West Coast Gojukai Karate

Provincial Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai
Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai
West Coast Gojukai Invitational Tournament
Does Cross Training Have A Place In Marial Arts
West Coast Picnic

Provincial Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai back to top

The provincial tournament weekend has come and gone. Our members did a great job representing our dojo and our zone - they did their best and I am proud of them all.

Congratulate them on their strong showing the next time you see them in the dojo.

Well done everyone - now let's get back to work at the dojo in preparation for our March tournament!!

Zone 3 Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai back to top

Congratulations to our competitors at the zone championships where 6 kids and two adults showed up bleary eyed to a gym in the middle of Chilliwack somewhere this morning (of course, the parents came too - thanks to their sacrifices, the kids could come to the tournament).

ALL of the members that competed are on the zone team!! What a great showing from everyone - medals were given out to:

Braden Baynes for kata (3rd)
Danyel Alexander for kata (3rd)
Isaac Reaume-Kielpinski - 1st in kata and 3rd in kumite
Mason Gardecki-Browett - 3rd in kata and 3rd in kumite
Zachary Mozel for kata (2nd)
Yohan Armstrong for kata (2nd) and 1st in kumite
Chris Browett got 2nd in Kata
Zachary, Danyel, and Isaac got 2nd in Team Kata
Three of us (Chris, Mason and Shihan Gardecki) took the 1st place trophy for Family Team Kata - the trophy is HUGE.... I'm not sure where we are going to put it.

Thanks again to the parents for going the extra mile and to Wendy for videotaping what she could. And thanks to Chris who provided First Aid again this year.

Contestants ready?
The prize
Who got there first? Judges are challenged at every step
Kicking with split second timing

West Coast Gojukai Invitational Tournament - 2011 back to top

Congratulations to all of you who participated and helped at the West Coast Gojukai Entry Level tournament on Saturday March 5th. It was a great success with 81 kids and many, many parents and family.

Our demo team did a wonderful job! Geoffrey, Isaac, Stephanie, Monica, Kelsey, Mason, Yohan and Jaisen.
Susan Lees - our Tournament Organizer - ran a smooth and seamless event
Wendy, Michelle, Dale, Cathy and Gary (and others?) ran the concession brilliantly
Our door crew - Stephanie, Monica and Zachary did a great job
Ian, our First Aid guy and picture taker, was helpful during the kumite divisions where there were a few bumps and bruises - and we are pleased to say: no major injuries
John Jr., John Sr., Ed, Brian, Shakhil, Chris and myself were able to help with the officiating.
Maddie, Yohan, Mason and others helped with Marshalling and other odd jobs.
John Priegert Shihan also helped with the rings - being a senior official himself.
and Sayrui for helping organize the Taiko Drumming group.

If I missed your name, I am sorry. I thank everyone for a very successful event - lots of compliments from officials and parents alike. Next year, it will be in early March again.
The seminar and banquet was also well attended - fun was had by all. Priegert Shihan put on a great seminar. And thank you, Ye, for cooking the Lasagna for the event - let me know if you would like to get in touch with her to help you cook/prepare food for your next event - she is considering starting her own home based business. And we think that is good news!

Does Cross Training Have a Place in Traditional Martial Arts? back to top

-- Sensei Carlos Tesler-Mabe

The term cross training has its roots in triathlon training where athletes must by definition prepare their minds and bodies for three different sports; swimming, cycling and running. From this concept medical science has begun to appreciate how this concept can be applied to any endeavour. This is especially evident in an athletic or physical pursuit.

How can this concept apply to the training in karate and our style in particular one might ask? Simply put any of our excellent instructors most likely do this already in leading training sessions or classes. Coaching certification i.e. via the NCCP discusses this concept.

I believe, being an instructor, physiotherapist and physician, that being mindful of this allows for efficient and safe training. This is likely not only for the instructors but also the students of karate, which I believe we are all regardless of rank.

So what do I mean when I refer to cross training? Well I look at it from different levels as it applies to various aspects of our training.

One aspect is how is how we balance the training of our mind, spirit and body. Fore the sake of simplicity I will focus on the body. I believe that cross training allows the body to be balanced as we stress it to stimulate growth and a positive training response. This also includes adequate rest in order for the body to adapt and grow from the stress we provide it. This is where cross training factors in.

If we push our bodies repeatedly without rest we will inflict too much stress and instead of growth we will get injury and breakdown. If we rest too much we will not train enough likely. But if we rotate our training schedule to stress different body areas or energy systems then we can train more often and avoid injury. THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT, I BELIEVE AS OUR BODIES GROW OLDER. For Example young bodies heal faster where past the age of 40 we start to lay down calcium following inflammation causing scarring and repetitive injury. ( i.e. a stubborn rotator cuff injury in the shoulder).

