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Members of various clubs from the Rouyn-Norandaarea participate in clinics held this summer.

More and more, people within ourorganization are getting out to meet and workout with clubs other than their own homebase. This is a great thing that will help in thegrowth of not only theindividual, but also theunity of the organization.Travelling to variousclubs within theorganization help you tobetter understand thedifferences between oneinstructor to the next…even though we allbasically have the samefoundation.

Partaking in clinics oreven cross training withother styles is also a goodway to expand your horizons. Although Iwouldn’t advise trying to learn 2 differentstyles of any martial art as a beginner, onceyou earn your 1st black belt you should havestrong enough basics that you can complimentwhat you have already learned andincorporate techniques into wado to make itmore personal.

Within this issue of the Harmonizer are someexcellent stories about some of these clinicsthat have been happening over the past couplemonths.

Summer Camp 2001By Sensei Roger St.Arneault,Rokudan, Rouyn-Noranda Quebec

Destor beach, near Rouyn-Noranda Quebecwas the site of “Summer Camp 2001” whichwas held on July 20, 21 and 22. The 2

teachers during this weekend were D'NutGuyen, 4th dan of the Goju-Ryu school ofRouyn-Noranda and Roger St-Arneault, 6thdan Wado-Kai, regional representative for

Quebec for the style ofWado-Kai karate withinthe SWKKF.

Throughout the weekendabout thirty pupils ofvarious ranks benefitedfrom maiming anddefensive techniques ofthe knife by senseiN'Guyen, and techniquesof high caliber andfighting strategies bySensei St-Arneault.

This weekend of trainingwas open to all belt ranks and black belts inattendance were encouraged to contributeinstruction time to kata, kumite, ju jitsu,shindo or any other types of karatetechniques.

In This Issue:Destor Beach Camp ………………………..…Pg 1

Paul Leonard Seminar …………………….….Pg 2

Pennsylvania Seminar ..………………..…… Pg 3

Fort Frances Seminar ……………………..….Pg 4

Team Training ……………………….………Pg 5

Patrick McCarthy Seminar…………….……..Pg 6

Proper workouts / Stretch safely…………..….Pg 8

Sport Yoga ……….………………………….Pg 10

Bridging the gap ….………………………… Pg 11

How it all began ……….……………………..Pg 14

Thunder Bay Grading…………….…………. Pg 15

Announcements …………………….………..Pg 16

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Attacking and defending – clinics concentrate on new methods for everyone.

The clinics were absolutely free for everybody as it was stated by Sensei Roger “It is just tohave the pleasure to practice karate together and have friends”.

The next step for Johnathan Lacombe (Shodan), Suzanne Paquin (Nidan) and Roger St-Arneault (Rokudan) is training for the World Championships, which will be in theRepublica Dominica (Dominican Republic) next October.

Sensei Paul LeonardOttawa Seminar - June 2001Submitted By Paul Watson,Ottawa, Ontario

On Saturday June 2nd, karate studentsfrom Ottawa Wado-Kai welcomedSensei Paul Leonard, one of the mostsenior Wado Kai instructors in Canada,for a special martial arts clinic. Wadostudents from northern and southernOntario assembled in Ottawa for theevent, where sensei Leonarddemonstrated techniques that form thebasis of the Wado style and shared thelegacy of his mentor, the late senseiMasaru Shintani. In this class, the focuswas on osoto/ude uke and the

importance of proper form in applyingtai-sabaki, in order to gain speed andmore importantly, power. He alsoexplained the principal of blocking insuch a manner as to turn youropponent’s back towards you. In thisfashion, you can retaliate in any numberof ways, such as following the blockwith a punch to the head and a punchblock to the ribs and a leg sweep. Themain point was that it is a lot moredifficult for your opponent to follow upif you’re at their back and not in theirdirect line of fire.

Later in the class, sensei Leonard tookbrown and black belts aside to share

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Sensei Paul Leonard,Sichidan

Attending clinics with many clubs representedis a great way to develop consistency withinthe organization.

sensei Shintani’sadvice that‘improvement inthe Wado katastarts with thefirst move ofPinan Shodan,’explaining thatevery karateka,from white beltto black, mustacknowledge thatthere is room forimprovement intheir kata and

strive to perfect their techniquethroughout their lives. As the classlearned, there were many subtle (and notso subtle) improvements to be madeacross the board. Sensei then explainedto the senior belts that one of the bestmeans to perfect their technique lied inteaching kata to students of lower rank. ‘When you’re teaching someone else,you are forced to think about the detailsof every movement and you must havethem down clearly in your mind in orderto explain them,’ said sensei.

