Our "Fun" Tournament

It's almost here. Martial Madness 2011. The last couple of months have been spent pouring over the results of last year's tournament in an attempt to once again make this year even better. Setting up new divisions to make sure there isn't 20 kids competing against each other and organizing times more efficiently so competitors aren't called to two rings at once. We hope each year brings a better, more organized, more fun tournament. Ah - a fun tournament. I've said over and over again lately that this is a fun tournament. But what exactly do I mean by that? I thought I should probably clarify. What I DON'T mean is that everyone competes with an I-don't-care-if-I-win-or-lose attitude. That is never the case when it comes to karate competitions. We are all after that 1st place trophy. And we should be - it's training for that top spot that spurs us on, making us better. What I DO mean is that we invite the most supportive, friendly clubs who genuinely love the martial arts. We hope each year that competitors meet new people and make new friends. You love the martial arts - so isn't it awesome to hang out with others who share that love? You will never hear anyone (coach or parent) screaming at a competitor for not performing as well as they should have. The only screaming you will hear on April 30th will be shouts of encouragement. We are all there because we want to win, but when we don't, we know to congratulate those who did win, show good sportsmanship and we look to find ways to be better for next time. So don't show up on April 30th just to be there. Come to compete! Come to try your best! And most of all, come to have fun!

Tournament Time!

It's been a really long time since I've felt I had anything to say that couldn't have been summed up in my last blog. I feel that the most important part of the martial arts is trying your best. No matter what, if you've tried your hardest, there is nothing more you can do. There is nothing more that anyone else can ask of you. It's that simple.
The longer you are in the martial arts, the fewer and far between your gradings will be. (Some people will undoubtedly be very thankful for this!) So keeping yourself motivated in between gradings can sometimes be a challenge. One way to keep your training fresh is to train for tournaments.
Tournaments prove to be a challenge in many ways. Sometimes the challenge lies in the opponents you face, but more often, the challenge you face is inside yourself. I can already feel myself getting nervous about my next tournament even as I write this!
I thought about blogging today about ways to beat those nerves but I don't think I am quite qualified yet to give advice in that area. However, if anyone out there has advice on that topic, please email me right away! :)
No, my mission today is to congratulate the students who compete at the tournaments. Those who step onto the mats or into the ring with their hearts pounding and their legs shaking. Those grapplers who know exactly how long a minute and a half is (it's really long! just ask them!), those kata competitors who can barely remember their names and those who spar, even though their next competitor might be ten feet tall.
But they do it anyway.
They don't just talk about who they could beat or how many medals they could win if they felt like competing. They are the ones who are out there trying their best, no matter what the outcome will be. And they deserve so much respect for doing that.
If you leave a tournament this year without the trophy or medal you had hoped to win, just remember something: you are winning - you beat the nerves, the fear and all of those people who were too nervous to compete. And that in itself, is a huge accomplishment.
Good luck to everyone who will compete in upcoming tournaments!
Just take a deep breath, you can do it!

Trying Your Best - Are You Really?

Trying your best. That means different things to different people. For some, trying their best on a test means answering every question, for others it might mean studying hard the night before, but for some - and this is probably very few, I'll admit - it meant going home every night from school and reviewing the notes, making up sample questions and tests, practicing and reviewing often so that when the final exam came, there was no question that would stump them.

Obviously, what we define "our best" to be, can be very different.

How hard we try usually is determined by what we want from our end results.

That person who studied every day for a final exam that was still months away was obviously looking to achieve a very high mark whereas the student who didn't study is more likely just hoping to pass.

When it comes to karate, trying your best differs from one person to another as well. What is it that you want to get out of your training? Do you train hard when you want to grade and then slack off all the rest of the time? Or are you always trying your best?

You can't expect to become the next Karate Kid if you are not trying your best. What you put into your karate training is what you'll get out of it. Therefore, if you thought that by the time you reached green belt, you would be proficient at round house kicks and you find you're not, or that your kata would feel stronger and more balanced and it's not, or that you would have finally wrapped your head around the Japanese terminology, and you haven't; take a look at how hard you are trying.

If the only time you think about karate is during class, your progress will not be as fast as someone who spends their spare time at home reading their handbook or practicing kata.

If you want to be the best, then you have to try your best. It won't happen any other way.

It really is that simple.

Training

Another tournament year has started for Karate Ontario, with the first Grand Prix tournament taking place next Sunday June 6th at Humber College in Toronto.

Which means there is not a lot of time for dusting off the required kata, polishing some new ones and getting back into training every day for it. Although sometimes it is VERY hard to find the time, it is so worth it, as training with a specific goal in mind (whether it's a tournament or a grading) has always been the most fun for me.

So off I go to SMA in Kingston, where I spend some time working with my team (Hi Michelle! Hi Katrina!) or alone under the constant direction of Shihan Patry. Three hours of continous work, paying attention to the tiniest detail and correcting constantly; there is so much to learn (and so much to fix!). But after every class, I leave feeling very excited and inspired about my training.

And everyone needs that.

