West Island Karate Videos - 2008

As mentioned in my blog of our team's adventure at the 3rd World Open in Japan, I will be producing a DVD of the tournament.  When it's finally ready (please be patient...there's a LOT of video to edit :-)), it will be made available through Sensei for a nominal fee (just enough to cover my production costs and raise a little money for our dojo's Fighter's Fund to help sponsor their efforts in the future).  Look for an announcement about the DVD on our website soon.  Until then, here's a small sample of what you'll see just to whet your appetites.  This was recorded on Day 2 of the Championship and features a truly epic battle between Zsombor Magosi of Hungary and Gia Gvenetadze of Georgia (and this wasn't even the final).  Their technique, speed, power and stamina were simply astounding.  The sound that their kicks made at impact was equally impressive, even from where we were sitting (which was far enough away that I was forced to use my camcorder's maximum zoom setting to capture the action).  The crowd certainly appreciated the fighters' efforts as both of them did everything they could to win the fight and advance to the next round.  Enjoy!

Sempai Alex's performance at the 3rd I.K.O. Matsushima World Open in Japan was an impressive one.  On the first day of the tournament, she was pitted against a significantly heavier and taller opponent named Tamari Booi from South Africa.  Despite delivering some punishing (and loud) kicks to the legs along with an insistent barrage of punches to the sternum, Alex did not convince the judges who deemed the match a stalemate after the initial two minute round.  That forced a continuation of the fight with a one minute extension round in which both fighters turned up the intensity.  In the end, the split decision was awarded to Tamari, but Alex had given a good account of herself at her first ever world-level tournament.  Those of us who witnessed the match ring-side, as well as everyone at home who read about it on my Report From Japan blog, couldn't be more proud of Alex!  She conducted herself in the best traditions of West Island Karate and represented Canada very well.  Excellent job Sempai Alex!  Osu!

West Island Karate once again held our annual Halloween Training at the Kirkland Arena.  All manner of ghouls and goblins from the Beaconsfield and Pierrefonds dojos participated in this always fun event.  Led by Sensei John and assisted by Sempai Patsy, Sempai Nancy and Sempai Manon, the trick-or-treaters in training put on a spooky good show for their parents who looked on with glee.  After the hard work was over, Sensei passed out some goodies to all the costumed karateka to ensure a good night's sleep (not!). :-)  Click on the picture above for a fun video of the training (or try the YouTube version if you have a slow connection).

It started out as a quasi-dare from Rickster at a New Year's Eve party.  He was itching to fight in competition again (he had done it once before) and was trying to convince a few of us to join him in battle.  Some of us agreed more readily than others (your humble webmaster fell in the latter category :-)).  But with the clarity of thought that only comes from one drink too many, we reached the common conclusion that it was a really good idea. :-)  After all, the five of us - Joe, Jim (pictured here with Rickster), Alex H., Rick (pictured here with daughter Sempai Alex) and Mike (yours truly pictured here with daughter Em) - were bonafide, chest-thumping, kick-butt-first-take-names-later students of West Island Karate, right?  So WHAT if some of us were pushing 50!  We therefore publicly declared our intention to fight at the 2008 World Kanreikai Tournament!  It was one of those pivotal moments that define your life...and then cause you to slap your forehead the next morning and mutter, "What the *&^%$ was I thinking?!!!".  But it was too late.  Machismo prevented me...uh, I mean US...from backing out.  Fortunately Sempai Alex came to the rescue by putting us on a strict diet of extra training for 12 consecutive Sundays prior to the tournament.  She called these extra classes "Sunday School", but they were a lot tougher than the name implies.  So thanks to Sempai Alex, at least none of us broke a hip. :-)  Click the photo above to see the first of these Senior Division fights.  This one features Joe.  He was going along very well, fighting in a fairly calm and controlled manner.  But his opponent caught him with two quick uchi mawashis, one immediately after the other, ending the fight very suddenly.  Still, Joe can be very proud of his first ever competition fight.  Good job Joe!  Osu!

Along with Joe above, Jim competed in the lightweight category of the Senior Division at the World Kanreikai Tournament this year.  Jim used aggression, speed and quick reflexes to land some good body shots and intimidate his opponent.  After the regulation round, the fight was ruled a draw in a split decision, so they were forced to fight for an additional minute.  The extension was more of the same, but in the end, the fight was awarded to Jim's opponent in another split decision.  Regardless of the outcome, Jim had put up an excellent fight.  Well done Jim!  Osu!

