West Island Karate Videos - 2007

Annie along with her brother Vincent are two recent and welcome additions to West Island Karate.  These keen and hard working students have chosen to train at our dojo on a regular basis despite the significant distance that they have to travel to attend their classes each week.  This video features Annie at last year's tournament in Rawdon (you might also recognize the corner judge facing the camera :-)).  Although the decision was eventually awarded to her opponent after an extension, Annie fought a smart and spirited match.  After the fight, Sempai Patsy who had been training her at the Pierrefonds dojo commented on the marked improvement in Annie's fighting technique and tactics.  As you'll see, Annie has excellent mobility and is light on her feet, but can also deliver punishing body blows and kicks to the inside and outside of the legs.  Well done Annie...and welcome to West Island Karate!  Osu!

At long last :-), here's the video that I was asked about the most over the holiday break.  It's the fight from the 2007 Rawdon Tournament that everyone seemed to want to see again:  Sensei Paul versus Sempai Yvan!  Sensei Paul is chief instructor at West Island Karate's St-Lazare dojo, while Sempai Yvan recently decided to train with us at our Beaconsfield dojo beginning this past year.  It's always fun watching two black belts clash and this was no exception.  As is often the case at their level, this was no mere "free-for-all slug-fest".  It was a hard-hitting (just listen to the impact of their punches and kicks), tactical battle which showcased the speed and technique they've acquired through many years of training.  With only a few seconds left in regulation time, Sensei Paul was able to score a wazari (half point) with a lightning quick hiroshi kakato geri (descending heel kick or "axe kick") that was enough to secure the win.  But regardless of the outcome, it was obvious that the applause at the end of the fight was a show of appreciation for BOTH fighters.  Osu Sensei!  Osu Sempai!

In keeping with the general theme that emerged from the 2007 Rawdon Tournament this past December, here's a video of Michael's match against a much taller and heavier adversary.  Michael showed great courage and fortitude by continuing to battle hard even after receiving some punishing body blows and being clipped on the chin by an errant punch or two (which earned Michael's opponent a stern warning from Sensei Steve who was the center judge for this match).  The contest was deemed too close to call after the regulation round, so they continued the fight for a one minute extension to determine the winner.  Michael ultimately lost the resulting split decision, but he can be very proud of the Kyokushin spirit he displayed in the ring during this match.  Outstanding job Michael!  Osu!

The last tournament of 2007 in which students (and teachers!) of West Island Karate participated took place in Rawdon, Quebec.  The modest number of fighters who entered the competition resulted in several mismatches.  But despite the disparities in the size and/or rank of opponents, these particular bouts were anything but lopsided.  Instead they underscored the incredible spirit and perseverance of the combatant in each fight who was initially perceived to be at a disadvantage.  Here is the first of these "David versus Goliath" matches featuring Amar in his first ever tournament fight.  After joining us in late September and training for all of three months, Amar naturally wanted to fight in a tournament. :-)  Of course he could not have known at the time that his first opponent in his first competition ever would be sporting a black belt!  Coached ring-side by Sempai Alex, Amar was undaunted and proved that having heart has nothing to do with the colour of your belt.  The eventual split decision went to his opponent, but as you'll see, Amar gave him all he could handle (and then some).  Well done Amar.  You've taught us all to never underestimate a white belt.  Osu!

The 2nd Annual Beach Training with Shihan Roman in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, took place on a weekend in late September as usual.  Cloudy skies eventually surrendered to some warm, magical sunshine as you'll see in this video.  Lessons in kihon, kata, bo, bokken and self-defense were all taught on the sand (and in the surf :-)) throughout the two days.  Many thanks to Shihan Roman, Sensei John, Sensei Paul, Sensei Bertrand and Sensei Dimitri for all their time and energy spent teaching at this year's beach training.  A very special thank you to Sensei Ron for handling the many little details inherent to organizing an event like this and for giving us those incredible bokken lessons which everyone thought were so cool.  Speaking of cool, the music for this video comes from a popular, mid-80's TV show which was the epitome of cool for its time...hope you like it.  Most importantly, a big West Island Karate "OSU!" goes out to Penny (Niko and Tasha's mom) for shooting the footage from which this Beach Training video was created.  Thanks to her, we can all relive the sights and sounds of this wonderfully fun experience until we do it again next year.  Much appreciated Penny!

Maria is West Island Karate's resident "Lara Croft" with her trademark, waist-length ponytail.  In addition to English and French, Maria also speaks Spanish (ask her to recite the dojo kun for you in Spanish some time), so Sensei affectionately calls her "mono" which means "monkey" in Spanish (a reference to Maria's penchant for bananas?).  Well at the recent 2007 Matsushima Challenge, there was no monkey business as Maria performed Gekisai Dai for the kata portion of the competition.  Gekisai Dai means "conquer and occupy - major" and Maria certainly did that in a major way.  Well done Maria!  Osu!

