West Island Karate's tournament season ended with the Monteregie Championship in mid-June.  Hosted by Sensei Fouad El Harrif of Karate Kyokushin St-Luc, this tournament took place at the military college in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu.  This was only the 3rd edition of their annual tournament, but it was an impressive one.  Our West Island Karate team of 12, coached by Sempai Alex and Em, joined over 20 other dojos to compete in kata and semi-contact kumite.  In attendance were Shihan Yoshikazu Koi and Shihan Shigeru Tabata from Japan (of the All Japan Kyokushin Union with whom Sensei Fouad's dojo is affiliated).  The action took place on three tatamis, the main one being a full-sized, raised platform reminiscent of the type used for major world championship events.  Needless to say, it was exciting for the kids to compete on such a large stage (and just as fun for their parents watching).  Our West Island Karate team did exceptionally well, demonstrating the kind of form in kata and the fighting technique in kumite that would have made Sensei John proud (unfortunately Sensei could not be there as he was in Spain attending the IKO Matsushima Kyokushin Karate World Cup tournament).  Congratulations to our entire team and many thanks to Sempai Alex and Em for coaching them.  Thank you to Sensei Fouad for putting on such a fun tournament and for making it a very memorable experience for everyone.  Osu!  Videos from the tournament will be posted very soon, but meanwhile check out some photos of our team competing courtesy of Brigitte (pictured here at right...thanks so much Brigitte) as well as some video stills from your humble webmaster.  Enjoy!          

After holding a training seminar on the morning after the 2010 Matsushima Canadian Championships, Kancho Matsushima then conducted a black belt grading that very afternoon/evening at Shihan Roman's dojo in Laval.  Of the 18 candidates being graded from various dojos, five of them were from West Island Karate.  Sempais Alain, Victor and Lia were being graded for Nidan, while Sempais Annie and Muriel (the latter pictured in the foreground above) were being graded for Shodan.  Under Kancho and Shihan's watchful eyes, the candidates were put through a very stern test of their fitness, technique, kata, weapons kata, kumite and Kyokushin spirit.  Sensei John later announced in class that all our Sempais did exceptionally well and passed their grading.  Omedetou gozaimashita (congratulations) Sempais!  Osu!  Click the photo above to see some photos from the grading courtesy of Sempai Victor (thank you Sempai). 

On the morning after the 2010 Matsushima Canadian Championships, Kancho Matsushima held a seminar in the Kirkland Arena.  Kancho doesn't travel from Japan to Canada very often, so approximately 130 karateka of all ages and levels took advantage of this rare opportunity to train with him.  Kancho Matsushima was in excellent spirits and demonstrated movements with great fluidity, sharpness and speed - challenging us to follow suit in the process.  Interestingly, many of the idogeiko that Kancho taught us were done while moving in a circular fashion across the gym floor, reflecting the circular nature of many techniques in Kyokushin karate.  It was a fun and engaging way to practice basics.  The seminar ended with an hilarious demonstration by Kancho that he liked to call "kata magic".  We won't elaborate here (let's consider it an inside joke amongst all the participants :-)), but you can ask Sempai Alex about it sometime if you're curious.  Suffice to say, it was another fond memory of our training with Kancho Matsushima.  Unfortunately we don't have any video from this particular seminar, but you can click here to watch a video of a seminar that Kancho conducted in Japan following the I.K.O. Matsushima World Open Kyokushin Karate Tournament in 2008.  Arigato gozaimashita Kancho.  It was truly an honour to train with you.  Osu!

This year we were extremely honoured to have Kancho Yoshikazu Matsushima (9th Dan and President of I.K.O. Matsushima) and his wife Mikiko-san come all the way from Japan to preside over this year's Matsushima Canadian Championships.  Their presence turned an already special edition of our annual tournament into an extraordinary one.  Kancho and Mikiko-san are always so down-to-earth and generous to a fault with their time and energy.  Despite any jet-lag from flying in just the night before, Kancho signed participation certificates for all 227 competitors (in Japanese of course), happily assisted in handing out trophies, and very patiently posed for pictures throughout the day.  Mikiko-san for her part gladly signed competitors' names in Japanese on their dogis and/or belts.  Even with all that, Kancho and Mikiko-san found time to simply enjoy watching the kids compete.  After the morning kata competition and lunch break, some of our West Island Karate students as well as a team from Seishin Karate staged special kata demonstrations for Kancho which everyone enjoyed thoroughly (click on the first photo above to see the videos of those kata demos).  As the tournament was winding down and the last of the trophies had been given out, Sensei John presented Kancho with a special gift (see above photos).  That had all the Montreal Canadians fans in the crowd cheering wildly as Kancho tried it on for size (it was a perfect fit :-)).  The festivities carried over into the next day as many karateka took advantage of the opportunity to train with Kancho who gave a seminar for all ages and levels.  Needless to say, having Kancho at our tournament as well as training with him the next day was truly an honour and pleasure for everyone who participated.  Click on the second photo above to see some superb photos of the 2010 Matsushima Canadian Championships courtesy of our own David Boily  (much appreciated Dave).  Many thanks to Kancho Matsushima, Shihan Roman, and all the Senseis, Sempais, competitors and their parents for helping make this year's Matsushima Canadian Championships an extraordinary event.  We would also like to recognize the outstanding and tireless efforts of all our West Island Karate volunteers who generously donated their time and energy to ensure things ran smoothly behind the scenes.  Osu!