The class ended with a grading thatresulted with several being promoted toa higher rank, including Ottawa WadoKai’s head instructor, sensei RichardOuellette, who received his fourthdegree black belt. The following blackbelts also received new ranks at theOttawa clinic or a similar clinic held theprevious week in Toronto: sensei DonOuellette, 3rd dan; sensei Dave Poleyko3rd dan; and sensei Mark Cantwell 2nddan. Ottawa Wado Kai also welcomednew black belts to its fold: senseiAndrew Bell and sensei John Glavind.

The day ended with students sharing ameal and conversation with senseiLeonard. As a token of Ottawa WadoKai’s appreciation, the club offeredsensei a gift copy of the Bubishi as wellas a decorative wooden box in which to

store some of the keepsakes entrusted tohim by sensei Shintani.

Pennsylvania ClinicSubmitted by Bill Sorvelli, Godan

The Pennsylvania Shintani Wado-KaiKarate Federation held a clinic here inWarren Pa. USA on June 23rd at theStudent Union building. Dr. SenseiRobert Graham, the President and ChiefInstructor of the U.S. Shintani Wado-KaiKarate Federation, was the guestinstructor.

There were students in attendance fromthe Huntington Pa. Club, the DuBois Pa.Club, the North Warren Pa. club and theWarren Pa. club. Sensei Bob taughtbasic sparring drills and the proper useof kamai in sparring.

There were several belt promotions afterthe clinic made by Dr. Graham. TobyWolfe and Ken Bakewell (North Warrenclub) were promoted to Yodan (4th), RexSlocum (Warren club) and DickBrubaker (DuBois club) were promotedto Sandan (3rd), Marshall Fragassi(Huntingdon club) was promoted toShodan and Tom Wade (Warren club)was recognized as a Shodan and given acertificate of promotion from the U.S.organization. Marshall is 69 years old

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Sensei, Doctor Robert Graham demonstrates

Sensei’s Denise Baxter & Paul Forgetpracticing Chinto No Shindo

and has studied karate since 1984. Hecame to us down in Huntingdon lookingfor a school that, as he said, “would takein an old guy”.

Well just let me tell you, when you crosshands with him, he doesn’t seem old atall. Kyu belt promotions at the clinicwere, Greg Strunk (Huntingdon club)and Jason Hullihen (DuBois club) toBrown belt, Tawnee Alwine (Warrenclub) to Blue belt, Bill Wallin (Warrenclub) to Orange belt.We gave this clinic the title of “THESHINTANI MEMORIAL CLINIC”last year when we first had it, to honorSensei Shintani. He was scheduled tocome down here and hold the clinic forus to celebrate the growth of Wado herein Pennsylvania, but he passed away inMay of last year before he could make itdown.

Fort Frances ClinicsSubmitted by Elana O’Connor, NidanThunder Bay, Ontario.

On August 3rd, 4th, and 5th, 2001 SenseiChris Bazinet and the Fort Frances clubhosted their 4th Annual Summer TimeWorkout for all ranks on the beautifulshores of Rainy Lake.

Special guests included Sensei’s RickLeveille (White River), Bruce Dunning

(Manitoba), and Raymond O’Connor(Thunder Bay) who along with SenseiChris provided everyone who attendedwith a fun filled and valuable learningexperience.

The above-mentioned Sensei’s sharedtheir knowledge and experiences byinstructing portions of the clinics. SenseiChris Bazinet instructed Chinto NoShindo, Sensei Rick Leveilledemonstrated advanced fightingtechniques, Sensei Bruce Dunningreviewed the kata Chonan Shodan, andSensei Raymond O’Connor instructedthe kata Gensho Shodan.

Sensei’s Ray O’Connor, Bruce Dunning,and Rick Leveille

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Sensei Chris Bazinetpreparing for Shindo

Training

Sensei’s Claude Boucher & ElanaO’Connor working Shindo

Black Belts who attended the 4th AnnualSummer Time Workout in Fort Frances,

Ontario.

Back row pictured from left to right are: Sensei’sRoss Keeler, Paul Forget, Chris Bazinet, RickLeveille, Elana O’Connor, Sue Schneider, & BruceDunning. Front row: Sensei’s Raymond O’Connor& Lewis Kempf

Back: Senseis Walt Fast, Ron Mattie, MarkForsythe, Michel Gosselin Front: RatheMokelky, Ray Poulin, Dominic Morabito

Thank you to all the instructors andkarate-ka that took the time this summerto attend Fort Frances and help itbecome a huge success! A special thankyou goes out to Sensei Claude and hiswife Ruth for providing a delightfuldinner and gathering at their place for allthe participants and their families.

