Go Fit February

Gift Of Health For Christmas

RMA Karate Centres wants people to consider giving the gift of health this Christmas. 

The karate school located in Barrie’s north end is currently taking registration for their 2012 fitness programs. The 3 programs starting the first week of January are for ages 13 years or older and allows participants to go at their own level.  Limited space is available in all 3 programs.

KNOCK OUT FITNESS is a women only daytime program starting January 10th.  Classes are Tuesdays 10am to 10:30am running for 4 weeks at a low price of only $15. 

FITNESS CHALLENGE begins January 9^th with classes Monday evenings 8:45pm to 9:30pm and Thursday evenings 7pm to 7:45pm.  Participants have the option of attending one or both classes per week.  8 weeks of classes for only $45.

CARDIO KICKBOXING  begins January 8^th with classes every Sunday 4pm to 5pm for 6 weeks at a low fee of only $25 for the full six weeks.

All fitness programs make a great affordable Christmas gift. 

Space is limited. 

For more information call 705-716-8014 or email info@rmakarate.com.

RMA Karate Centres

4 Alliance Blvd, Unit 2

Barrie, Ontario

L4M 5J1

(corner of St. Vincent & Bellfarm)

www.rmakarate.com

2011 Student Awards presented

Our annual Christmas party was a big success.  Thank you to all the RMA students, parents and families who came out.  It was great company, great food and a fun time.

The 2011 student awards were handed out at the party as well.  Congratulations to all of our students for their continued progress and to the following 2011 award recipients:

Assistant Instructor/STORM of The Year - Tara R

Most Improved Student of The Year - Logan C

RMA Spirit Award– Sale B

Male Competitor of The Year –Tyler M-Z

Female Competitor of The Year – Samantha M

Soke Kwan Memorial Award – Tyler M-Z

I have also posted the Santa pictures on the facebook RMA group page at http://www.facebook.com/groups/247240935318283/ .

RMA ENDS 2011 WITH A BANG

RMA ENDS 2011 WITH A BANG

It was the last competition of 2011 for the martial artists of RMA Karate Centres in Barrie.  They entered the Hershey Centre in Mississauga early Saturday morning (26^th) to compete alongside their peers who had traveled from across Ontario and the United States.

RMA Karate instructor Tressa Young moved up an age group to compete in the adult women’s divisions at the Toronto Tournament of Martial Arts Champions and despite being 16 years old, she left her mark - literally.  The second degree black belt competed in forms, weapons and sparring divisions winning 4 first place and 2 second place finishes.  After winning her first fight, the petite girl of only 118 pounds advanced to the final round.

The final fight to determine who would take first place had Young up against a competitor from London who wanted the win just as bad and was able to answer every kick and hit the Barrie native gave.  Young literally left her mark on the London fighter giving her a bloody nose from a hit to the face.  The return of exchanges between the two gave the crowd a show but Young ended up placing second in the adult women’s fighting division after being defeated 9-8.  For her first time competing in the adult categories Young did well for herself.

Advanced brown belt Samantha M also proved that hard work and dedication can pay off.  The 13-year-old pushed herself beyond her limits to compete in the Kung Fu divisions against seasoned Kung Fu practitioners.  Samantha had only learned her Kung Fu form from her instructor (Tressa Young) just one week before but that didn’t stop her from showing the judges and her fellow competitors what she was capable of.  She was all smiles after placing 2^nd in the Kung Fu division and went on to win first in musical forms, first in sparring, third in Korean forms, fourth in traditional forms and fifth in weapons.

Brown belt Jacob G continues to give no surprises when competing.  The 13-year-old placed first in weapons, first in forms, first in sparring and third in Korean forms.

Brooke Z has steadily improved throughout the 2011 competition year and this recent event was no exception.  The blue belt placed third in musical forms, third in sparring, fourth in weapons and fourth in forms.

Red belt Ella Z, giving her personal best in a division of 17 competitors placed fifth in weapons, fifth in sparring and was a finalist in the forms division.

Blue belt Alysha S-P continues to work hard and show steady improvement.  Half way through the 2011 competition year the 13-year-old moved into the advanced divisions proving to be a challenge but not an impossible feat to overcome.  She finished the year winning first in sparring, fifth in forms and fifth in weapons.

