Cambridge Shines at Karate Ontario
It’s a new year and the end to a long fought series of tournaments for WKF karate competitors from Hourahine’s Martial Arts.
Competitors from across the province clashed four times this season, which began in September, to decide who will represent Ontario when the team faces the rest of Canada this coming March in Toronto.
The Cambridge Team, building on last year’s National success, demonstrated another strong showing across the many age and weight divisions.
Notably, Andreaa Popescu, after a hard fought season, finds herself leading the provincial pack in the lightweight black belt division.
Popescu, a grade 10 student at Cameron Heights, once again found herself in the gold medal match against a strong champion from our friends at ISK in Toronto. Andreaa came back from an early two-point deficit to win the final bout in an exciting six to five finish and claimed Ontario’s top spot.
Popescu won’t be the only local on the provincial team; being joined by veterans Jacky Vong, Sanjay Bacchus, and Eduarda Silvestre.
The future is also looking very bright for the Cambridge crew with up and comers like Julia Hourahine, who had an outstanding performance the junior black belt division.
In addition to preparing for the National Championships, Karate has joined the ranks of other Olympic sports with its induction into the Ontario Summer Games creating another exciting challenge for the team from 20 Dickson.
DID YOU KNOW…
We have a great developmental team and program for any students aged 9 and up who are interested in competition! You can come out to see what it’s all about in our Friday night classes without having to commit to competing. Email info@martialartscentre.com for more information.
Where Will 2010 Take You?
Inventor and educator, Charles Franklin Kettering, said, “My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.” Whether it be next week or next year, what do you want your future to look like; and how do you plan to get there?
The beginning of a new year is always a time for reflecting on the past and planning for the year to come. We take a macro look of the year ahead and dream about where we might like to be this time next year as well as resolving how to get there.
Goal setting, or resolutions as they are commonly known around this time, are our map to success and our chance to improve on the year before.
According to an online poll, some of the top 2010 resolutions included spending more time with family and friends, fitting in fitness and a healthier life choices, enjoying life more and de-stressing, as well as taking on a personally important challenge or learning a something new.
From the our perspective, many of these goals can be embraced through the pursuit of martial arts.
Indeed, martial arts can be a means to an end rather than the end itself. For example, a mom and daughter join the kickboxing program as a way to spend time together; or, participating in a vigorous karate class can de-stress you while you learn a new skill.
But these resolutions need to be more than an idea, gone and forgotten by mid-February. You need a plan.
Goal setting is a process and, like most tools, when employed correctly can produce some fantastic results. The basic idea is to take some time to consider what you might like to achieve in various areas of your life, for instance, career, family, health, personal development. Then, on a piece of paper, write down all the great things you can imagine in each domain. Next try and boil the big ideas down into small attainable steps that you can tangibly work on each day. Finally, share your goals with someone you trust and who can help you stick to the plan.
For a full explanation on goal setting CLICK HERE!
So dream big, set your course, and engage! 2010 is yet unwritten so, once again, according to Kettering, “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.”
Sensei Tarana Seminar
Recently, the dojo welcomed Sensei Yaro Tarana to the club for a weekend training session. Sensei Tarana, 7th Dan, is responsible for the technical development of our system in Canada. Also, Sensei is a world-class, WKF Class A, referee and spends much of his year travelling the globe for karate. His teaching is invaluable to our club’s progress and continued high standards.
Our brown and black belts spent two days increasing their depth of knowledge in the kata system as well as working partner drill and acquiring the basis for Ryuei-Ryu Kobudo.
Thank you Sensei…see you in early 2010!
Congratulations to New Karate Black Belts
On a recent trip to the national training camp in Montreal, and in front of Sensei Yaro Tarana (Canada, 7th Dan), Sensei Klementis (Slovakia, 8th Dan), and Sensei Kurashita (Okinawa, 10th Dan) Steve Reisler was promoted to 1st Dan and Sensei Trevor Sheppard received his 3rd Dan.
The training camp offered the chance for all participants to not only advance their skills but to ensure Cambridge’s karate remain on par with the high, world-wide standards. On the last day of the camp, students from all dojos performed kata and kumite for the exam board. Both successful Cambridge candidates were pleased with their performances and are excited to share the experience with the students at our club.
Now it is time for a new group of black belt hopefuls to begin ramping up for their exam performance coming this summer 2010! Good luck everyone, the road is long but well worth the journey.
Halloween, Karate Style!