Furthermore, a sincere thanks to allthose that welcomed and hosted the outof town guests over this memorableweekend. We all look forward to the 5th

Annual Summer Time Workout in FortFrances in August of 2002.

Team TrainingBy Sensei Ron Mattie, SichidanCoach of the SWKKF National Team.

On the weekend of July 21st, we had a 3-day training session in Welland for theShintani Team. It started on Fridaynight with each team member teachingthe class for 15 minutes each (it says“each” twice?). It was truly amazing tobe working out under these talentedstudents. I was very impressed. The restof my students in the class reallyenjoyed it and gave them a greatopportunity to get a different viewpointof things.

On Saturday we started at 7 am with aquick walk to Tim Horton’s and back,them we started rendori. I had invited afew higher rank students from the area tohelp us as partners for the sparring. Thiswent on till 12:30 p.m. then Sensei(Doctor) Dave Brunarski talked aboutproper warm ups, weight training,stretching and nutrition. After lunch weworked on katas and refining everymove as not to have any unnecessarymovement while executing a technique.Also we worked power, speed and spirit.This went on till 8 p.m., and then SenseiDenis invited the team out for supper.

The highlight of the weekend wasSunday. Sensei Ray Poulin, (Yoko Ray)

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“My objective with this kind of training is for these members to return to their club and pass on thisteaching” says Sensei Ron Mattie, National Team Coach.

6th dan, and Sensei Dominic Morabito,(a.k.a. Mr. Miyagi) 6th dan, who hasbeen in karate way before me, showedup to help with the team. Both Sensei’sran a portion of the class and then we alldid sparring. I guess I should mentionthat Sensei Morabito is 72 years old witha bum leg. He did sparring with allmembers of the team and scored onevery target these young students leftopen. It was truly amazing to see.Afterwards, Sensei Morabito told theteam and I quote, “Ray and I just do theold Wado stuff from the old days thatSensei Shintani taught us. We’re not upto date like you guys”. And to that,Sensei Rathe (senior member of theteam) said, “ well, that old stuff surekicked our butts on that floor just now.”This was definitely a highlight in mykarate career to see a 72 year oldkarateka and friend still have it and goone on one with our top competitorsfrom our organization. This was trulyinspirational and will make me thinktwice about complaining about my sorejoints at 45 years old.

My objective with this kind of training isfor these members to return to their cluband pass on this teaching. This is theway that the whole organization canimprove at a quicker and effective pace.Thank you for giving me the opportunityto coach this team.

The Meaning of Kata:Sensei Patrick McCarthy TorontoSeminar - July 2001Submitted by Richard Ouellette, Yodan,Ottawa, Ontario

This summer a diverse group ofparticipants who were eager to expandtheir arsenal of karate techniques andmartial arts knowledge attended SenseiPatrick McCarthy’s karate seminar inToronto. These included Sensei RonMatte, Chief Instructor for the SWKKF,as well as many other SWKKFpractitioners from across Canada.

The seminar featured many greattechniques such as a controlling andseizing drill, which is virtually adictionary of the vulnerabilities of thehuman body and the various techniquesthat can be used to take advantage ofthese weaknesses. Students also learnedthe applications to the Niseishi kata,which covered defenses against thefollowing attacks.

• Single lapel grab from the front• Double shoulder grab from

behind• Head-lock• Single lapel grab from behind• Straight punch• Single shoulder grab from behind• Knee to the lower stomach• Hook punch

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• Under arm bear hug from behind• Single cross wrist grab• Double wrist grab• Single hand shove

Although Niseishi was one of the katathat Ohtsuka sensei included when heregistered Wado back inthe1940s, I could notsee at first how learningits applications wouldrelate to my current setof Wado kata. It wasnot until SenseiMcCarthy completedhis lectures that I couldmake the link betweenthe applications of akata that is no longerpart of the modernWado syllabus and theones that we continue topractice to this veryday.

The lectures gave agood historical overview of theevolution of karate and the original useof kata. Sensei McCarthy indicated that

recent research into the history of karateindicated that karate was originallydeveloped as a method of self-defense toaddress the standard types of attacks thathad plagued mankind for thousands ofyears. In developing karate, its pioneersrealized very early that a response to

being grabbed by the hairfrom behind needed to bedifferent than the responseto being tackled aroundthe waist. Theyconcluded that in order todefend themselveseffectively they needed todevelop differentdefensive strategies tohandle different situations.As a result the artscreators categorized thestandard forms of attackinto 36 different habitualacts of physical violence.Over hundreds of years oftrial and error, theydeveloped the brutally

effective responses to each type ofattack.