Red belt Keegan S-P held his own in a division of 25 competitors placing fifth in weapons, fifth in sparring and was a finalist in the forms division.

Red belt Asher A continues to prove he can handle a weapon placing third in weapons and fifth in the forms division.

Seven-year-old orange belt Liam N who only recently joined the RMA competition team, the Northern Dragons, performed with confidence placing fifth in forms, fifth in weapons and second in the sparring division.

New to the competition scene, orange belt Katie B was all smiles when performing in her forms and weapons division finishing fifth.

“ All 10 RMA martial artists gave their personal best and we are very proud of their accomplishments in 2011 and at this competition.  They are amazing to watch and it is our honour to help guide them in their competition journey through their dedicated training at RMA”, head instructor Craig Ridout said.

---

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qLXqQzgxUk

Tressa Young competed in the women's divisions although only 16. She won 1st in her forms and weapons divisions and second in her point sparring. She did amazing! Check out the video.

WOMEN'S INNER WARRIOR PARTY BASH

RMA Karate Centres is now offering:

 

WOMEN'S INNER WARRIOR PARTY BASH
Perfect for a women's get together, birthday party or bridal party event.

The party can include all or some of the following options:

° 30 minute core & fitness class
° 30 minute cardio kickboxing class
° 45 minute self-defense class
° 45 minutes free time for Warrior Cake, Drinks, etc. (Cake provided by RMA)

$250 for up to 12 guests ($7 per guest thereafter)
For adult women only. Must be 18 years to participate.

Visit www.rmakarate.com for more party details.

6 Tips for Portion Control

The big news in nutrition was a study that covered cookbook recipes published over the last several decades. It was discovered that calorie counts have gone up as authors have increased portion sizes—the average calorie count went from 268 per serving to 384 per serving. Nutritionist Marion Nestle says that mainly it's just a reflection of people becoming accustomed to eating more and more overall. What can we do to monitor and control portion sizes?

1.        Downsize your plate. One issue the study pointed out is that the average plate size has grown over the years and the amount of food served on those plates has kept pace with that increase. Instead of breaking out the big dinner plate, try eating your dinner off a salad or dessert plate. The smaller plate will make the amount of food look larger by proportion, a visual cue, which will trick your brain into thinking you're eating more. You can also trade in your big dinner fork for a more petite salad fork, which will slow down any shoveling behavior that might occur at the dinner table.

2.        Divide and conquer. When you're cooking more than one serving of something, immediately store the prospective leftovers in single-serving containers. By putting out the entire dish, you run the risk of there not being any leftovers at the end of the meal. Depending on what the meal is, divide food onto two plates—one for that meal and one for lunch the next day. As a side benefit, this can help you tighten your wallet while you tighten your waistline.

3.        Count it down. If you eat your reasonably sized portion of food in the dining room/living room/den/bedroom/bathroom, etc., and leave the leftovers in the kitchen, it will make this next step a lot easier.

Here's the scenario: You've finished your first portion and yet you still want more. This is far from atypical, especially if the big plate of leftovers is sitting in front of you, tempting you, calling to you—maybe just a half a spoonful or maybe just a pick at the serving platter with your fork (just the good parts, of course). That couldn't possibly have more calories, right? Wrong. The calories from the food you sneak in after you finish eating are as potent as the calories from the food you're served. The good news is that if you can hold off, you won't be hungry for long.

After you have a decent-sized portion of food, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the message from your stomach that you're full. So try this: Before you reach for seconds, glance at the clock on the wall or your wristwatch. Spend the next 20 minutes chatting with your dining companions, or if you're eating alone, check out the newspaper, read a magazine article, or play along with a round of Jeopardy on TV. Then, after 20 minutes, see if you're still starving for another bowl full of whatever. Chances are that your cravings will have disappeared. If they haven't, maybe you do still need a little more food to achieve satiety. Review what you ate before, and if the calorie count seems low, treat yourself to a little extra. Or, if the calorie count seems about right or high for a regular meal and you're still hungry, fill up on some low-cal veggies or have a big glass of water. Sometimes it's easy to confuse thirst for hunger.

4.        Embrace your inner child, and we don't mean have candy for dinner . . . When you're on the road or out for dinner, don't be ashamed to look at the kids' menu. As the adult menu has been super-sized to gluttonous proportions, the children's menu often has the most nutritious options. Check out the portion-control tips below, and you'll see that oftentimes the amount of food in a kids' meal is just the right amount for an adult watching his or her figure.

