Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011
VOLUME 17, ISSUE 6
OCTOBER 2011
In This Issue:
Pg. 2
Message from the President
Pg. 3
SWKKF Calendar of Events
Continued..
Pg. 4
2nd
Annual National Shindo Clinic
Pg. 5
Scholarship Winners-Media
Release
Pg. 6
Scholarship Winner-Christian
Boivin
Pg. 7
Scholarship Winner-
Isabelle Fillion
Pg. 8
Letter to Students from Sensei
Ron White
Pgs. 9&10
Karate in Mexico
Pgs. 11&12
SWKKF Instructs the US Army
Pg. 13
Letter from the Editor
On The Cover:
Instructing the US
Military-Group Shot
Message From the President
Sensei Denis Labbe
I would like to welcome everybody back. Our fiscal year has
started on September 1st. Don't forget to register. See you
soon in the upcoming clinic and tournaments.
The following is the Calendar of Events for 2011-2012.
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 2
SWKKF
Calendar of Events
2011-2012
Club Events
Western Canada
September 23-24th , 2011 – Dynamic Karate Association/Hokusei Karate – Clinic – Darren Humphries/Sandro Reffo November 11-12th , 2011 – Saskatoon Wado Kai – Black Belt Grading/Clinic – Crystal Johnson November 11-12th , 2011 – Glanmorgan Wado Kai (Calgary) – Clinic and Tournament - Kevin Bowes November 25-26th , 2011 – Moose Mountain Karate Club – Clinic and Tournament – Joan Adam
January 20-22nd , 2012 – Edson Wado Kai Karate – Clinic and Tournament - Chris Marler February 10-12th, 2012 – Whitecourt Wado Kai Karate – Clinic and Tournament – Shelley McGregor
Continued on pg. 3 Visit our website
www.shintani.ca
for more information
on SWKKF
Calendar of Events continued!
February 24-25th , 2012 – Virden Wado Kai Karate – Clinic and Tournament – Ron Cole
March 2-3rd, , 2012 – South Calgary Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Heather Fidyk
March 23-24th , 2012 – Saskatoon/Warmen Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Crystal
Johnson
May 4-5th 2012 – Alberta Black Belt Grading – Host Bushido Karate Association – James Freeman
Eastern Canada
October 14-15th, 2011 – Kawartha Lakes Wado Kai – Tournament – Kris Reynolds
November 17,18, 19th , 2011 – Delhi Wado Kai – Clinics and Tournament – Spring Kaye
December 2-3rd , 2011 – SWKKF – Senate Meeting – Denis Labbe
December 10th, 2011 – Oshawa-Whitby Wado Kai Karate – Juniors Tournament - Jose-Carlos
Garcia
January 21st , 2012 - Fort Erie Wado Kai – Tournament – Gary Bird
January 28th , 2012 – Timmins Wado Kai – Tournament – Willie Lebrun/June Lebrun
February 25th,2012 – Shindo Federation of North America – Clinic – Jim Atkinson
February 18th , 2012 – Simcoe South Wado Kai – Tournament – Tom Foster
March 3rd , 2012 – Hanmer Wado Kai – Tournament – Gilles Dupuis
March 30-31st , 2012 – Nordik (Hearst) Wado Kai – Clinic and Tournament – Michel Gosslin
March 31st , 2012 – SWOR Wado Kai – Tournament – Roger Frigault
April 14 –15th , 2012 – Michipicoten Wado Kai Karate – Clinic and Grading – Duanne Wenmann
April 28th , 2012 – Welland Wado Kai – Tournament – Anne Readhead
May 25-26th , 2012 – Clinic & National Master Shintani Memorial Tournament – Denis Labbe June 2nd, 2012 – Black Belt Grading – Host Delhi Wado Kai Karate – Jim Atkinson
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 3
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 4
Shintani Wado Kai Karate
Federation Scholarship
Committee
August 12, 2011
Kelsey Ross (Chairperson)
#304 10403 98 Ave
Edmonton, AB
T5K 2Y5
Media Release:
This year, the SWKKF Scholarship Committee was tasked to select two scholarship
recipients from an extraordinarily talented and well-rounded group of applicants. It was a
task the committee was proud to take on, as it displayed and demonstrated the excellence
that our karateka achieve throughout the country! We were impressed to see achievements
in athletics, tutoring, academics, volunteerism, and music. After much deliberation, it is
with great excitement that we announce this year’s recipients: Sensei Isabelle Fillion of
Hearst, Ontario, and Sensei Christian Boivin of Calgary, Alberta. Sensei Christian is mid-
way through his first degree at the University of Calgary while Sensei Isabelle will be
entering her first year at Ottawa University. We wish them luck in their studies and
congratulate them for receiving this award!