In order to teach karate to their students,the pioneers of karate made extensiveuse of two person drills, where one ofthe participants re-enacted one of the 36types of attacks while their partner madeuse of the most effective defensivetechniques. Once a student learnedenough of these sequences of defensivetechniques, a teacher would create a katato remind the students of all thedefensive techniques that wereappropriate for a given set of attackscenarios. The kata was created by firstremoving the attacker from the twoperson drills so that the defensivetechniques were performed without apartner. Each one of these sequences ofdefensive techniques was then chainedtogether to form a solo exercise called akata. Thus kata contains the secrets of

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Sensei Patrick McCarthy centre, travels the world teaching his philosophies of traditional karate.

how to defend against the physicalattacks that have plagued mankind forcenturies.

It was this history lesson that made merealize the connection between theapplications of the Niseishi kata and myother Wado kata. Since differentinstructors taught some of the samedefensive applications and placed themwithin different kata, it explains why wesee so many pieces of different kata thatcontain identical moves. Knowing this, Irealized that if I learned the applicationof a piece of a kata for which the samesequence was found in one of my Wadokata, then I was also learning themeaning of a piece of my Wado kata. Infact over the course of SenseiMcCarthy’s seminars I learnedapplications to Kushanku, Chinto,Nihanshi and of course the Niseishi kata.By the end of the seminar its Wadoparticipants agreed that they left thesession with a much deeperunderstanding of their Wado kataheritage and the practical applicationsthat make them up.

Proper workoutsIntroduction by Sensei Ron Mattie,Sichidan, Team Coach, HeadInstructor SWKKF

I have traveled to many places andparticipated in many classes in manydifferent styles of martial arts. It scaresme at my age the different types ofexercises that we do that can actuallydamage your body. A young athlete maybe able to take the abuse but the olderstudents can’t. I have asked Sensei(doctor) Dave Brunarski of Simcoe andtrainer of the Shintani Team to puttogether some information on the subjectto better equip us to develop ourselvesand our student in order to be able topractice karate for the rest of out liveswithout permanent injuries. Lookingback, we have all done exercises thatwere traditionally done like leg raises,which can so easily do damage. Thereare other exercises that can do what youwant without jeopardizing your body.Below is what sensei Brunarski hascompiled. If you have any questions I’msure sensei Dave would be glad todiscuss them with you over the phone.

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www.shintani.on.caThe official website of the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation

Sensei Dominic Morabito gets a good stretch!

He may be contacted by calling orwriting to:

DR. DAVID J. BRUNARSKI354 NORFOLK ST. NORTH,P.O. BOX 663 SIMCOE, ON N3Y-4T2(519) 426-8656

Stretch SafelyBy Sensei Dr. David J. Brunarski,Nidan, Simcoe Ontario.

Muscles, tendons, ligaments and skinmake up a significant part of your softtissues. They should be strong, free oftension and mobile enough to allow easymovement with speed and coordination.They also protect your bones, joints,blood vessels,and nerves.

Stretching isdesigned toimprove thefunction of yoursoft tissues byreleasing tension,removing wasteproducts andmoving nutrientsinto the tissuesfor repair andrecovery.

The best time to stretch is at the end ofan exercise session or just before bed.This is the time to relax and beginrecovery. Your tissues are warm andyour circulation is up and running.Stretching first thing in the morningwhen your body is cool and yourcirculation is just waking up is not agood idea. You need to warm up first. If

you did your stretching properly beforegoing to bed, you should be free oftension and ready to warm up.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Warming upand stretching are very different. Towarm up you need to move, to stimulateand rev-up. Warming up is not relaxing,it is stimulating. To warm up safely,choose movements that reproduce thesame actions of the exercise that you areabout to do.

(a) Before running, walk briskly for afew minutes.

(b) In karate, perform about twentyminutes of basic movements or kata.

(c) When weight lifting, warm up byperforming yourfirst two sets oflifts with lightweights.

In this way, themuscles that areabout to workthe hardest getthe blood andoxygen. Theyget warm firstbecause theyneed it the most.

Make sure that your muscles are warmbefore you begin stretching. Your skinshould be flushed and you should besweating lightly. Exercise or try taking ahot bath before you stretch. Giveyourself plenty of time so that you donot have to rush.

Drink enough fluid each day to keep

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your soft tissues juicy. Juicy tissuesabsorb shock better and are less likely tobruise. If these tissues dry out, they willtear more easily and the effects of lacticacid will be more concentrated andpainful.

Stretch well and drink one ounce of fluidper pound of body weight at leastseventy-two hours before strenuousexercise or competition.