May began with another tournament as West Island Karate brought a large team of some 35 strong to the Yukan Karate Championship.  Hosted by Sensei Denis Cordiero of Montreal Kanreikai Karate, their tournament takes place at John Abbott College in St-Anne-de-Bellevue every year.  Featuring kata, weapons kata, and semi-contact kumite, the tournament was a great opportunity for our students to put their well-rounded skills on display.  And that they did - representing our dojo very well in the process.  In addition to the kids, our team consisted of two adult students, Vlad and Vince (the latter pictured above hamming it up with some of our kids :-)).  They competed in the Seniors semi-contact division.  Both did an awesome job and fought with true Kyokushin spirit.  To top it off, Sempai Manon decided to compete in the black belt kata category.  Her very first kata competition was only a few weeks prior at the Eastern Quebec Championship in Rimouski where she placed 4th.  This time, with the benefit of that experience under her (black) belt, she took home the 1st place trophy!  Congratulations to Sempai Manon and our entire team!  Many thanks to Sensei Cordiero for putting on another excellent tournament and for making it such a positive experience for us each and every year.  Osu!  Click the photo above to see Anne-Marie's pictures of the tournament (thanks so much for sharing them with us Anne-Marie).  Keep an eye on our Videos page for some clips of the action from the tournament...coming soon.

This week, we were honoured to welcome Shihan Marc Van Walleghem (Rokudan) of Belgium to the dojo once again.  Fortunately for us, Shihan's flight to Montreal was one of the very few which was not cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud originating from Iceland a few days ago.  It's always an eye-opening experience to have Shihan pass along some of his 37+ years of Kyokushin knowledge and experience.  As anyone who has taken one of his classes will tell you, Shihan Marc challenges your powers of concentration with a plethora of techniques in myriad combinations.  Like our own Sensei John, Shihan also insists on infinitesimal attention to detail, but always with a specific reason in mind.  Invariably, when Shihan expands on those reasons, the karateka usually experiences one of those "lightbulb goes on" moments.  There were many such moments during this particular 4 hour seminar.  Many thanks to Sensei Hugo, Sensei Fouad and his students, and the several other karateka from other dojos and/or organizations who attended.  Their participation was most welcome and appreciated.  And of course, a big thank you goes out to Shihan Marc for taking the time to visit West Island Karate once again.  We look forward to his next visit.  Osu Shihan!  Click on the photo above for a larger version.

After class tonight, we serenaded Sensei with a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" (in the original English - not Japanese - version :-)) while presenting him with the special "Kyokushin cake" shown above (thanks to Christine for getting the cake made).  On behalf of all your students and their parents, Happy Birthday Sensei!  Osu!

West Island Karate roadtrips never disappoint.  Whether it's a weekend in Rochester or Old Orchard Beach, or a couple of weeks in Japan(!), we always have an amazing time.  While the karate competitions we attend are exciting and fun, it's also a great opportunity to better acquaint ourselves and share a few laughs with our extended West Island Karate family.  On this occasion, it was off to Rimouski again for the 21st Eastern Quebec Championship hosted by Sensei René Lanteigne of Le Club de Karaté Sylvain Lessard (which is part of the Association Internationale de Karaté Kyokushin or AIKK).  This year, Sensei John brought the largest West Island Karate team to ever compete at this particular tournament.  Predictably, our entire team performed extremely well and did Sensei proud - not just for their competitive fire and technique - but for their conduct and sportsmanship as well.  They represented our dojo in a manner which reflected the best traditions of West Island Karate.  Congratulations to everyone!  Many thanks to Sensei Lanteigne for hosting another great tournament.  OSU!  Click the photo above to see some videos of the tournament courtesy of your humble webmaster.  Anne-Marie was also kind enough to share her photos of the weekend (it looks like the kids spent more time in the hotel pool than they did on the tatami :-)).  Much appreciated Anne-Marie!  There are also more tournament photos coming very soon from Sensei himself.  Stay tuned.

Sensei John accepted an invitation to train in St-Luc with (from left to right) Sensei Fouad (Karate Kyokushin St-Luc), Sensei Hugo (IKO Sosai) and Sensei Maximiliano (Budokai Canada) at whose dojo they trained.  Sensei said it was an excellent training and everyone benefitted from the exchange of ideas and techniques.  Sensei John would like to pass along his thanks to Senseis Fouad, Hugo and Maximiliano for the opportunity to train with and learn from them.  Osu!

