Six members of the Kamsack Karate Club returned home from the Parkland Karate Regional and Invitational Tournament in Yorkton on April 16 clutching gold, silver and bronze medals.
“It was very exciting for the competitors to attend the tournament,” Rachel Martinuik, club president, said last week. “For many students it was their first experience in a competition-style environment and not only are students expected to remember their katas, which are detailed choreographed patterns of movements, but all the etiquette that comes along with being in front of the judges and an audience.
The kumite competition is when two students spar and score points based on strikes and kicks that come very close to making contact and blocks that are used, Martinuik explained. There are four judges and a referee who determine the score.
In the novice division, for students eight years of old and under, Macy Martinuik, in the category for females with white and yellow belts, won a bronze medal in each of kata and kumite competitions; Timothy Holoboff, in the category for males with yellow belts, also won bronze medals in the kata and kumite competitions, while Parker Lorenzo, in the males with orange and green belts category, was presented with silver medals in the kata and kumite competitions.
In the intermediate divisions for students aged nine to 12 years, and in the category for males with green belts, Curtis Berezowski received gold in the kata and kumite competitions; Peyton Musqua received silver in kata and bronze in kumite and Murdock Martinuik received bronze in kata and silver in kumite.
The Kamsack Karate Club had a very exciting year, Martinuik said. “We were happy to have Sensei Gwen Maddaford of Yorkton back and with students ranging from white to purple (belts) the class was fun and diverse.
“We were very thankful to be back in gym number two at Kamsack Comprehensive Institute,” she said.
In December club members sold tickets on its annual Bucket of Cheer.
“Our ‘Bucket’ this year was generouly donated by Canadian Tire and so was a Saskatchewan Roughrider toolbox,” Martinuik said, offering congratualtions to the winner: Terry Dennis of Canora.
The Students worked hard and many achieved rank advancements and met personal goals at the testing held at the Yorkton Karate Dojo on February 6, she said, adding that during the season the club enjoyed the support of two corporate donors: The Hudye Group and Kamsack Petro-Canada.
“A great big thank-you to these companies that supported us,” she said. “Without these kind contributions it would be very difficut for the exective to keep the karate fees at such a reasonable rate.”
A bottle drive, which was held April 10, was a very successful fundraiser for the club, thanks to Shelly Filipchuk for takinig time out of her Sunday to get the students and parents “out of the stormy weather, help us sort the bottles and teach us about recycling,” Martinuik said, adding that the group had recylced 911 juice boxes and many pop cans from which new pop cans will be filled and be back on store shelves by July 13.
On Saturday club members had their final testing for the year, she said. The test was held in Yorkton.
The community, including students’ parents, grandparents and friends attended the club’s final class for the season yesterday (May 4), when they were able to see what karate is all about, talk with the parents and ask questions.
“Remember to watch for us at the mass registration that will be held in the fall,” she said. “Have a fantastic summer.”