Once again, Hourahine’s Martial Arts students traded in their uniforms for superhero, monster, and other wild trick or treat outfits. Over 100 children participated in our Halloween safety and “trick or treat” skills challenges.
Thanks to all of the coaches and volunteers who helped out. Remember, go easy on the candy and be prepared to work it off in classes!
October is Exam Month
Congratulations to all of Hourahine’s Martial Arts student who participated in thier kyu belt exams! It is very gratifying to see all of your hard work pay off and to treat your friends and family to a good showing of your improvement. Remember that belts are a reflection of the skill and understanding you are developing through the study of karate and with out that skill the belt doesn’t stand for anything. You make the belt, the belt doesn’t make you!
Team Hourahine Shines at First Provincials
Karate is emerging from the shadow of headband clad one punch clichés into the light of a respected combat sport; and leading the exodus locally is Hourahine’s Martial Arts and Fitness’ Competitive Team.
As the International Olympic Committee becomes increasingly interested in the sport the potential grows for WKF (World Karate Federation) competition to make it as a sport in the greatest arena on earth.
“Being involved in a developing Olympic sport is very exciting,” explains Team Coach, Andy Hourahine, “but it also means that our athletes need to be much more focused in training as the competition will become more intense.”
Fortunately, the team has plenty of experience to draw from being led by international medalist, Trevor Sheppard.
“It is very gratifying as an athlete to see a cyclic and reciprocal team developing. My accomplishments are turning out to be valuable experiences to share with up and coming athletes as a coach. In turn, the younger athlete’s enthusiasm and ambition helps me stay motivated to continue my own development.”
The mats of tournament competition are not just for medal hungry youth however. Hourahine’s Martial Arts & Fitness Team also offers the chance for adults interested in the sport to compete at a recreational level to enjoy the thrill of the chase.
Darren Radtke, a father of two and EMS specialist, looks forward to the competition and won Gold in the Men’s Intermediate Division.
“Karate for me is about challenging myself. The pressure of a tournament setting adds to the experience and improves my overall development. It is actually a lot of fun!”
By days end, the Cambridge team brought home over 14 medals and titles to add to their ten year presence in the provincial ring.
To learn more about the Cambridge team or sport karate e-mail info@martialartscentre.com or www.karateontario.org
Training in the Martial Arts Mecca
For runners, it’s the marathon in Boston; for cyclists, it’s the twenty-one hairpin curves of Alpe D’Huez. But for the Karate athlete, the Mecca of martial arts is Okinawa, Japan. For a group of local martial artists the dream was recently realized as they travelled across the globe to the eastern island.
Hourahine’s Martial Arts has a long established relationship with the land of the rising sun and makes training opportunities in the birthplace of karate a regular opportunity for advanced students. However, the excitement of introducing a student to this chance “never grows old” says owner Andy Hourahine.
“Maintaining a connection to the sports roots is so important.” Says Hourahine, “Swimming in the Sea of Japan, training on the beaches, and sweating in the humid dojos where the originators of the most popular martial art in the world started gives a karate-ka a life changing perspective.”
Read the Full Article Here…
New Facilities at 20 Dickson
It is our pleasure to invite you to join our martial arts and fitness family at the new facilities located at 20 Dickson Street. After 10 years of providing quality martial arts, health, and lifestyle programs we are thrilled with how the new building turned out (thanks to all of the artists and trades workers for an epic six month effort!)
The build is designed to inspire our students and become part of the history and lifestyle of Galt. In a former life, the location was home to Fraser Hardware and for decades was a place where locals could pick up the necessities for daily living. Coincidentally, many years later, local can still get the necessities for daily living, but in a different form…personal development, martial arts, and fitness!
CLICK HERE FOR CLASS SCHEDULE
Hourahine’s Martial Arts Training Dojo
The Fitness Studio offers classes in the rhythmic and cardio-intensive, FITNESS KICKBOXING, the slightly more intense combative conditioning of KICKBOXING-X, as well as the best overall body workout available…Open TRX.
Fitness and Kickboxing Studio
We had a critical decision to make when adding our strength training facility…do we want to be an open gym or fitness studio? We chose the latter. Our weight and strength studio is a results-oriented, functional fitness facility. We want to get to know our clients and help them achieve their personal fitness goals not simply sign them up and send them on their way. Knowledgeable trainers are always around and eager to help answer your training questions and get you to the next level.
PROGRAMS FOR:
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