Sincerely,
Kelsey Ross
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 5
SWKKF Scholarship Committee,
I would like to send my sincere thanks and convey how honored I am for being selected
as one of the successful candidates for the 2011 SWKKF Scholarship.
I am attending the University of Calgary for a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and
this scholarship will help me to maintain my karate and academic pursuits without
having to worry as much about my financial situation and for this I am very grateful.
Once again I would like to say thank you for awarding me this scholarship, I am very
honored to have received your support.
Sincerely,
Christian Boivin
South Calgary Wado Kai Karate
Calgary, AB
Christian is in his third year of a Bachelors of
Science with his major in Psychology at the
University of Calgary with hopes to add a BSc in
Mind Sciences and pursue both a semester
abroad followed by an honors thesis in his final
year. He hopes this will set him up the best to
pursue a graduate degree in Psychology.
He has been doing karate since 1995, recently
achieving his Nidan and is currently the
middleweight on the SWKKF National team.
Christian teaches kids and adults at his home
club: South Calgary Wado Kai under Sensei
Heather Fidyk; he is also Vice-President and primary karate instructor of an
inter-martial arts club at the U of C exploring martial arts such as Muay
Thai, Kung-Fu and Tae-kwon-do.
In his spare time Christian is an avid cross fitter; he also enjoys finding
time to snowboard, long board, rock climb and drink coffee.
Photo credit: Scott Knowles of Bushido Wado Kai
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 6
August 17th
, 2011
SWKKF Scholarship Committee
Please accept my sincere thanks for selecting me as a recipient of the SWKKF
Scholarship Award for 2011. Your generosity will help me to continue my education at
the post-secondary level, providing me with additional financial support. I will be
attending the University of Ottawa, in the Conflict Studies and Human Rights Program
this fall.
I am very pleased to have been selected for this award. Thank you again for honoring me
with this scholarship. Your support is greatly appreciated.
With sincerest thanks,
Isabelle Fillion
Ottawa, ON
Isabelle started her first year at the
University of Ottawa this fall. She is
doing a Bachelor’s Degree Specialized in
Conflict Studies and Human Rights in
French. After this degree she might do a
Master’s Degree in Conflict Studies at the
same university.
She has been doing karate in the Nordik
Wado Kai Karate Club in Hearst with
Sensei Michel Gosselin since 2005,
where she helped teach younger kyu belts during class. She achieved
getting her Shodan at the Thunder Bay Black Belt Grading this April.
Besides karate Isabelle enjoys kickboxing, participating in humanitarian
trips to the Dominican Republic and learning new languages.
