About 170 karate practitioners will be visiting Collingwood this weekend for a national competition, and it's the first time the community will host the gathering.
Itosu-Kai Karate Collingwood will be the host club for the event, which will include sparring and katas, which is a set detailed pattern of movements performed by an individual or in groups.
Sensei Tom Sudak (6th Dan black belt) said the upcoming competition is significant both because of the number of competitors and because it's a first for Collingwood.
Sudak joined the Itosu-Kai community 52 years ago and has been teaching in Collingwood since he moved to the area.
"In 52 years in karate, I've met thousands of people and I've rarely met anybody that I don't like," said Sudak.
He likens the Karate network to a family, and notes that he's been invited into the homes of other Itosu-Kai Karate families all over the world during his travels.
The Collingwood club has been operating for a few decades out of local elementary school gyms. Currently, the group of about two dozen people train in the Cameron Street Public School and Mountain View Elementary School on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
The group is a cross-section of the community including children and adults, often entire families join and train together
The club's head instructor Sensei John Michalenko (3rd Dan) is part of the club with his son. Michalenko came back to karate in adulthood after training for some time in his youth. The barrier to entry is low with a minimal yearly membership cost plus a Gi (the white uniform worn by those practising karate). The club also helps families for whom the cost is out of reach.
Michalenko said he was told when he joined the club that he was actually joining a family.
"I didn't really understand or appreciate that, but last year when I was sick and I was in Toronto I had so many offers of places to stay (from other karate practitioners in the network," said Michalenko. "So it is a family."
The Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai Karate and Kobudo Association of Canada says the practice of karate is "an invitation to a lifetime of friendship, fitness and spiritual strength."
That has been the experience for Christina Corti and her son, who joined the local club a couple of years ago and both just earned their green belts together.
"I think more people should know about it and most people could take advantage of all the benefits you can get by participating in this type of discipline," said Corti.
A few things happened in Corti and her son's life to prompt her to reach out to the local karate club, including the death of a colleague and bullying of her son at a previous school.
She said the self-discipline, focus and structure has been good for her own and her son's self-confidence.
"I fell in love with it," said Corti. "Doing it with my son is a bonding experience, it's something we do together and we are proud of each other."
The Collingwood club is part of the worldwide network of Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai school of Karate, and there are dojos all over the world. This style of karate has roots in the late 1800s and can be traced to two Okinawan masters, Anko Itosu and Kanryo Higanna. The founder of the organization, Kenwa Mabuni, trained under both masters to form the style of Shito-Ryu Itosu-Kai karate. The current leader of the global organization is Sadaaki Sakagami (10th Dan Soke) and the leader of the Canadian Clubs and Associations is Kei Tsumura (8th Dan Shihan).
There are two Canadian National Competitions held each year and international competitions are held every four years.
The Collingwood competition takes place June 1 starting at 10 a.m. and running to 5 p.m. at the Collingwood Collegiate Institute gym. Spectators are welcome, and there is an admission fee.
For more information about the local club, visit their website at collingwoodkarate.com.