There is a lot more I can say but simply looking at a proposed schedule may help us consider a cross training perspective. Remember that we are trying to produce responses in muscle tendon and bone, the cardiovascular system, the neuromuscular connections and circuits including balance and coordination in all of these areas.

There are many types of schedules and programs available to us besides the ones prescribed by our instructors, personal trainers, physiotherapists or physicians. Without mentioning any specific names they include: proper diet, rest cycles and phases of training and focus on flexibility, strength, plyometrics, cardiovascular training and balance and core training. They may include the use of bicycle training, swimming, and yoga as excellent complimentary activities. It is of no surprise that the late Kaiso Yamaguchi, father of Saiko Shihan, had developed his yoga as much as his karate.

Let's take a typical week. Factor in karate 2-3 times a week (focussing on kihon, kata, bunkai and kumite ) and lets add two cardiovascular activities on alternate days and two strengthening/plyometrics/core and stretching days the other two days with a rest day on the seventh day.

That sounds balanced. I can also introduce the idea of intensity in cross training. This applies to how much effort and for how long the activity is done. INTERVAL training is a way to have peaks and valleys in any given training session to allow maximum effect in a shorter time while preventing overtraining or overexertion.

I promised I would not promote any specific books or programs but from personal experience there are two references that can be used. Remember to ask your sensei and also more importantly your physiotherapist or rehabilitation consultant, if you have one, or personal trainer. Obviously approval from your family doctor is a must before beginning any exercise program.

The book 'Complete Conditioning for The Martial Arts " by Sean Cochran is one example and the "P 90, P90X and P90 Extreme" by Beachbody are examples of progressively more challenging training programs available commercially.

In summary, Cross training is an applicable concept as it pertains to karate training in my opinion. Furthermore it can serve as a guide to produce balanced and effective training methods that can help us stay healthy, motivated and enjoying our training for many years to come.

West Coast Picnic back to top

-- Sempai Chris Browett

Our Annual picnic was a great success again thanks to all those who helped out. A big thanks to Sempai Caren and Marcel. We had a lot of fun and as usual ate enough to last us a long while. There were approximately 32 members and or family in attendance a lot smaller than we are used to but rain and prior commitments kept a lot away. Next year we hope the weather will cooperate and we have a great outdoor picnic again. Thanks again to all those who made it or called to tell us they couldn't.



