ZANSHIN. Sempai Sandra Coffey and our new French Mudansha Manual! Giri Duty/Contribution

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1 ZANSHIN THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE YOSHUKAN KARATE ASSOCIATION Spring 2015 Sempai Sandra Coffey and our new French Mudansha Manual! Sempai Sandra Coffey approached Kancho Robertson last year with a plan to translate our Mudansha (Below Black Belt) Technical Manual into French. A great idea that has been long overdue! Sempai devoted hours of her time (supported by Shihan Provencher) and brought the new translation to our association in early We are very pleased to announce the production of this important development tool and have also introduced our new mudansha trilingual diplomas in Quebec. Each diploma is now in English; French and Japanese and reflects the multi-lingual nature of our art. Many thanks to Sempai Coffey, Shihan Provencher and other YKA instructors who provided insight and translation to our Technical Manual. A great example of someone taking leadership and the rest of our team pitching in! KANCHO CORNER Giri Duty/Contribution There is a concept in budo called giri literal translation of which means duty. When we hear the word duty it sounds onerous and somewhat negative. In other words, something we HAVE to do vs. WANT to do. However, I see giri differently. My experience has been that the act of giving back serves the giver as much as the receiver. In fact, the obligation of giving back actually provides tremendous benefits to the provider that go well beyond the event of giving. For most of us, the lessons learned and benefits received from our budo training has created a desire to give back and pass Continued on Page 2 IN THIS ISSUE 2 NDG Karate Club Instructors Showing Off New Yoshukan Shirts/Design 3 Karate Excellence Dojo Winter Spring News 4 Yoshukan Karate Association Kata Bunkai DVD! Yoshukan Quebec Competitors in Action! 5 Yoshukan DojoYMCA Hochelaga-Maisonneuve 6 Yoshukan Karate Studio Mississauga 7 Kancho Robertson and Sensei Donahue in Montreal 8 Juniko

2 Kancho Corner Continued from Page 1 on the lessons to the next generation of students. When we receive something that has meant so much to us, we want to help others receive the same great benefits. This issue of ZANSHIN highlights one of our giver s... Sempai Sandra Coffey. Sempai Coffey is a terrific role-model of a budo teacher. Highly educated, professional, dedicated to her students and to her own personal growth. Sempai Coffey understands that learning is a never-ending, continuous process and has already developed a terrific group of future leaders. When Sempai Coffey realized our association needed to translate our Mudansha Technical Manual into French... she stepped up and made it happen! Not content to provide English material to her Francophone students, Sempai Coffey devoted many hours to painåstakingly translate our manual and create a wonderful new product that will significantly benefit not just her students but all our Yoshukan Francophone students. Not surprisingly, she had the proof-reading assistance of Sensei Provencher, another example of a make it happen leader. This story of the manual is really the story of contribution. Not asking for anything in return, simply giving to help others. We salute Sempai Coffey and Sensei Provencher and their contribution to all our benefit. NDG Karate Club Instructors Showing Off New Yoshukan Shirts/Design Sensei Simon Mercier-Nguyen (in photo) has used his terrific design skills (M.Sc. in design and recently recognized internationally in Paris!) to create a new Yoshukan T-Shirt for our association. A dynamite look and presentation. Contact Sensei at: simon_mn2000@yahoo.com if you would like to order. ZANSHIN 2

3 Karate Excellence Dojo Winter Spring News Tournaments Kumite Clinics As the dojo grows we attend more and more tournaments. This winter/spring we attended four tournaments: February 7th 2015 Jeux du Sud Ouest (10 participants) Montreal Games: April 11th 2015 (7 students) Quebec Cup: April 19, 2015 (4 students) Yukan Karate Championship April 25th (10 students) All students attending performed very well! Sensei Ridha Drhifi, 3rd Dan Shotokan and International kumite champion who trained under Renshi Provencher gave kumite clinics and taught regularly at the dojo, helping improve students kumite technique. He also accompanied and coached our 4 top fighters to the Quebec Cup. Thank you Sensei Ridha Belt Tests Two belt test were held this Winter (January 24th, 2015) and Spring (May 16, 2015). Thank you to Renshi Louise Provencher for presiding over both tests and thank you to Sensei Simon Mercier Nguyen, Sensei Dave Francis, Senpai Sylvie Mercier and Sensei Ridha Dhrifi for being on the testing boards. ZANSHIN 3

4 Yoshukan Karate Association Kata Bunkai DVD! The Yoshukan Karate Association will be introducing a 3rd DVD covering all Yoshukan kata in late The first two DVD s address our complete curriculum from White Belt to 5th Dan Black Belt. Separated into MUDANSHA (white belt to 1st Dan) and YUDANSHA (1st-5th Dan), the existing DVD s show the kata; bunkai; and kobudo requirements at each level. The new DVD will demonstrate all Yoshukan kata and the bunkai for each move in each kata. A team of demonstrators has been assembled from all 2nd through to 6th Degree Black Belts who are working hard on polishing their kata and bunkai executions. The filming for the group will held at our annual Black Belt Camp this coming August 22-14, 2015 in Mississauga. This 3rd DVD will also demonstrate revisions to the original series (shot in 2004) and Toshin Kata (6th Dan level kata). Yoshukan Quebec Competitors in Action! Photos by Sensei Simon Vinh ZANSHIN 4

5 Yoshukan DojoYMCA Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Photos by Sensei Simon Vinh ZANSHIN 5

6 Yoshukan Karate Studio Mississauga ZANSHIN 6

7 Kancho Robertson and Sensei Donahue in Montreal Kancho Robertson recently taught in Montreal on May 22-24, 2015 and was ably assisted by Sensei Sean Donahue of Tampa. Sensei Donahue flew in from Florida and joined Shihan Provencher and Sensei Robert Kalinowicz as the three senior teachers helping out our various grade students from the 5 Montreal Dojos. We also had the first opportunity to train at Sempai Sandra Coffey s KARATE EXCELLENCE Villa Maria dojo in NDG. Sensei Charles Mayer; Sensei Simon Mercier-Nguyen; Sempai Henri Tchibozo; Sempai Mathias Bauernberger; Sempai André Roman; Sempai Sylvain Robert; Sempai Sylvie Mercier; Sempai Milad Mecheri; Sempai Miki Nishida; Sempai Balgovind Pande and Sempai Maryéve Gouron rounded out the instructors attending. Instructors worked on their upcoming DVD shoot where they will be demonstrating Yoshukan kata and bunkai. A terrific weekend for all our Yoshukan students highlighted by a Bar-B-Que at Shihan Provencher s home. ZANSHIN 7

8 Yoshukan DVDs White Belt to 5th Dan All Kata; Bunkai; Kumite; Ukemi; Kobudo and Goshin Jutsu demonstrated by Kancho Robertson from beginner to 5th Degree Black Belt in the Yoshukan System. $25 each or both for $45. Please add $15 for shipping & handling charges. Payments can be made by credit card or check at the Mississauga dojo. ZANSHIN 2355 Royal Windsor Drive, Unit 9 Mississauga, ON L5J 4S8 Phone: iaito@rogers.com Website: ZANSHIN 8