Begin stretching with gravity - assistedmovements. In other words let your ownbody weight do most of the work foryou. Avoid bouncing movements orover-reaching. You should feel your softtissues stretching but any pain should betolerable and never pinching or burning.

Hold maximum stretch positions for atleast thirty seconds. This will convincethe protective responses of the muscleand tendon connections to back off andrelease tension.

Stretching is a calming activity. Youshould feel sleepy when you are done.Go to sleep or at least lie down for ten tofifteen minutes after a good stretch.

Sport Yoga and the Martial ArtistBy Jodi LebrunCertified Personal Trainer andNutrition Specialist

Imagine being able to execute the perfectroundhouse kick or throw the perfectdouble punch! Martial artists are alwayssearching for that ’extra boost’ toenhance their practice and more andmore are finding it in the area offlexibility. Why is being more flexiblesuch a valuable weapon? The answer issimple; increased flexibility means agreater range of motion in a joint, whichdirectly translates into more power. Sohow does one increase their flexibility?Yoga! By incorporating the downward

dog and the cobra into your warm-upsand cool-downs, I can guarantee yourbody and your karate will thank you.

Yoga dates back at least 5000 years agoand has been used by such athletes suchas Billy Blanks, Greg Louganis andOakland Athletics pitcher Barry Zito.By practicing yoga at least three times aweek for 45 minutes you will benefitfrom increased flexibility, strongermuscles, better body tone and improvedposture. From a more athletic standpoint,yoga helps prevent injuries by keepingyour muscles supple, it balancesunevenness of your other workouts bysupplying a total body/mind workoutthat works all muscle groups and itgreatly increases your endurance,willpower and discipline by working notonly your body but also your mind.

There is no wrong way of practicingyoga. Whether you incorporate into yourkarate warm-up or you practice itseparate from your karate workouts, thebenefits are still there. Before you jumpinto yoga, take the time to familiarizeyourself with some concepts. Go slowlythrough your first few practices, yogaworks differently on each person. Stopand take breaks between poses if yourbody feels funny. Allow yourself at leastan hour between eating and practicing afull yoga workout (this allows fordigestion), but if it’s part of your warm-up, just listen to your body. It will tellyou if you are overdoing it. Anotherimportant concept of yoga is nosebreathing. This means that breathing isdone through your nose only. The bodyis opened up (expanded) on the inhaleand fold (contract) the body on theexhale. Your breath should flownaturally with the pose and be connectedwith the actual movement.

Poses like the downward dog, warriorand the cobra will all improve your

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range of motion. Downward facing dogwill strengthen your upper body while itstretches your shoulders and hamstrings.To get into the pose - place your palmsflat on the floor, shoulder width apart;with your fingers fanned out. Step bothyour feet back and press your feet intothe floor. Now lift your glutes to the skywhile you push your palms forward andyour heels down. Let your chest, headand neck sink into the floor. Breathe intoyour back. The warrior pose willstrengthen your quadriceps and yourglutes while it stretches your chest andinner thighs. To get into the pose - standwith your feet wide apart. Point yourfront foot straight ahead while you turnin your back foot slightly. Extend yourarms straight out at shoulder height andlook out over your middle finger. Nowbend your front knee and sink forward.Remember to keep your hips level andtighten your abs. Repeat the pose on theother side. Finally, the cobra pose willstrengthen your arms, shoulders andback while it stretches your chest andabs. To get into the pose - start by lyingon your stomach, bring your elbowsunder you shoulders (hands pointforward) and stretch your chest up to thesky. Now push your palms into the floorand pull your chest higher. Remember,your hips should stay on the floor andyour shoulders stay back from your ears.

Yoga integrates mind and body for totalperformance. As a martial artist this canonly help you by dramatically improvingyour body movements and thereforemake your karate practice moremeaningful, powerful and enjoyable.Namaste!

If you or your club would like to learnmore about yoga, nutrition or any otherhealth and fitness topic you may contactJim and I at jjlebrun@ntl.sympatico.caor call us at 1 (705) 268-6865.

Books referenced - SportYoga textbook(N.E.S.T.A.), Beth Shaw’s YogaFit andYoga Journal (Oct. 2001)

Bridging the gap,Submitted by Neil Prime, YodanSt.Catharines, Ontario.

One of the singlemost difficultcomponents ofsparring isgetting from theoutside range ofyour opponent(the safe range)to the insiderange (where you

can hit or be hit). This is what we call“bridging the gap.” If you do a good jobmoving in, you get to hit. If you do a badjob moving in, you get hit instead.

