This year’s invited instructor was Kobayashi Kunio Shihan. Unfortunately, due to immigration issues, we were unable to welcome Mr. Kobayashi to Canada. Nevertheless, the seminar was conducted with his spirit and teachings firmly in mind.

Mr. Jean-Pierre Cusson, President of JKA-SKD, and Mr. Stacy Unger, former Board of Directors member, graciously accepted our invitation to serve as instructors for the seminar, alongside myself as Chief Instructor of the Nuns’ Island JKA Karate Club.

The seminar was held from May 7 to May 10. Mr. Stacy Unger and I conducted the Thursday and Friday sessions. Training was divided between color belts and brown/black belts. Thursday’s classes focused on the Heian and Sentei kata, while Friday’s training emphasized kihon and jiyu ippon kumite. Mr. Unger placed particular emphasis on the correct use of strong stances during kihon and kata practice, while the kumite sessions focused on developing proper timing and distancing in semi-free sparring.

On Saturday morning, Mr. Cusson led the first session, which served as preparation for the Canadian National Championships taking place the following weekend. He also conducted a judging seminar, providing an excellent opportunity for judges to review and refine their knowledge. During the third session, emphasis was placed on timing and generating power through the coordinated use of the entire body during Heian kata performance.

I conducted the Saturday afternoon sessions, which focused on jiyu kumite preparation for the Canadian National Championships. Particular attention was given to the concepts of sen-no-sen, go-no-sen, and tai-no-sen. This was followed by a class for color belts, where the focus was on understanding the relationship between the lower and upper body and improving coordination in the performance of both kata and kihon.

Although we were all disappointed that Mr. Kobayashi Shihan was unable to attend, his strong spirit and influence were present throughout every class. A total of 110 karateka participated in the seminar, making it a successful and memorable event. We hope that next year’s seminar will feature instructors from JKA Headquarters.

We wish Mr. Kobayashi Shihan good health and look forward to the opportunity to welcome him in the near future.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Jean-Pierre Cusson and Mr. Stacy Unger for accepting our invitation and helping ensure the success of this year’s seminar.

Thank you

Shahrokh Hoghooghi