Wado Kai makes strides with first tourney here

Wado Kai karate in the district took a big step Saturday when the combined Fort Frances and Devlin clubs held their inaugural club championships at Crossroads School.
A total of 50 students aged five to 45 competed in a series of “katas” (demonstrations) and “kumitas” (sparring) in front of their instructors, family, and friends.
Local sensei Chris Bazinet said this wasn’t your typical tournament as instructors took time to explain different facets of this martial art to the audience—many of whom had never attended an event like this.
“I got a lot of good feedback. They were quite pleased with the discipline and how it was structured,” Bazinet said.
“That’s one of the things we’re promoting. How we conducted ourselves there was how an actual tournament would have run,” he noted.
Bazinet added he was impressed how the students—particularly the younger ones—performed their “katas” in front of everyone while being graded by the five instructors.
“That’s part of their training not only to perform. The ‘kata’ is the actual learning of the discipline,” he explained. “The people went into the tourney and gained what we want them to—the experience to develop their ‘kata.’”
The local club is in its 10th year while the Devlin one started just last fall when regular instructor Claude Boucher moved there. So far, he’s already recruited 25 students.
“It’s been an excellent first year,” said Boucher, a second-degree black belt, or nedan. “The parents and [Crossroads] have been really supportive.”
Both clubs are part of the Northwest Wado Kai Federation.
The hope is to expand the tournament so fellow Wado Kai students from Thunder Bay, Hearst, Wawa, and White River will come here to compete.
The club championships capped a memorable week. Last Wednesday night, Wado Kai students held demonstrations during the mini-Culturama held in conjunction with the World Health Organization’s 11th International and 5th National Conference on Safe Communities.
Both clubs wrap up classes later this month, with a “fun workout” weekend being planned for the August long weekend at Fort Frances High School.
Various black belts will be on hand at that clinic.