Bridging the gap is probably one of themost important elements of sparring.You can have great punches and kicks,but if you can’t reach your target or yourtarget keeps moving out of the way, thenthey’re not going to do you any good.

The following drills we will discuss arethe 3 main approaches that I like to useto get into the fight zone whileminimizing the risk of the “counterattack.”

Deceptive Penetration:(Utilizing Angular Attack)

The worse thing you can do is to becaught flat-footed. This is where youliterally get caught with you feet plantedso firm that you can’t get out of the wayof what is coming in, even if you see itcoming. This generally happens whenyou get so focussed on something youmiss the big picture… like you opponentsetting you up. Deceptive penetration iswhere we use footwork and body motion

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As described in the first scenario, deceptive penetration, start in a realistic sparring position (1) start your attack bymoving slightly forward and on an angle (2), change your angle by shifting your weight and torso (3) then draw backto the opening you have just created (4).

in combination to confuse the angle ofattack. This helps get our opponentdisoriented and hence, becomes flat-footed.

A simple 3-step footwork drill worksquite nicely with a bit of timing.

Take your normal fighting stance at arealistic starting range from youropponent. You will pre-determine yourtake-off for ease of the drill, although ifyou are working any striking drill in 3’s,then it is simple enough to rememberthat you will end up striking on the openside of your opponent, which should bethe side you lead from. This does notnecessarily mean that if you lead rightyou will strike with your right hand orfoot though. This simply determines theside that your opponent will be openingup to attack

If you want to attack to the right, thenstep on a forward 45-degree angle to theright. If you are convincing, youropponent will follow. Once you havecompleted your step in this direction youwill immediately shift your step to a 45-degree angle to the left. Your opponentwill follow and should at this point(because you are now almost at strikingrange) be anticipating your attack to thenew angle of attack.

With a quick shift back to the right youshould now be close enough to strikesimultaneously. As you make contactyou can either follow up with acombination of techniques or if you werein a point tournament you should at thispoint hear the centre referee crying“matte” and you can complete your shiftinto that direction and safely clear thezone.

Speed Speed Speed…(Fire your weapon first)

This drill requires the utmost relaxation,and this is sometimes easier said thandone. It is also important to have youropponent relaxed. The sleepier thebetter!

Take your normal fighting stance at arealistic starting range from youropponent. I suggest that you keep yourstrong side to the back because it isgenerally faster too. Your front hand willact as a shield. Your front hand is alwaysimportant in your defense, but in thisdrill it is going to act for both defenseand offense.

To successfully bridge the gap withspeed you have to be able to catch youropponent off guard. To do this you wantto get your weapon (in this case, yourfist) as close to your opponent as you

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can before he even sees it. Plant yourback foot firmly into the ground like asprinter would in the starting blocks.Without showing any movement in yourbody, including any slight twitch in yourface caused by emotion, you are going tosimply extend your reverse punch as farout in front of you as you possibly can.Again, nothing moves until you reachthis point. The millisecond you reachthis point everything else takes off like arocket. Rotate your body so that yourreverse punch now becomes your frontpunch. At the same instant, blast out ofthe starting block and push as farforward as you can.

With a bit of control (when pointsparring) you will reach your opponentsuccessfully without them being able toclear.

Consider this; this is not a powertechnique. It is pure speed. You have tofollow up with either a combination or aclearing technique to be effective.

Offspeed timing:(Make them think your going to firebefore you do)

To me, this is the ultimate fake.Generally when we fake we lead withone technique and we actually try toscore with another. Here, we fake withour intended strike.

For ease of explanation, we’ll talkreverse punch again. Unlike the previousdrill for speed, it is a good thing if youropponent can see your technique comingat them. So, if this is the case, a bit ofover-acting works to your advantage.

Note: As a defender, if I see someonelead with their back shoulder I expect areverse punch. I think you’ll agree.

Take your normal fighting stance at arealistic starting range from youropponent. To convince our opponentsthat a reverse punch is coming we haveto commit to the technique 100%. Wewant to execute this reverse punch to atarget area of your opponent eitherslightly above or below the centre oftheir body. The reason for this is becausea good counter fighter may shift theirbody and not just their arms to block. Ifthis happens you’ll only be punchingthem in the arms. Once we reach thevirtual point of no return we’re going tohit the breaks. By stopping suddenly weare forcing the defender to complete theblock. At this point in time we are goingto continue forward with our punch andreach are target which is now openbecause the block has gone beyond it’sintended zone.

Again, this is not a power technique. It isa deceptive timing technique andalthough in most cases it won’t knockyour opponent down, you can certainlystartle them. I have actually knocked thewind out of people by aiming at the solarplexus with this technique. The reasonbeing, the defender’s ki has been relaxedonce they have passed the block zoneand they are trying to repositionthemselves, thus their mid section is nowweak and unprotected.