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 7
Shintani Wado Kai karate students. Hi! My name is Ron White. I'm a fifth degree black belt and a member of Michipicoten Wado Kai Karate Club, which I founded in 1989 here in Wawa Ont. I joined karate in 1975 under Sensei Rick Leveille at the same time as I started my own drywall and painting business here in Wawa. In those days everything was manual labour from lifting heavy sheets of gyproc to compound application to finish painting. At 25 years old I was young and strong and stubborn and pushed myself too hard. Two years after I started the business I had a serious fall injuring my right hip. I was off work about seven months and it was during this time that I began my journey in understanding how to use karate to heal both mental and physical injuries, which go hand in hand. I had to begin by first calming my mind. This was accomplished by closing my eyes and breathing in the nose and out the mouth slowly and looking inside my body and mentally seeing the injured area. This was first real use of the Wado technique of meditation. Over the years I've learned to block pain and actually meditate on it even as I worked at my job or on the dojo floor. Recently I've had two major surgeries and am going for a third and hope final one (right shoulder replacement) in November in London Ont. Without the meditation and the proper stretching and warm up as well as our karate workout I know I would not heal as fast as I do. Karate classes begin this Thursday and I'm looking forward to preparing my mind and body for the next operation. I'm borrowing a phrase from one of my former karate students. (Karate guys don't quit) meaning don't give in to injuries. Get the right help and take the right steps and you will heal. `To the young karate students, be careful at play, work and exercise. Listen to your Sensei and work with him or her to improve your health your karate and your life. Never stop learning and please stay healthy and have a great karate season and a fantastic year! In Harmony;
Sensei Ron White, Godan
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 8
KARATE IN MEXICO
I would like to report on the Bucerias Wado Kai Karate Club located at the Bungalows
Arroyo complex in Bucerias Mexico. As I have reported in the past, I teach Wado Kai Karate to
the residents of the Bungalows Arroyo during Darlene and my stay in Mexico. As always we
have an enthusiastic crowd who get right into martial arts. This year I brought down some Fort
Erie Wado Kai Karate Tee-shirts for tournaments past and gave to the members.
I also had the opportunity to again workout with Sensei Jose Luis Duenas Castaneda of the
Shotokan Club of Bucerias, Mexico. Sensei Jose is a very enthusiastic instructor who welcomed
me into his club again this year. Sensei Jose wanted me to teach him two of the Wado Kata so
that he could get his International Judging certificate. Sensei Jose is an amazing karate person,
within one hour he had almost learned Seishan and he wanted to also learn Chinto. I presented
him with a Shintani Wado Kai tee shirt and also a CD of the Black Belt Kata. I promised him that
when I return in January 2009, we would work on the other kata.
Sensei Jose wanted to know how he could join the Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation
as a full member and become the official representative of SWKKF in Mexico. I made a
presentation at the Senate meeting and Sensei Jose was made an Affiliate member. When I return
in January, I will present him with his Certificate.
Left to right
Bob Borthwick, Vicki Borthwick, Cy Lindberg, Al Bachowski, Lynn Lindberg,
Sensei Peter, Sharon Clark, Bonnie Shinnan, Bill Shinnan, and Kristie Leggett.
Front: Judy Bachowski
Abs: Moe Caron, Miodrag Duric.
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 9
It will be a wonderful time teaching and learning with Sensei Jose in the years to come. If
any of our members are making a trip to Puerto Vallarta in the future, Bucerias in only 20
minutes away and I know if you make contact with Sensei Jose you would be welcome to
workout with his club.
Sensei Jose Luis Duenas Castaneda has a dojo located on Obelisco No.26, Col. Buenos
Ares, Bucerias, Nayarit, Mexico C.P. 63732 phone #(01 329) 298 0874
e-mail [email protected]
BUCERIAS MEXICO 2008
SENSEI JOSE LUIS DUENAS CASTANEDA
&
SENSEI PETER RUCH
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 10
!"#$%&$#'(&)*'+&#'+&,&%-'.,/&$#0&%#*$'1$2%,34%2'5!'6,78'!9-4#&:';*,4-2'#$'
!%&$)'59<'!"#$)*'&$)'=#3'=#%23'
Members of The Shintani Wado Kai Karate Organization had
the distinct honor of training the US Army Special forces on
Saturday, October 1, 2011 in our style of karate, Shindo, and
Jiu Jitsu by the private invitation of First Sergeant Mike
Hammond.