In this kumite semifinal from the 2007 Matsushima Challenge, Niko had to face a tough fighter who had already dispatched his previous opponents with a very deceptive jodan mawashi geri (high roundhouse kick).  Recalling a tactic that Sensei had demonstrated to render an opponent's kicks less effective by staying close to him, two overzealous fathers (Niko's dad and a certain excitable webmaster/student) tried to coach Niko to do exactly that...albeit a little too loudly (okay, we got pretty carried away :-)).  But as you'll hear, we weren't the only ones encouraging Niko.  With a lot of very vocal support from his fellow West Island karatekas, Niko gave his opponent all he could handle with neither one scoring a point by the end of the round (although Niko had some near misses with his own jodan mawashis).  In the end, the split decision was awarded to his opponent, but Niko should be very proud of the determination and fortitude he showed during the entire match.  We are.  Great job Niko!  Osu!  (Thanks to Niko's dad, Steve, for sharing this video footage!)

Sempai Lia's kicking technique is something to behold and is the result of many years of hard work and practice.  Sensei has a few interesting stories about how he trained Lia to accomplish this (the most memorable one involves a secret and painful Kyokushin stretching rack of some kind....just kidding).  Garyu is an advanced kata which allows Lia to highlight her incomparable kicking ability to good effect.  Sempai Lia also has the distinction of being the first female student from our dojo to have earned her black belt, and as you'll see in this video from the 2007 Matsushima Challenge, she has set the bar very high for what a West Island Karate student at this level can do.  Well done Sempai Lia (as always)!  Osu!  By the way, if you look closely, you'll see Sensei John in the background hard at work critiquing Lia's kata with her proud parents looking on. :-)

There are serious fighters and there are enthusiastic fighters.  Manuel is a seriously enthusiastic fighter! :-)  Keep your eyes peeled on him when playback of this video commences because Manuel gets off to a FLYING start (much to his opponent's dismay).  Blink and you'll literally miss it.  And as you'll hear in the background, both Sempai Richard and I couldn't help but be amazed, amused and a little taken aback by Manuel's pure aggression.  By the way Manuel exploded out of the gate each time, I was convinced that the other fighter had stolen his puppy!  Whatever the reason, Manuel's "serious enthusiasm" earned him a unanimous decision from the judges at the 2007 Matsushima Challenge.  Way to go Manuel.  Next time, try to put a little energy into your kumite, okay? :-)

Watching Magalie compete at the 2007 Matsushima Challenge reminded me of that Sheryl Crow tune "All I Want To Do Is Have Some Fun". :-)  Magalie couldn't stop smiling and you could tell that she thoroughly enjoyed the day.  As evidenced by this video, that happy-go-lucky attitude served her very well during her kata.  She was calm and cool, electing to take her time with the movements to ensure that each one was executed precisely and completely.  That's no mean feat for a karate-ka of her tender years.  In combination with her low stances and excellent balance, she succeeded in impressing the judges.  Great job Magalie!  Keep on smiling!

Sempai Alex's katas exude raw p-o-w-e-r.  Her kata from the 2007 Matsushima Challenge is a great example of this.  Sensei always emphasizes that the way we perform our katas (as well as all the basic techniques he teaches us) translates into the way we fight.  Well if you've ever seen Alex compete in kumite, you've seen the direct correlation between kihon (basics), kata and kumite for yourself...and you've been fortunate enough to witness this from a safe distance. :-)  Awesome kata Alex!  Osu!

Best friends collided in the ring at the 2007 Matsushima Challenge!  It was a monumental struggle of epic proportions between two giants of West Island Karate.  The auditorium resonated with the sound of their blows and the ground trembled as each tried to impose their formidable will on the other.  The assembled throng could only whisper in hushed tones, transfixed by the awesome spectacle.  This was simply the tournament debut of these young lions (both barely 5 years of age) and we suspect there will be many such battles in years to come between these two Kyokushin gladiators.  Julien and Nicolas, we salute your limitless courage and fearsome might.  West Island Karate will never be the same again.  OSU!  :-)

Here are the finals of Kimm's kumite division from the 2007 Matsushima Challenge.  Kimm combined her excellent lateral movement with a well balanced attack of front kicks and barrages of intimidating punches which constantly forced her opponent off the mat.  And thanks in large part to her dad's (Sempai Alain's) rigorous warmups ("Ichi!  Ni!  San!  Forgot the count.  Ichi!  Ni!...." :-)), Kimm had the conditioning to continue attacking effectively throughout the fight, including the two extension rounds.  Super job Kimm...a well earned victory!  (Side note:  Sensei Paul deserves the award for "Center Judge with the Best Stances" :-)).  Osu!

Here's the first of many videos to come from the 2007 Matsushima Challenge.  I thought I'd do something a bit different and show you why so many people at the dojo (including Sensei :-)) have a tough time telling Matthew and Michael apart.  Just click on the picture above to watch them perform Pinan Ni side by side and you'll see what I mean.  In fact, when their katas "sync up", it's downright eerie how similarly they move and how much they even sound alike!  So remember...Matthew is the one with the black hair, pointy sideburns, a bit of a "Dennis The Menace" spike on top and the yellow belt.  Or is that his brother?!  Well whoever they are (do they even go to our dojo?), they did a great job with their katas!  Osu!