Alex H.'s primary hobby is racing cars, so it's no wonder that his wife Susie describes him as competitive.  It was obvious that Alex had the heart of a competitor as he stepped onto the mat for the very first time at the 2008 World Kanreikai Tournament.  He used his size advantage to force his opponent out of the ring several times (watch carefully and you'll notice that Sensei Steve, one of the corner judges, gets the worst of the first exchange between the fighters...ouch).  However Alex later took a hard strike to the side of the knee from an inside leg kick which caused a ligament to tear.  The pain became excruciating with further movement, so he had to forfeit the match and get medical attention.  You'll be happy to learn that Alex has had the knee repaired since then and is recovering nicely.  We look forward to his return to the dojo.  Way to go Alex!  Osu!  And thanks to Rickster's HD camcorder (and Emily K's videotaping skills), this is our first widescreen video in HD...enjoy! 

Okay, here's the instigator of our Senior Division fighting careers:  Rickster! :-)  Starring in his widescreen HD debut (as videotaped by Emily K. who herself competed at the World Kanreikai Tournament this year), Rick takes on a hard hitting fighter from Shihan Roman's dojo.  Rick however is no slouch in the punching department either.  He stays patient and eventually overpowers his opponent who subsequently forfeits the match.  Awesome job Rickster!  Osu!

Finally it was time for your humble webmaster to get in the ring at this year's World Kanreikai Tournament (gulp)!  For the first time, I truly appreciated what it takes for our kids to face an opponent they've never fought before and duke it out.  It's not an easy thing to do, but I would highly recommend that you at least try it once (have a few drinks with Rick first and you'll muster up the courage :-)).  My opponent was the same yellow belt that Alex H. had fought earlier.  I got behind early, but with some excellent coaching from Denis (seen here with your humble webmaster), and with my fellow karateka from West Island Karate urging me on, I was able to mount a comeback.  Thanks guys!  What a serious blast!

At the 2008 World Kanreikai Tournament, Jim and Joe were forced to fight each other for third place in the Senior Men's lightweight division.  It's not easy to fight a good friend (as I found out for myself later), especially one you've trained with for three months to prepare for this very event.  But to no one's surprise, they both gave it all they had.  Fatigue was definitely a factor for Jim since he was given only a minute or two to rest following his long initial fight before having to take on Joe.  In the end, the judges gave the decision to Joe, but both competitors did an awesome job.  Way to go guys!  Osu!  This is also the first video featuring multiple camera angles since I had two videos of this fight (thanks to Emily K. and Emily W.).  Enjoy.

Many people at the dojo (even Sensei) have mistaken Rickster for me (your humble webmaster) and vice versa.  Personally I never understood the confusion until I watched this video from the 2008 World Kanreikai Tournament where Rick and I battle it out for first place in the Senior Men's heavyweight division.  With our dogis and helmets on, I have to admit that there's a vague resemblance (although that's only because my helmet is masking a way better hair style than Rick's :-)).  In any case, this video will hopefully end all the mix-ups once and for all (or not, judging from Sensei's hilarious play by play in the background :-D).  Congrats to Rick who was awarded the decision (although maybe the judges mistook him for me and gave the fight to the wrong guy :-)).  Osu!  

Each year, West Island Karate makes a point of supporting the World Kanreikai Tournament.  It's a well organized event which takes place at nearby John Abbott College.  Here is a series of videos from that tournament beginning with Emily performing Pinan Ichi.  She took her time and was very precise, completing each movement to its fullest.  In fact, it was so good that she earned first place in her category!  Excellent job Emily!  Osu!  

At the 2008 World Kanreikai Tournament, Vincent chose to perform Gekisai Dai.  His technique and attention to detail have improved markedly since joining West Island Karate (thanks to Sensei who constantly emphasizes these elements of karate), and it showed in this kata.  Bravo Vincent!  Osu!

The West Island Karate team that made the journey to Rimouski for the AIKK Tournament was comprised of many of the same kids that attended the IFK Tournament just two weeks earlier.  Here are some videos of our team fighting at the AIKK competition starting with Rosalie.  This was not her first fight of the day, so fatigue was becoming a factor.  But Rosalie was relentless, throwing punches and kicks until the whistle sounded.  Her persistence paid off as she won her division.  Great job Rosalie!  Osu!

This was an interesting fight from the AIKK Tournament back in April of this year.  It pitted Em against a student from a totally different style of martial arts...kung fu.  We had witnessed some katas performed by several kung fu students earlier in the day and they were beautiful - fluid, graceful and powerful.  With some excellent coaching from Sensei though, Em was able to dispatch her opponent quickly.

This fight from the 2008 edition of the AIKK Tournament in Rimouski features Duncan.  His continuous bursts of punches were enough to keep his opponent moving back and constantly off balance.  But just before the round ended, Duncan threw an errant punch which happened to land on his opponent's jaw because the latter was leaning in. Duncan received a warning and the judges' decision was subsequently awarded to his opponent.  Still, it was a good fight on Duncan's part.

Niko fought fairly aggressively at the 2008 AIKK Tournament.  He continually pressured his brown belt opponent and did not give him much room to maneuver early on, forcing an extension.  Unfortunately Niko gave up a wazari (half point) after taking a hard kick to the leg and that was enough to tilt the match in his opponent's favour.  Nevertheless, Niko had fought hard and did a great job.  Osu!