After you develop this with yourpunches, practice with your front kick.Shoot the knee forward from your backleg like your going to drive it throughyour opponent, then instead of followingthrough with a snap with the bottom halfof your leg, simply place it on the targetat half speed. It’s my personal favoriteand it’s just as simple.

If you develop these principles of“bridging the gap” you’ll have newfoundconfidence in your sparring. Try not tomake things difficult, the simpler the

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better. Three simple drills with a coupleminor adjustments to each (per thesituation) soon add up to multiple waysof being able to execute your techniqueseffectively.

How it all began… for meBy Darren Marshall, Sandan,Lindsay Wado Kai.

Studying karate hasalways been secondnature to me. My firstyears were spent inNorthern Ontario in alittle town calledWawa. My firstexposure to karatewas when I was five.I was sitting on myfront lawn when myfriend Billy Petersontold me that his unclehad a friend over. Hesaid that they "playfight" all the time.Being the adventuroustype, I declined to follow Mom's rulesabout staying in the front yard, andheaded to Billy's backyard next door. Tosee those two men moving so fast andexplosively really pushed my mind frominquisitive to a thirst to have that ability.The scolding I received for not listeningto mom was worth it. Over the next fewyears I watched as these karate mendeveloped and became who they are, notknowing that in the years to come, itwould be my turn.

I met Sensei Jack first, as he was Billy's"Uncle Jack". Then I met RandyQuarrell. Randy would constantly at anygiven time of day be found in his yardpracticing what I had come to know askata. Randy always had his dog namedVoldes with him. These men always ate,breathed and slept karate for as long as Ihave known them.

Jack disappeared when I was about nine,and Randy shortly after that. I turned toless positive activities to fill my time fora few years, but the thirst was alwaysthere, burning inside me. I applied for aposition as a lifeguard when I wasseventeen, and was successful. This ishow my karate journey began.

I had practiced as achild, but onlymimicking the thingsthat I witnessed fromwatching JackGingras, and RandyQuarrell. So Iunderstood howexplosive you couldbe... if you trainedhard for it. This oneman would faithfullyeveryday run downthe dock I wasstationed on, and jumpin the lake. I know itseems unremarkable,

but I would always be telling him that hewas not allowed to run on the dock.Finally, after about five or six repeatepisodes of this same occurrence, I hadcome to develop some sort of rapportwith this man. We eventually startedtalking every day (after he would rundown my dock).

The man was Ron White, and he wastraining for his Yodan, or fourth degreeof black belt. Ron told me of his club inWawa, which, at the time, I had no ideathat people still practiced karate inWawa. The fire rose in me and in myexcitement I blurted out " I know karate,I did it when I was small, I was reallygood too!" I was so excited to have metsomeone in karate, a real someone whocould teach me to be as good as Jack andRandy was when I was small (although

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Applicants posing one last timebefore the real work begins

at this time I didn't remember Jack orRandy's name).

Ron quietly said, " That's funny, I amtraining for my fourth degree of blackbelt, and I still don't know karate, but Istudy it. Do you really know all ofkarate?"

I started classes in Ron's dojo thefollowing week. Eventually, Randycame back to Wawa and we havedeveloped a good friendship over theyears it has taken me to grow into a man.I also re-aquatinted with Sensei Jack in1992 when Sensei Shintani came toWawa to teach a seminar.

We trained extensively when I moved toLindsay, and my dream of beingincluded into the explosiveness, the hardwork, the dedication, and most of all...the comrade of these two men from mychildhood came true.

Well, this is how I came to be who I am.I am a grown man of twenty-nine yearsand I still hold the same passion thesemen instilled in me. Although I couldwrite an entire novel about theinteresting instructors and fellowkarateka who have helped me alongthrough the years, it was these three inmy adolescent and teenage years thatreally helped me develop my mind andbody. You can never thank yourinstructors enough with words. Showthem that you understand what they areteaching with hard work and diligence inkarate, and that is what makes it worth itfor them. They get to see you developinto an adult who stays positive, and isnot afraid of hard work.

Sensei Ron used to say, " I hope thatwhen you achieve the degree of blackbelt I hold, that your skills are betterthan mine, then I know I have done myjob."

It's funny, because I have caught myselfwishing the same of my own students.Thank you for your time.

Northwest OntarioClinics and GradingSubmitted by Elana O’Connor, NidanThunder Bay, Ontario.

