North American Championship 2005

November 19-20, 2005                                                            Click on photo to enlarge.

The weekend of November 19 was a weekend of learning at many levels. This was not our first encounter with the president of the WKO; however it was the first time we spent some personal time with them.  President of WKO Kenji Midori, Vice-President Isao Kobayashi, and United States WKO Branch Chief, Sato Tetsuya were our honored guests for this great event.  They played an instrumental role in Shihan Camille Ohan’s 9^th North American Championship.  From the moment Mr. Midori and Kobayashi landed in Montreal to the day they left Montreal, there was much to learn from them.

A Personal Side

They are people of rules and etiquette and discipline, yet sincere and authentic.  Despite Shihan Midori’s young age, he inherits wisdom beyond his years.  He is great with kids. All of our young karatekas loved him. Shihan Kobayashi gave the impression of a very serious and conservative man. He exuded confidence during the length of his stay. When we finally did see him smile during a game he introduced to us, it was delightful to see.

Seminar  --Saturday,  November 19, 2005    

The opening ceremonies on the day of the seminar included Shihan Ohan’s welcoming speech. This was followed by a beautiful speech from the Consul General of Japan at Montreal, Mr. Nobutaka Shinomiya in Japanese and translated in English and French.  Shihan Midori then spoke to express his appreciation for being invited by Shihan Ohan. Mr. Midori also made us aware of the upcoming WKO Tournament in Japan in 2007.  He noticed that there were many women karatekas during the seminar and invited them to compete in 2007 in Japan. Shihan Ohan, Shihan Midori, Shihan Kobayashi, Sensei Tetsuya and I escorted Mr. Shinomiya to his car. We saluted and waited until the driver reached the end of the road, and the car was no longer in site and gave a final salute (bow with OSU!).  This again demonstrated the great respect the Japanese practice on a daily basis.

During the seminar, we started with traditional warm-ups and dove into the kihon waza (basic technique).  Shihan Midori explained that Sosai Oyama taught him that Karate is about fighting, and to be a good fighter, you must practice your kihon with the correct intention and give it 100% of your effort. Kata extends and reflects the practice of kihon. So the more you perfect your kihon waza, the better fighter you will become.  Shihan Midori was then teaching us some effective fighting techniques, while Shihan Kobayashi taught us kata in meticulous detail.

Competition --Sunday, November 20, 2005

Thanks to the many volunteers that helped setup for the competition for the following day. So much preparation was required so that this day would run smoothly.  The day opened with a speech from Shihan Ohan thanking Shihan Midori, Shihan Kobayashi and Sensei Tetsuya for their visit to the 9^th North American Competition, and wishing all our competitors good luck. Shihan Midori also wished us good luck and reminded us to fight with 100% effort using proper techniques.

The first part of the competition was kata presentations. Shihan Ohan performed the last kata of the shinkyokushin system – Sushiho. This was followed by our first instructors kata competition where 9 instructors performed their preferred kata and were judged by Shihan Midori, Shihan Kobayashi, and Sensei Tetsuya.

Afterwards things got rolling. Six courts were setup for kata presentations and everyone performed very well.  The second part of the competition started soon after a quick break. Fighters were very eager and most did follow Shihan Midori’s advice to have a good shinkyokushin fight instead of a brawl. Kumite was divided into three categories; junior – point-system, semi-contact, and full contact, all of which were spectacular to watch.

After the competition, all the FKCO judges had a small conversation with Shihan Midori and Shihan Kobayashi who pointed out some points of improvement so that our next competition will be even better.  Many thanks to Sensei Sato Tetsuya who had the demanding task of translating Japanese to English this whole weekend.

Awards were then presented to all the fighters for their great work.  Awards for the best three places in Instructor Katas were then presented by Shihan Midori and Shihan Kobayashi.  Finally Shihan Ohan presented gifts of thanks to all the volunteers who made this magnificent weekend possible.

Lasting Impressions

Shihan Midori and Shihan Kobayashi spent the weekend reiterating what Shihan Ohan has taught us throughout our Karate life… to fight with intention, train 100%, and that karate means fighting, fighting with the proper execution of techniques. We need to place even more emphasis on these points. We all were challenged this weekend to perform at 100% and if this competition was a success, it’s because we worked as a TEAM. I believe that we left Shihan Midori and Shihan Kobayashi an impression of a positive, developing organization –humble yet eager to learn and grow. We have some work to do, but what is important is that we are on the right road to success.  It’s good to know that we never stop learning in Karate.

Osu!

Sensei Luciano Paparella