We get very comfortable in our own clubs with our own Senseis. We really need to get out and see what other schools and other Senseis have to offer. Whether it's one seminar or a day full of them (Capital Conquest or Kingston Kicks, for example), you need to experience more than just what is at home in your own club. It will jump start your training and it is so much fun. People do martial arts these days because they love it. Going to an event where you are surrounded by other people who are all there because they share a love for the same thing - it's amazing!

Negativity breeds negativity. Surround yourself with positive people who love life and you will find it easy to laugh and enjoy yourself. That is what we are all about. Life can be incredibly hectic and stressful. Let's get together to enjoy the martial arts and leave all the negativity behind. Let's get inspired to train harder and to be the best martial artists we can be - and let's have a blast doing it. A HUGE thank you to all of the people in my life who make my training so much fun. You guys are AWESOME!!!

xoxo

Inspired!

Wow! There is nothing like being at a huge martial arts event to feel even more inspired about your own training and teaching. The World Kobudo Federation's World Convention was filled with great seminars, awesome events and tons of martial arts friends. What a great place to be!
A hotel filled with people who all share an incredible love of the martial arts, it would be hard not to get excited. The Iceman Kickboxing Gala was filled with incredible fights, including three Canadian Amateur Kickboxing Championship fights. The Team Tournament Saturday morning ran very smoothly, with awesome demonstrations of skill in grappling, sport jiu jitsu, kata and weapons.
Kyoshi Therien asked Sensei Nicki Greenstreet and myself to be scorekeepers at Shihan Norm's Sport Jiu Jitsu table during the Team Tournament. This gave us front row seats for the fights, including our own Matt Belleperche's Team Canada team. I got to meet Matt's teammates the night before and they are all great guys. Matt, Mike, Chris, Graham and Ryan all did well (everyone won their first round fights and all of the second round fights except for one - and that was due to an injury). Their coach, Fletcher Falls from Shihan Robert Krantz's Milton Jiu Jitsu club, was an excellent coach. Team Canada definitely showed great team work.
What a fantastic weekend!

Road to Success

There is a grading at the club tonight. 27 people will be asked to show their techniques, katas, bunkai, self defense, sparring and breakfalls. But most of all, what we will ask them to show (sometimes we'll even demand it) is their heart.
Gradings are never easy. You will be exhausted and frustrated. You will feel picked on and picked apart. And there are two ways in which you can choose to deal with it. The first way is to dig down deep, to develop your no-quit attitude and push through whatever pain ails you most (whether it's your knees or your brain!), the second way to deal with it is much easier: you can quit. We strongly suggest you choose the first way.
Life is a lot like a karate grading. You see people everyday who choose the second way. People who hate their job, hate their life and are basically miserable. And hopefully you see some people who also choose the first way (maybe you are one!). These people pursue their dreams no matter how many obstacles are in their way. Success isn't easy. If it was, the taste wouldn't be so sweet. Sometimes pursuing your dreams is incredibly hard. Some days you'll wonder if it's even worth it. Some days that second way will look pretty good.
Whenever times get tough and reaching for your dream leaves you frustrated and exhausted, always remember that the best success stories had tales of incredible hardship that came first. We never hear of success stories that go "Yeah, life was pretty good and then I became successful and it was great!". Success stories are always more like "I had pretty much hit rock bottom, I was out of money, didn't know how I'd make rent next month...thank God I didn't give up though or I don't know what would have happened. Look at me now! All of my hard work was worth it."
When we reach our goals, we're going to have one hell of a tale to tell. And that's the way it should be. :)
Now....back to tonight's grading. Every good grading also has a tale to tell. Let's make this grading one we'll all want to hear over and over again.
Good luck everyone.

Karate Training in 2010

Karate is a dynamic art. Being such, people are able to study the art of karate for their entire lives and still feel as though they've only scratched the surface. The many facets keep us intrigued and the constant need to reach for our own improvement keeps us both humble and working hard.

Obviously, people take up karate these days for different reasons than for what it was originally intended. We are not training our Little Warriors to prepare them for an actual battle (just imaginary ones!) and therefore the training is much different these days. People start karate for many different reasons. Some people are trying to lose weight, gain coordination, make friends, learn self defense etc. Some are just trying on something new to see if it fits. Some (like myself) saw people doing kata and drills and thought "You know what? I think I might be able to do that."

Because of the different reasons people train, karate has changed. We are no longer humiliated on the floor for not knowing something, we are encouraged and given a chance to try without fear. Our goal is to give people a place they can come, regardless of age or ability, and learn about the dynamic art of karate. While there, they will find friends and many, many laughs. They will work hard and form a bond with others on the floor next to them. They will leave each night knowing that their karate training is helping their body and their mind. They will leave feeling that they are part of something bigger. Karate, to an observer, is obviously very physical. But to those who know, to those who train, they know it is so much more. We learn to look after each other, to stand up for those who need help and to be the best person we can be. As Kyoshi Sailly said (but more eloquently and with his wonderful accent) at today's seminar at SMA in Kingston "We are not just karateka on the training mat, we are karateka off as well - remember that."

We are not helping to prepare people for battle; we are helping each other prepare for life.