On September 8th and 9th, 2001Northwest Ontario Wado Kai hosted aBlack Belt Grading & Workshop inThunder Bay. Members from Wawa,Michipicoten, White River, FortFrances, and Hearst drove long hours tomake this an extremely successful anddelightful day for all the Karateka whoparticipated.

Each of the Sensei’s involved on theJoseki Board took the lead role ininstructing detailed portions of thegrading. A sincere thanks for theSensei’s involved with the grading,without their support this would not havebeen possible.

Congratulations to new Sensei’s AnnieBrousseau (Hearst), Laureen Pinder(Fort Frances) and Adam Wenmann(Michipicoten) for achieving their rankof Shodan.

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Annie BrousseauShodan

Adam WenmannShodan

Don DumontierNidan

Michel GosselinSandan

Laureen PinderShodan

Scott RobinsonNidan

Congratulations to Sensei’s ScottRobinson (Wawa), and Don Dumontier(Manitouwadge) for being promoted tothe rank of Nidan and to Sensei MichelGosselin (Hearst) for achieving the rankof Sandan.

This was another stepping stone andmemorable day for each one of thesestudents and their Sensei’s.

Following the grading, participants &their families attended a celebrationdinner and many stories were sharedover fine food & drink. A chocolate cakewas brought out and birthday wishes

given to Sensei Rick Leveille – “HappyBirthday Sensei!”

The workshop on Sunday consisted ofreviewing advanced fighting techniques,rendori, and kata. The weekend was awonderful learning experience and verymuch enjoyed by all. Thank you to allwhom participated & we look forward tohosting this annual event in September2002.

Kyla Gould Sykes’s WeddingSubmitted by Sensei Ron Mattie,Sichidan, Welland Ontario.

Well…. Darren Humphries, Cal Pittetand I attended Kyla’s wedding inManitoba. What a great time andwelcoming family. She just doesn’tlook the same as in a gi but just asdeadly. Kyla returned to England whereshe lives with her new husband Matt.We got to meet him the night before thewedding. We found him sitting alone ata table in a Manitoba bar. He could notstop talking about how happy he was tomarry Kyla. Through the wholeceremony, they had the look of love.Kyla and Matt, on behalf of theS.W.K.K.F., I wish you a long andhappy life together and may you alwaysremain friends.

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Wado Kai KarateClinics & Tournament

The 21st annual Delhi tournament will beheld on Sunday November 18th, 2001 atthe Delhi High School, Delhi Ontario.

In order to facilitate registration I amrequesting that as many competitors aspossible register by mail in advance.This will prevent long line-ups at theregistration table and avoid delays in thetournament start.

The registration is $15.00 for one ormore events, and $35.00 for families.

In conjunction with the 21st AnnualDelhi Karate Tournament four clinicshave been scheduled throughout theweekend at Hambleton Hall in Simcoe,Ontario.

Guest Instructors Sensei Danny McCoy-Rokudan and Sensei Norm Volk- Yodanfrom Alberta have confirmed that theywill be in attendance and instructing atthe clinics.

This is a rare opportunity and karatekaare encouraged to attend these clinics.

The cost of the Clinics is as follows:One class $5.00Two classes or more $10.00

If you are interested in attending andrequire additional details please contact:

Jim Atkinson 1-519-446-3555Steve Taylor 1-519-426-7473Rod Philip 1-519-426-1986

Thursday November 15, 2001South Public School, 8:00pm- 10:00 pm

Friday November 16, 2001Hambleton Hall, 7:00pm- 9:00 pm

Saturday November 17, 2001Hambleton Hall, 10:00am- 12:00 pm

Saturday November 17, 2001Hambleton Hall, 3:00pm- 5:00 pm

Final Note:

Black Belt Grading Requirements:

As chairperson of the gradingcommittee, I need to make it clear what“minimum requirements” mean. It hasbeen stated many times and yet we stillhave a problem. Minimum requirementsmean… “They must not be averagebut outstanding at their presentrank.” I have only seen a hand fulleligible for the minimum requirement.Instructors are sending their student waytoo early and are forcing the Josekiboard to fail them. No one wants to failanyone, however, when a student ispresented in front of a Joseki board withminimum requirements and fails, it’s areflection on the instructor and not thestudent. There is no reason to rush. Itdoesn’t change who you are. Best beinga great Shodan than a weak Nidan.

As for ranks above Godan, these ranksare considered honorary ranks and blackbelts need not apply; they arerecommended by the senate only.

As a personal note, people put too muchemphasis on rank. It’s not the belt youwear but who you are on and off thedojo floor that makes you that rank. Ineed your cooperation on reinforcingthese guidelines and I appreciate yourhelp.

Thank youSensei Ron Mattie