When the Chapeau Karate Club celebrated winning 10 medals at a tournament three weekends ago in Toronto, they raised a glass to the club’s late founder.
Sensei Tim Sullivan, who started the club in 2004, brought the itosu-kai style of karate to Chapeau, teaching the sport to hundreds of kids in the area. But in 2020, after 16 years running the club, “Sensei Timmy” sadly passed away.
Now, five years after the sensei’s passing, the club’s current senseis say Timmy’s teachings still live on through the students.
“Everyone in the club owes it to the legacy of Tim Sullivan [ . . . ] he was known for the basics, and Chapeau continued that. We stand out because of that,” said Jacob Demers, who studied under Sullivan as a kid and is now one of eight senseis with the club.
The tournament was one of two national tournaments held in Canada every year for this style of karate. This year, 12 Chapeau students tested their skills against fighters from across the country, achieving three second-place finishes, two third-place finishes and five fourth-place finishes.
Head Sensei Paul McGuire said he was pleased with the result at this important tournament, which is an opportunity for students from his small club to test their skills against larger clubs.
“The tournament is where we look at where we stand against the other clubs, and we do stand out,” he said.
McGuire, who called Sullivan one of his best friends and took over as head sensei after his passing, said Chapeau students often stand out at tournaments like these thanks to the example Sullivan set for his students.
“We follow Timmy’s path of respect and discipline. When the students are down there, they’re expected to behave a certain way and to compete hard and be a good sport,” he said. “That was Timmy’s way.”
After the tournament, Sensei Demers and Sensei Jansen Campbell participated in a grading ceremony, allowing the pair to upgrade their black belt to second dan, the second of 10 levels within the black belt ranking.
Demers, who teaches karate at the club, said each level represents years of work and study of the craft. “You deepen your understanding of the art, which I’m starting to appreciate more now,” he said.
He said the accomplishment is due in no small part to the impact of Sensei Timmy, who often drove Demers to tournaments when he was young and had a big impact on his development.
“He played a different role for me, you know, pushing me throughout,” he said.
McGuire said Demers’ story is not unique. Since starting the club as a positive activity for kids in the community, he said Sullivan’s example has been felt for generations of young karatekas.
“He wanted to give them something that would be positive in their lives, and it’s changed many kids’ direction in life, to learn how to set goals, to reach goals, but also learn how to fail,” he said.
McGuire said while the club’s membership has declined in recent years, he has become a strong believer in the positive impact the sport can have on kids, including his own kids, who are also students in the club.
“You see kids become leaders [ . . . ] and it’s made a huge difference for hundreds of kids.”
Demers said whenever the club succeeds, members celebrate together with a pizza party to recognize their accomplishments.
At this year’s party, on the fifth year since Sullivan’s passing, he said members made sure to pause for a kanpai — or cheers — to the founder who made it all possible.
“That was the toast — to Timmy [ . . . ] It was a proud day for him, me, and everybody that’s moved up one.”