On the last day of March, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sensei Bertrand and Sensei Steve of Seishin Karate along some of their Sempais and students to the dojo.  It's always fun to train with them at the annual Beach Training in Maine, but it was also nice to train with them on this evening in the more conventional (and drier :-)) confines of our dojo.  It was a chance to catch up with old friends or make new ones with people who share the same passion for Kyokushin Karate.  Many thanks to Sensei Bertrand, Sensei Steve, and the Sempais and students of Seishin Karate.  West Island Karate looks forward to training with you again.  Osu!  Click the photo above to see some pictures from the training courtesy of Sempai Nancy (much appreciated Sempai). 

It is said that "a black belt is a white belt who never gave up".  Well we now have five new black belts at West Island Karate who epitomize that saying.  Over the many years of their training, they have endured all the physical and mental challenges that Sensei John and his Sempais have thrown at them and then some (no doubt that happy pattern will continue going forward :-)).  After having passed their Shodan grading with Shihan Roman back in December of 2009, they were presented with their black belts and certificates in late March of this year (they are custom made in Japan, thus the delay).  Sempai Manon and Sempai Kimm received theirs at Shihan Roman's most recent brown/black belt clinic - while Sempai James, Sempai Louise and Sempai Alex M. were presented their belts and certificates by Sensei John in our dojo, whereupon he expressed how proud he was of all of them.  A hearty congratulations to Sempai Manon, Sempai Kimm, Sempai James, Sempai Louise and Sempai Alex M.  Omedetou gozaimashita Sempais!  Osu!  Click on either photo above to see more pictures from the black belt presentations courtesy of Sempai Nancy and Sempai Manon (much appreciated Sempais). 

Congratulations to both Vlad and Sempai Victor (the latter pictured above right) for competing at the Gold Cup tournament hosted by Senseis George and Dominic Ohan of Ohan Brothers Dojo.  This was Vlad's initial foray into semi-knockdown fighting and Sempai Victor's third experience in a full knockdown competition.  According to Sensei, both fighters did a great job and represented the dojo well.  Many thanks to Senseis George and Dominic Ohan for putting on a very entertaining tournament.  Osu!

What's better than kicking back with friends and family after a long week to watch a good movie?  Doing that at West Island Karate's very first "Movie Night" of course!  For one Friday evening in February, we converted the dojo into a mini-theatre, complete with big picture, big sound, tasty popcorn, and even a short trailer for an upcoming event!  Movie Night was an opportunity for Sensei John to share one of his favourite martial arts movies with his karateka...in part to help them understand his in-class movie-references/jokes :-), but more importantly to raise money for West Island Karate's Fighters Fund which is used to support our knockdown fighters.  For our inaugural movie presentation, we chose a classic and very charming film in which a handyman/karate-master agrees to teach a bullied boy karate, and shows him that there is more to the martial art than just fighting.  It was a fun, inspiring and age-appropriate movie for the kids, and despite some minor audio problems (which we promise to rectify for next time) everyone enjoyed it thoroughly.  And courtesy of our resident professional photographer, David Boily, we even have some photos of the evening to share with you (thanks so much Dave!).  Until our next Movie Night...Osu!

West Island Karate took a small team to Lachenaie to compete for the first time in an annual tournament hosted by Shihan Antoine Hanachian of Kyokushin International Karate.  The tournament was held in their dojo which was a good environment for some of our younger students who had never competed before.  As always, our students had fun and did very well.  Many thanks to Shihan Hanachian for welcoming us and making it a positive experience for all our students.  Osu!

(Click on the above photo for a larger version).  To ring in the new decade, West Island Karate held its annual New Year's Training on this Sunday afternoon at the Kirkland Arena (home of our annual tournament, the Matsushima Canadian Championships).  It was nice to catch up with our extended dojo family after the holiday break and exchange New Year's wishes, but everyone was here to train...and train we did.  Since Sensei John rented the entire length of the gym floor, he was determined to use all of it. :-)  So he put us through some challenging warmup exercises which made good use of all that space (eg. running suicides, running with a partner on piggyback, Spiderman crawls, wheelbarrows, wheelbarrows with jumping/clapping pushups, etc, etc, etc....did I mention that it'll be nice to get back to our cozy little dojo floor? :-D).  Still, as tough as it was, it felt great after the long break and all the holiday eating.  We moved on to some kihon and idogeiko followed by a bit of light sparring, and then it was over....two hours never went by so fast!  Thank you to Sensei and all the Sempais as always for their time and energy.  A special thank you goes out to Sempai Justin Culzac and Sempai Justin Mancini of Russo Dojo for joining us (they are pictured above at the far right...Sempai Justin C. in the back row and Sempai Justin M. in the front).  Sempais, it was a pleasure training with you both.  Osu!

Sensei has launched the West Island Kyokushin Karate Group on Facebook.  Just click on the Facebook logo to join up and stay apprised of the very latest happenings at West Island Karate!  Happy New Year everyone!  Osu!

Click here to read what happened at West Island Karate in 2009