Over the past couple of years, Sensei has introduced weapons training to West Island Karate students through special classes and seminars (like the May 20th weapons seminar taught by Shihan Réal De Repentigny and Shihan Roman).  Here's Em performing a basic bo kata called Chuon Kata at the World Kanreikai 2007 Tournament.  (Disclaimer:  West Island Karate will not be held responsible for damage to valuable family heirlooms if you or your kids practice this kata in your living room. :-))

Here's Azeb performing Pinan Ichi at the World Kanreikai 2007 Tournament.  Not only is her technique and concentration astounding for someone her age (watch her eyes and you'll see what I mean), but she gets through her kata with that fabulously stylish hairdo of hers intact! :-)  Way to go Azeb!

Here is Fiona performing Yantsu at the World Kanreikai 2007 Tournament.  The name of the kata is derived from the characters Yan, meaning safe, and Su, meaning three.  The word yansu also means pure, striving to maintain the purity of principles and ideals rather than compromising for vain objectives.  Fiona conveys the meaning of this kata with an excellent balance of grace, power and precision.  Osu!

There's a storm brewing...and her name is Katrina!  This is one of the fights she won at the World Kanreikai 2007 Tournament.  A constant barrage of punches discouraged her opponent from getting in close, while her stiff mae geris sent her competition flying onto the mat several times.  Unfortunately the fight ended with Katrina taking an errant punch to the jaw just as time ran out, but she shrugged it off and was no worse for the wear.  Great job Trina!  Osu!

Nick recently rejoined our dojo after a hiatus of a year or so.  Despite his absence, it didn't take long for him to shake off the rust and get his fighting skills back into shape.  In this fight from the World Kanreikai Tournament 2007, Nick takes on a much taller opponent...and cuts him down to size.  To paraphrase a line from the movie Forest Gump, Nick's opponent discovers that fighting Nick is like eating a box of chocolates...you never know what you're going to get.  Nick combines constant movement with a variety of attacks to good effect as you'll see in this video.  Well done Nick.

In March of 2007, we were honoured by a visit from Shihan Marc Van Walleghem (6th Dan) of Belgium.  The first seminar he gave was for West Island Karate's intermediate and advanced belts.  During this seminar, there was a very nice moment between teacher and student as Sensei John and Sempai Lia were asked to demonstrate, in tandem, a series of attacks and countermoves that Shihan Marc had just taught everyone.  As is typical for Shihan Marc's lessons, the movements were numerous and intricate, requiring the utmost concentration to recall them all in the required order and perform them with precision and speed.  How Sensei John and Sempai Lia managed to demonstrate these complex combinations with smiles on their faces is beyond me, but everyone including Shihan Marc and Sensei Paul (who you will see in the background) enjoyed it immensely.  Sempai Lia gets off to a slow start, but it's great fun (and impressive) to watch her reflexes, which have been honed by years of training, kick in automatically...in particular when Sensei launches a quick punch at her head unexpectedly! :-)  So click on the picture above to watch Sensei John and Sempai Lia fly through these movements ("speedo" as Shihan Marc likes to say :-)).  Osu!

At Sensei's request, here's Em's kata at the 2007 IFK Tournament.  As every West Island Karate student knows all too well, Sensei John insists on attention to detail...and we mean every little detail...when learning our katas (as well as everything else!).  It's always a work in progress, but that attention to detail is very obvious when a West Island karate-ka steps on the floor to perform his or her kata.  Click on Em's picture above to watch her do Gekisai Sho.  Now if she would just pay that much attention to keeping her room clean, I'd be one happy webmaster <sigh>. :-) 

Sensei pointed out in class one evening that although Andrew is not the most heavily built or largest of fighters, he is technically very sound.  He maintains good balance and his hands are always up high in the classic defensive position ready to block (when he's not using them to deliver quick body blows that is).  This makes it very difficult for his opponents to land a clean hit to his torso or a kick to his head.  This fight is from the semifinals of Andrew's division in the 2007 IFK Tournament.  Click on the picture above to watch a great example of Andrew's fighting technique (and to hear his proud father supporting and encouraging him :-)).

Yannick battled a feisty competitor in the finals of his kumite category at the 2007 IFK Tournament.  Yannick employed his usual mix of powerful speedy kicks, smart tactics and calm demeanor.  Click the picture above to watch his fight.  Great job Yannick!

This gets my vote for "cutest competition kata".  Cristina is one of West Island Karate's youngest students and she decided to compete for the very first time ever in the 2007 IFK Tournament.  She confidently faced the center judge to announce that she was going to perform Taikyoku San.  As the judge motioned for her to move back and begin her kata, she almost gave him a "high five" (Sensei and I couldn't help but chuckle :-)).  Her "kiai" was so sweet (I think she woke up all the church mice in the building)...and check out those stances!  Awesome kata Cristina!  Click on the picture above to watch her competition debut!