The Chapeau Karate Club is celebrating a successful weekend after its members earned a total of 18 medals at the national Itosu-Kai karate championship hosted this weekend in Pembroke.
Over 100 athletes, many of whom are from the Toronto area, competed in the tournament – one of two national championships hosted every year for this style of karate, brought to Canada in the late 1960s.
The Chapeau club, started in 2004 by sensei Tim Sullivan, has grown to a membership of over 20, including 11 to have achieved the rank of sensei, which means they have earned their black belt and are qualified to teach the martial art.
Chapeau head sensei Paul McGuire said usually the championship is hosted in the Toronto area, where most of the athletes are from. But he said with three karate clubs in the Ottawa Valley (Chapeau, Pembroke and Deep River) the nationals ended up in their backyard this spring.
He said of the 120 competitors in the tournament, the Chapeau club represented around 20 of them – a large showing for a small club. Chapeau competitors ended up winning 18 medals, whether they were competing in kata (karate forms, or ‘moves’) or kumite (sparring with an opponent). Some of the club’s top youth competitors were Zoey McGuire (one gold and two silver) and Frederic Allard (one gold, one silver, one bronze).
“All day, people have been coming up to me telling me, ‘We won this medal, we won that medal.’ We’ve done quite well,” McGuire said.
On Sunday, four of the club’s senseis upgraded their black belts by one dan (level) in what was a grueling day that saw athletes endure over eight hours of karate in a single day.
Lisa Beakley, who earned her second degree black belt, said the day involved a range of skill-testing activities, from partner drills to sparring to questions testing her karate knowledge.
“It is physically and mentally an extremely challenging experience,” Beakley said.
The three other Chapeau senseis who upgraded their black belts on Sunday were Richard McGuire (fifth degree), Paul McGuire (third degree) and Nash Beakley (second degree).
Head sensei McGuire, who received an Outstanding Sensei award at the tournament, said he was proud of all the club’s athletes for their hard work and dedication to learning the difficult craft.
“It’s honour for sure. But it’s easier to be an outstanding Sensei when you have so many outstanding students,” he said.
He said the Chapeau club is nearing the end of its season. In the coming weeks, students will be preparing for the “spring ranking” where they will look to advance to the next level of belt.
There will be another Canadian championship hosted in the fall.