Home Kids' class Teens / Adults' Programs Calendar Class Schedule News Picture Gallery History of Gojukai About Us Contact	Contents Provincial Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai West Coast Gojukai Invitational Tournament Does Cross Training Have A Place In Marial Arts West Coast Picnic Provincial Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai back to top The provincial tournament weekend has come and gone. Our members did a great job representing our dojo and our zone - they did their best and I am proud of them all. Congratulate them on their strong showing the next time you see them in the dojo. Well done everyone - now let's get back to work at the dojo in preparation for our March tournament!! Zone 3 Tournament results for West Coast Gojukai back to top Congratulations to our competitors at the zone championships where 6 kids and two adults showed up bleary eyed to a gym in the middle of Chilliwack somewhere this morning (of course, the parents came too - thanks to their sacrifices, the kids could come to the tournament). ALL of the members that competed are on the zone team!! What a great showing from everyone - medals were given out to: Braden Baynes for kata (3rd) Danyel Alexander for kata (3rd) Isaac Reaume-Kielpinski - 1st in kata and 3rd in kumite Mason Gardecki-Browett - 3rd in kata and 3rd in kumite Zachary Mozel for kata (2nd) Yohan Armstrong for kata (2nd) and 1st in kumite Chris Browett got 2nd in Kata Zachary, Danyel, and Isaac got 2nd in Team Kata Three of us (Chris, Mason and Shihan Gardecki) took the 1st place trophy for Family Team Kata - the trophy is HUGE.... I'm not sure where we are going to put it. Thanks again to the parents for going the extra mile and to Wendy for videotaping what she could. And thanks to Chris who provided First Aid again this year. Contestants ready? The prize Who got there first? Judges are challenged at every step Kicking with split second timing West Coast Gojukai Invitational Tournament - 2011 back to top Congratulations to all of you who participated and helped at the West Coast Gojukai Entry Level tournament on Saturday March 5th. It was a great success with 81 kids and many, many parents and family. Our demo team did a wonderful job! Geoffrey, Isaac, Stephanie, Monica, Kelsey, Mason, Yohan and Jaisen. Susan Lees - our Tournament Organizer - ran a smooth and seamless event Wendy, Michelle, Dale, Cathy and Gary (and others?) ran the concession brilliantly Our door crew - Stephanie, Monica and Zachary did a great job Ian, our First Aid guy and picture taker, was helpful during the kumite divisions where there were a few bumps and bruises - and we are pleased to say: no major injuries John Jr., John Sr., Ed, Brian, Shakhil, Chris and myself were able to help with the officiating. Maddie, Yohan, Mason and others helped with Marshalling and other odd jobs. John Priegert Shihan also helped with the rings - being a senior official himself. and Sayrui for helping organize the Taiko Drumming group. If I missed your name, I am sorry. I thank everyone for a very successful event - lots of compliments from officials and parents alike. Next year, it will be in early March again. The seminar and banquet was also well attended - fun was had by all. Priegert Shihan put on a great seminar. And thank you, Ye, for cooking the Lasagna for the event - let me know if you would like to get in touch with her to help you cook/prepare food for your next event - she is considering starting her own home based business. And we think that is good news! Does Cross Training Have a Place in Traditional Martial Arts? back to top -- Sensei Carlos Tesler-Mabe The term cross training has its roots in triathlon training where athletes must by definition prepare their minds and bodies for three different sports; swimming, cycling and running. From this concept medical science has begun to appreciate how this concept can be applied to any endeavour. This is especially evident in an athletic or physical pursuit. How can this concept apply to the training in karate and our style in particular one might ask? Simply put any of our excellent instructors most likely do this already in leading training sessions or classes. Coaching certification i.e. via the NCCP discusses this concept. I believe, being an instructor, physiotherapist and physician, that being mindful of this allows for efficient and safe training. This is likely not only for the instructors but also the students of karate, which I believe we are all regardless of rank. So what do I mean when I refer to cross training? Well I look at it from different levels as it applies to various aspects of our training. One aspect is how is how we balance the training of our mind, spirit and body. Fore the sake of simplicity I will focus on the body. I believe that cross training allows the body to be balanced as we stress it to stimulate growth and a positive training response. This also includes adequate rest in order for the body to adapt and grow from the stress we provide it. This is where cross training factors in. If we push our bodies repeatedly without rest we will inflict too much stress and instead of growth we will get injury and breakdown. If we rest too much we will not train enough likely. But if we rotate our training schedule to stress different body areas or energy systems then we can train more often and avoid injury. THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT, I BELIEVE AS OUR BODIES GROW OLDER. For Example young bodies heal faster where past the age of 40 we start to lay down calcium following inflammation causing scarring and repetitive injury. ( i.e. a stubborn rotator cuff injury in the shoulder). There is a lot more I can say but simply looking at a proposed schedule may help us consider a cross training perspective. Remember that we are trying to produce responses in muscle tendon and bone, the cardiovascular system, the neuromuscular connections and circuits including balance and coordination in all of these areas. There are many types of schedules and programs available to us besides the ones prescribed by our instructors, personal trainers, physiotherapists or physicians. Without mentioning any specific names they include: proper diet, rest cycles and phases of training and focus on flexibility, strength, plyometrics, cardiovascular training and balance and core training. They may include the use of bicycle training, swimming, and yoga as excellent complimentary activities. It is of no surprise that the late Kaiso Yamaguchi, father of Saiko Shihan, had developed his yoga as much as his karate. Let's take a typical week. Factor in karate 2-3 times a week (focussing on kihon, kata, bunkai and kumite ) and lets add two cardiovascular activities on alternate days and two strengthening/plyometrics/core and stretching days the other two days with a rest day on the seventh day. That sounds balanced. I can also introduce the idea of intensity in cross training. This applies to how much effort and for how long the activity is done. INTERVAL training is a way to have peaks and valleys in any given training session to allow maximum effect in a shorter time while preventing overtraining or overexertion. I promised I would not promote any specific books or programs but from personal experience there are two references that can be used. Remember to ask your sensei and also more importantly your physiotherapist or rehabilitation consultant, if you have one, or personal trainer. Obviously approval from your family doctor is a must before beginning any exercise program. The book 'Complete Conditioning for The Martial Arts " by Sean Cochran is one example and the "P 90, P90X and P90 Extreme" by Beachbody are examples of progressively more challenging training programs available commercially. In summary, Cross training is an applicable concept as it pertains to karate training in my opinion. Furthermore it can serve as a guide to produce balanced and effective training methods that can help us stay healthy, motivated and enjoying our training for many years to come. West Coast Picnic back to top -- Sempai Chris Browett Our Annual picnic was a great success again thanks to all those who helped out. A big thanks to Sempai Caren and Marcel. We had a lot of fun and as usual ate enough to last us a long while. There were approximately 32 members and or family in attendance a lot smaller than we are used to but rain and prior commitments kept a lot away. Next year we hope the weather will cooperate and we have a great outdoor picnic again. Thanks again to all those who made it or called to tell us they couldn't.
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