Canada in 2007

We would like to greet and wish all the best for 2007 to Ryusei karateka in Japan, the United States and Australia.

In Canada, over the next year, we intend to pursue our course of technical development that includes a series of special clinics and production of a technical manual.

We hold three official clinics a year in Ontario: A spring clinic in Belleville, a summer camp in Wiarton and a fall clinic in Chesley. Each clinic has a different focus. But overall we manage to cover breathing exercises/ki development, kihon, kata, kaisetsu and kobudo. We find it valuable to come together as a group, to check each person’s individual progress and to share ideas.

This spring, instructors Peter Zehr and Matt Mannerow are going to look at the possibility of holding a tournament for our local members.

As far as the technical manual, last year James and Sonoko Hatch did the first translation of the Japanese Ryusei technical manual written by Sakamoto-Sensei. We are now in the progress of editing this translation and clarifying points for a Western audience. To the Japanese manual we would like to add descriptions of kihon, kata and kaisetsu to aid students in their practice. It is a difficult process at times describing Ryusei kata because of the complexity of Sakamoto-Sensei’s technique.

To finalize the manual, we would look to senior instructors in Canada and abroad for input and corrections. We are hoping to have a completed version of the manual done by the spring of 2007 and will review publishing options after that.

—Peter Giffen