At the 2008 AIKK Tournament, Maria tried a combination of descending punches to the sternum, inside leg kicks, circling and blocking to fend off her heavier opponent.  But the latter kept stalking her and moving Maria backwards which always appears more aggressive to the judges.  Consequently the judges awarded the fight to Maria's opponent.  Maria had put up an excellent fight however.  Good job Maria.

Matthew proved to be quite the little dynamo in the ring at this year's AIKK Tournament in Rimouski.  He simply kept punching and kicking for the entire round, seemingly never tiring.  It was difficult for his opponent to get into the match and Matthew was subsequently awarded the decision.  Great job Matthew!  Osu!

Michael's performance at the 2008 AIKK Tournament underscores a very important point:  always listen to your ring coach.  This is not easy to do in a noisy environment like a Kyokushin tournament and under pressure from a determined opponent, but Michael always makes the effort to do this.  Combined with his excellent fighting technique, the results speak for themselves.  Michael followed the game plan laid out for him by Sensei before the fight started and made this one look easy (even though it never is).  Great job Michael.  Osu!

OK, it's time to finally make good on my promise to post some new videos beginning with a few from the IFK tournament which took place back in April (I apologize in advance if I didn't get video of everyone...I'm just one man with one camera).  West Island Karate showed up with a small, but well prepared team.  This match features Sempai Louise's son, Tristan, fighting a much taller and heavier opponent.  Tristan tried to compensate with his quickness and mobility, but the size difference was difficult to overcome.  Just the same, Tristan showed us that he possesses incredible heart and Kyokushin spirit.  After literally being knocked off his feet at one point (don't worry, he wasn't hurt), Tristan came back with fury!  Unfortunately the camera man (your humble but not very alert webmaster) forgot to turn his video recorder back on until the last few seconds of the fight because he was so awestruck by Tristan's determination and refusal to quit.  Unbelievable job Tristan!  Osu!

Here's a nice example of Pinan Ni as demonstrated by Matthew at this year's IFK tournament.  Matthew always takes his time and executes each movement as precisely as possible.  His low, stable stances and beautiful hand positions speak for themselves.  Well done Matthew.  Osu!

No, you're not seeing double. :-)  This is Matthew's brother, Michael, in one of his kumite matches at the IFK Tournament.  Coached very ably by Sempai Alex, Michael mixes it up well and gives his opponent all he can handle.  Well done Michael.  Osu!

Here's a good example of Gekisai Dai as performed by Kimm (Sempai Alain's daughter).  In this kata, she displays the stances, blocking and striking techniques which have helped her become a force to be reckoned with in the fighting ring as well as in other sports.

Nathan is another one of West Island Karate's students with incredible heart.  In this fight from April's IFK Tournament, Nathan doesn't stop punching and kicking until the whistle blows.  It pays off as he finally wears down his opponent and is awarded a wazari (half point) seconds before the round ends.  Way to go Nathan!  Osu!

Em has always been influenced in a very positive way by Sempai Lia.  In fact, it was an ad for West Island Karate in the Chronicle featuring Sempai Lia's picture that first motivated Em to begin her training and attempt to follow in Lia's footsteps.  This influence was very obvious during her kata from the IFK Tournament earlier this year, when Em subconciously borrowed Lia's distinctive "kiai" (coincidentally Sempai Lia was performing Garyu as well at the other end of the floor).  Listen carefully and you'll hear Sempai Lia's "kiai" seconds after Em shouts out her's to end her kata. :-)  Well done to both of you!  Osu!

At the beginning of this year, we posted a preview of our annual tournament which takes place in May.  Formerly known as the Matsushima Challenge, our tournament has been re-christened the Matsushima Canadian Championships.  The new name better reflects the national (and international) flavour of our tournament which has not only attracted competitors from all over Canada and the United States, but from countries as far away as Aruba and Romania in recent years!  In any case, this preview video became a popular one when it was first posted prior to our 2008 tournament, so we thought we'd give it a permanent home in our video gallery.  It features some of our West Island Karate students competing in kata and kumite to the huge sound of Japanese taiko drums.  Enjoy and we'll see you at next year's 2009 Matsushima Canadian Championships.  Osu!

You may have heard Sensei mention that West Island Karate will be hosting a special self-defense seminar very soon.  We are pleased to announce that Sensei Bob Jackson of the IKO3 (U.S. branch) will be visiting us to teach a series of classes next month!  Sensei Bob Jackson (Yondan) is a recognized authority in the Kyokushin community on self-defense techniques and has travelled the world over to share his vast knowledge in this area.  Exact dates and times will be announced on the News and Events page once the details are confirmed.  To see a sample of Sensei Bob Jackson's self-defense method, simply click on the picture above.  We hope to see you at the seminar.  Osu!