Your Family Martial Arts Centre
It has been announced that our Kumite instructor and friend, Sensei Hamoon Derafshipour, is headed to the Olympics Games in Tokyo, Japan this coming Summer. With multiple gold medals in the Asian Club Championships, World League Championships in Indonesia and Turkey, as well as several silver and bronze medals it all comes down to this!
Yesterday, four of our KMAthletes rose at 5am and drove all the way to the Vaughn Sportsplex to compete in the Third Team Selection at the Elite Level with the Ontario Karate Federation. For the four of them, they have only had the chance to compete at this level a handful of times, however, their hard work in the dojo is starting to show as they continue to improve in their competitive skill.
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It was a super exciting day as we took to the mats, once again, to face new and familiar faces from dojo’s across Ontario; an event sanctioned by the Ontario Karate Federation.
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Our karate family got together once again to kickoff the Holidays. Everyone brought all sorts of dishes to share, students received their well deserved belt certificates, and we even handed out our very first set of awards.
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Our club’s main objective is to create active leaders within our community, but what makes a great leader? How do you build trust with the people you are looking to help? Here are just a few qualities one will need to consider when looking to be a positive influence within their community.
When someone says you uphold your integrity, they mean you are the type of person who sticks to their principles, is open and honest. People won’t start following you if they believe you’re going to back stab them in the back.
Have you ever met a leader who wasn’t passionate or committed to the thing they were trying to lead? Of course not, otherwise they would not have a following for very long. In order to lead well you need to be committed to your practice (whatever that practice may be) or people won’t really want to follow you.
And people will be able to tell.
Probably one of the hardest parts in leadership is making decisions. Some are easy and some are really hard to make. It’s a learned skill and takes a lot of practice, and sometimes the most skilled leaders still have a hard time deciding what the best option is.
Communicating effectively can come naturally to some people, but for others… it takes practice. I’ll admit, I am not always the greatest when it comes to telling people what I need from them. However, so long as you are open to learning and practicing this skill, you will be leading effectively in no time!
In my personal opinion I believe accountability is one of the hardest qualities to uphold as a leader. Why? Because it means taking responsibility for your actions or the actions of others (i.e. your students). Because when it all comes down to it, you are the one leading them.
Now this does not mean you have to take the blame all the time, but it also doesn’t mean you can put the blame on others when you were the one to act on it.
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The day starts with the sun barely up and you begin to make your long drive to the venue. When you arrive you walk through the doors to hear nothing but commotion as each competitor makes their way to compete. And even though you are tired and you know it’s going to be a long day, it is always exciting to be there.
October 22, 2017 marked the first time any of our students would compete on the mats themselves in the recreational division with the Ontario Karate Federation. A longer day for some, but exciting all the same!
First we had our 6-9 year olds compete in kata (a series of moves put into a pattern) and kumite (or sparring). And even though they were nervous, they pulled it off and showed the other competitors they meant business. Afterwards, our 10-12 year old students made it to the mats and managed to make it to the second round. They certainly moved like true athletes.
When Liam went up to compete in the 13-14 year kata, we fell silent. He didn’t just win his first round, or his second, but managed to attain a silver medal. A first for him and our club! Excited, we cheered and a proud mum and dad could be heard across the room.
And that was just a start.
Our second winner was Nick who brought home a bronze in kumite. Our girls Amie, Olivia, and Alyssa also managed to bring home a couple more bronze, silver, and even gold medals in kata and kumite! They were forces to be reckoned with.
But congratulations again to all of our competitors who came out to test their skills and who gave it their all. Thank-you to all of the parents who invested a whole Sunday to cheer on their little ones as well as Jeric and Jamie-lynn (plus Brad!) for coming out to assist Sensei James while we had multiple rings going on at once. To our fellow friends who provided us with the proper equipment when we needed it. It’s great to know everyone is there to support one another. And lastly, thank-you to the organizers/volunteers who managed to pull-off another wonderful competition.
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Sunday, September, 24, 2017 marked the day of many firsts. We participated in the Ontario Karate Federation Elite Level Tournament associated with the World Karate Federation.
Dean, our club’s elite competitor, bravely entered the ring to compete in the Kumite (sparring) division against other young athletic individuals. His division was the 14-15 year old Cadet Boys -57kg. In his first round, Dean’s tenacity brought him up six points against his competitor. Unfortunately within the final few seconds his opponent captured three points bringing him one point above Dean.
We were given a second chance later within the match to rank-up, but after receiving a kick to the inner-thigh the match had ended with our the other competitor advancing.
However with this being Dean’s first time competing at the elite level, his confidence has made us very proud here at Kazoku Martial Arts Centre. We now know what we are up against and will continue to improve our skill level to compete more in the future.
“I was really glad that there was so much support in the crowds today while I competed. I just wanted to let everyone know that I appreciate all of their help and support. And I appreciate the time they took out of their Sunday to cheer on myself and the Dojo. Also, thank you Sensei, for believing in me.” – Dean .M
And a special thanks from us at Kazoku Martial Arts Centre to Shihan Yabunaka and Victoria Rode for guiding us through the tournament, it’s processes, and getting us mentally prepared for Dean’s competition. We would also like to say thank-you to all of the individuals who helped organize the event. Conestoga College for hosting, the organizers at the Ontario Karate Federation, the referee’s, other competitors, and of course ALL of the volunteers who took the time out of their weekend to help run things extra smoothly.
And thank-you to Peter Pakatchian for ensuring we were in the right ring at the right time. His calm focus certainly made it feel that everything was under control.
Kazoku Martial Arts & Fitness Centre
After month’s of driving from Cambridge to Hamilton, to Ingersoll, and back. Going over again and again the same moves to ensure they were correct. Testing myself and relying on my years of experience, I can finally say that I’ve passed the grading requirements and received my Sandan (3rd level blackbelt) this past weekend along with the formal teaching title of Shidoinwith Seiwa Kai Canada.
I can’t tell you all how thankful I am to have had your guidance and your support over the period of time it’s taken me to get this far. And now that I have travelled further along the path, I am really looking forward to showing you all the way towards your own true potential.
Thank-you again to Sensei (Jokyo) Paul and Shihan Yabunaka for showing me what I needed to know and of course everyone else within the Seiwai Association! Thank-you to my students and other club members at Kazoku Martial Arts and Fitness for cheering me on. My family who started me on this path when I turned 11 years old. And most importantly, Jeric for believing in me and making sure I pushed myself hard each and every day to get to where I am.
And to everyone else who’ve been apart of my journey, good and bad. It only motivates me to truly become a better version of myself each and everyday.
Looking to take it to the next level, our students are preparing themselves for future Ontario Karate Federation and World Karate Federation tournaments .
Your donation will go towards new training gear and equipment that will help aid their development within sport karate.
You can follow their journey by clicking HERE or even HERE.
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