (kept getting hit in the head otherwise). My right bicep is literally popped out. At rest, without flexing it feels hard. Same as my left calf. I felt close to tears (drained, tired, exhausted, pushed) at one point, part way through but it occurred to me that I wasn't allowed to be stopping any time soon so I had to find it in me to continue. That was the biggest spiritual test I had to do, more so than the 1000 club (1000 of each push-ups, crunches, kicks and punches). By the end my mouth was so dry, I couldn't swallow my saliva (I had to spit it onto my arm, on the gi, literally) as we weren't allowed a drink until after the next drill which was, Brian and I had to defend Paul while the other 5 had to get past us and carry him to the other end of the dojo. If I scored on someone, they were out. However, if someone else scored me on, the other person could come back in.
It was tough. They ended up dragging Paul down the dojo, not carrying him. We started again but stopped the drill before finishing. Then we had the belt ceremony, which was cool. I got a nice certificate, some kanji of a special set of 8 poems we use in karate written and signed by our Sensei Meitetsu in Japan and a special gift from him for Janet & I, a little 3x4 cloth picture of a Geisha. Very nice, I love it. OF course, the ritual sake drinks came at the end before we went to dinner. We each had to answer questions correctly or otherwise take a shot. When we finally answered correctly, we drank once more but our sensei did too. One of my questions was which beer does Sensei (in Japan) like best. I said Sapporo but it is only the Japanese beer he drinks when in Canada because Orion (his fave) is not available. Ugh! We actually call Brian "Orion-san" because of this beer (since we visited Japan).
Anyway, I was on a real high afterwards, at dinner I was talking like I was drunk. I did have some wine but not that much. It was just a really cool day, and we all bonded with each other having shared this special event. Now tonight I'll go to a class to train with some new black belts! Should be fun.
Not too bad. Silly me thought I'd get away with an easy grading; it was by no means easy. I also envied Morana (a 3rd degree bb at another club/different style) who did the "spiritual" test (joined the "1000 Club") because she was finished by noon and my grading didn't start until 1! So I started at 1 p.m. and it went until 5 p.m. We did all our kata together (at least 13 different ones, some twice) then had to do our favourite kata alone and then Sensei picked a kata for us to do (by ourselves). We did other drills but the toughest part came with sparring.
There was Paul, Brian and I going for nidan but only Paul and I had to spar continuously for 45 minutes. There were 5 others, 2 of which would be sparring each of us, the other 3 waited. When a minute was up a fresh, rested person sparred us. That continued until everybody went around 8 times each, so in 45 minutes we both did 40 rounds of sparring. My legs are rubbery, my arms the most sore because I had to try to keep my guards up (kept getting hit in the head otherwise). My right bicep is literally popped out. At rest, without flexing it feels hard. Same as my left calf. I felt close to tears (drained, tired, exhausted, pushed) at one point, part way through but it occurred to me that I wasn't allowed to be stopping any time soon so I had to find it in me to continue. That was the biggest spiritual test I had to do, more so than the 1000 club (1000 of each push-ups, crunches, kicks and punches). By the end my mouth was so dry, I couldn't swallow my saliva (I had to spit it onto my arm, on the gi, literally) as we weren't allowed a drink until after the next drill which was, Brian and I had to defend Paul while the other 5 had to get past us and carry him to the other end of the dojo. If I scored on someone, they were out. However, if someone else scored me on, the other person could come back in.
It was tough. They ended up dragging Paul down the dojo, not carrying him. We started again but stopped the drill before finishing. Then we had the belt ceremony, which was cool. I got a nice certificate, some kanji of a special set of 8 poems we use in karate written and signed by our Sensei Meitetsu in Japan and a special gift from him for Janet & I, a little 3x4 cloth picture of a Geisha. Very nice, I love it. OF course, the ritual sake drinks came at the end before we went to dinner. We each had to answer questions correctly or otherwise take a shot. When we finally answered correctly, we drank once more but our sensei did too. One of my questions was which beer does Sensei (in Japan) like best. I said Sapporo but it is only the Japanese beer he drinks when in Canada because Orion (his fave) is not available. Ugh! We actually call Brian "Orion-san" because of this beer (since we visited Japan).
Anyway, I was on a real high afterwards, at dinner I was talking like I was drunk. I did have some wine but not that much. It was just a really cool day, and we all bonded with each other having shared this special event. Now tonight I'll go to a class to train with some new black belts! Should be fun.
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