Senseis Neil Prime from St. Catharines, Peter Avino and Mark
Flaherty from Buffalo NY, Toby Wolf, Bill Sorvelli and Dan
Moore from Pennsylvania traveled to Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, one of the largest military bases in the United States.
We met Sergeant First Class, Mark Rodgers the night before to
show us the training facilities. It was hard to tell who was
more excited about the opportunity, our instructors or the
Military personnel. The dojo they had was state of the art. Walls and floors completely padded, workout
gear and pads that would completely cover the body. Just about anything a workout body would want.
Many of the people that attended the training were combat personnel that were back in the US between
tours of service. These individuals are profiled to be true alphas, strong willed individuals. A special
note - once Sensei Neil Introduced himself as a citizen of Canada, the crowd let out a unanimous eh!
Much of the day was filled with two classes running at once. The morning schedule consisted of Sensei
Peter Avino dong two hours of tai sebaki, combos and introducing Shindo, Sensei Dan Moore doing Gun
Control and takeaways, Sensei Peter doing an hour of grappling and Bill Sorvelli training Shindo, (which
was adapted to their rifle).
The afternoon was Sensei Toby Wolf instructing in strikes/block/shifting, Mark Flaherty showing ground
control, and stand up combinations, Dan Moore on Rifle and more gun control, and Neil Prime training in
how to stay up against the ground and of course… teaching them a new world of kicks. We wrapped up
with combos from Sensei Mark and two-person stretching/massage with Sensei Peter.
With all of the various techniques, different instructors and
even different subject matter everything flowed together quite
well. Each class related in some way because the core was
Wado Ryu. The thing that was prevalent throughout the day in
all of the techniques was the use of hips and body and the
explosive timing. This aspect of our training through Sensei
Shintani is why our training was more applicable and valuable
to these military elite.
The Special Forces personnel truly lived up to their legend.
These individuals are in extraordinary physical condition and
competitive drive. Their pain level was extremely high; their desire to learn at any cost was truly a new
experience as an instructor.
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 11
At the end of the day our group was honored with a certificate of appreciation hats, mugs,
and something that took us completely by surprise. Each of us was given a
commemorative coin that represents the squadron. This token of appreciation carries with
it a high honor as only the Sergeant Major can hand this out. This person is the leader of
the Special Forces squadron. He is the alpha above all alphas who has survived and lead
many field combat situations.
On a personal note, for us it was an honor to be able to do this event. We worked with
hard working, respectful people of outstanding character. Everyone welcomed us with
open arms and was eager to challenge us to be better.
It was like going to a Shintani Tournament.
I‘ll leave you with the motto of their organization: “De Oppresso liber” - “To liberate the
Oppressed”
Note the US Military working with Shindo
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 12
THE HARMONIZER IS PUBLISHED UNDER THE MANDATE OF THE SENATE OF THE SHINTANI WADO -KAI KARATE FEDERATION (SWKKF). THE SWKKF DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR STATE- MENTS OF FACT OR OPINION MADE BY ANY CONTRIBUTOR. STATEMENTS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT REFLECT THE OFFICIAL POSITION OF THE SWKKF. ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION OF ARTICLES, AD-VERTISEMENTS, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DOES NOT INDICATE ENDORSEMENT OF SAME BY THE SWKKF AND THE SWKKF ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
ACCURACY.
Letter from the Editor As always, thanks to everyone who submitted to this issue. There are some great things happening within the organization! Please keep submitting and if you have any thoughts or ideas, email us at [email protected]. Have a wonderful holiday season! Jodi Personal Best Wado-Kai Karate Club www.personalbestwadokai.com
Volume 17, Issue 6, October 2011 pg. 13
From left to right: Jess Lebrun, Sensei
Moe and Carla Oreskovich of Personal Best Wado-Kai Karate Club in Timmins.