5.        Sharing is good.   If you're a food lover, the hardest part about eating out is passing up all the goodies you want to try on the menu. Instead of ordering too much for yourself, strategize with your fellow diners about how you can maximize the variety of the food instead of the quantity. Most restaurants will be more than happy to provide you with extra small plates so you can split dishes. Make sure you actually split them! Don't dine out with your friend who survives on a nibble here or there and split two dishes; you'll end up eating 80 percent of the food on the table while he or she makes do with a couple of forkfuls. In case you ever wondered how Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi keeps her model physique while judging up to 12 meals a week, the secret is that she doesn't eat everything. Also, when you're figuring out how to eat family style, make sure that at least one of the dishes is a healthy salad, a non-cream-based soup, or a vegetable dish. That way you and your family can get full without getting fat.

6.        Learn your weights and measurements and read labels. It’s important to know the calorie, carb, protein, and fat numbers, as well as the serving size. This is where the corporate food interests get you a lot of the time, by adjusting the serving size downward to make the nutritional numbers look a little better. As anyone who's recently spent a Saturday night alone with the TV can tell you, the estimate of four servings in a pint of Ben and Jerry's or Häagen-Dazs is wildly optimistic. Whereas the label would indicate a 300-calorie serving, keep in mind that the entire container has 1,200 calories. And since most of the containers taper downward, eating what appears to be half of the container can actually amount to two-thirds.

It's definitely too much of a hassle to weigh and measure everything you put in your body every day. Even the most anal-retentive people among us don't have the time to be hauling out the scale and measuring cups for every meal. But it's worth it to at least familiarize yourself with a few standard weights and measures. Try learning what an ounce, a gram, a tablespoon, etc., look like. That way you can at least eyeball how much you're eating.

Students in the Barrie Examiner today

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3370770

Visit the link to read the article

Upcoming Karate Tournament

RMA Karate, anyone interested in going to the Toronto Tournament of Martial Arts Champions (26th), early discount pre-registration is due by November 18th. 

Please visit http://northtorontokarate.com/tourney.php for tournament details.

Bully Tips

Bullying Survival Tips

Here are some things you can do to combat psychological and verbal bullying. They're also good tips to share with a friend as a way to show your support:

·         Ignore the bully and walk away. It's definitely not a coward's response — sometimes it can be harder than losing your temper. Bullies thrive on the reaction they get, and if you walk away or ignore hurtful emails or instant messages, you're telling the bully that you just don't care. Sooner or later the bully will probably get bored with trying to bother you. Walk tall and hold your head high. Using this type of body language sends a message that you're not vulnerable.

·         Hold the anger. Who doesn't want to get really upset with a bully? But that's exactly the response he or she is trying to get. Bullies want to know they have control over your emotions. If you're in a situation where you have to deal with a bully and you can't walk away with poise, use humor — it can throw the bully off guard.

·         Practice confidence. Practice ways to respond to the bully verbally or through your behavior. Practice feeling good about yourself (even if you have to fake it at first).

·         Take charge of your life. You can't control other people's actions, but you can stay true to yourself. Think about ways to feel your best — and your strongest — so that other kids may give up the teasing. Exercise is one way to feel strong and powerful. (It's a great mood lifter, too!) Learn a martial art or take a class like yoga. Another way to gain confidence is to hone your skills in something like chess, art, music, computers, or writing. Joining a class, club, or gym is a great way to make new friends and feel great about yourself. The confidence you gain will help you ignore the mean kids.

·         Talk about it. It may help to talk to your parent, a guidance counselor, teacher, or friend — anyone who can give you the support you need. Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations that can build when you're being bullied.

·         Find your (true) friends. If you've been bullied with rumors or gossip, all of the above tips (especially ignoring and not reacting) can apply. But take it one step further to help ease feelings of hurt and isolation. Find one or two true friends and confide how the gossip has hurt your feelings. Set the record straight by telling your friends quietly and confidently what's true and not true about you. Hearing a friend say, "I know the rumor's not true. I didn't pay attention to it," can help you realize that most of the time people see gossip for what it is — petty, rude, and immature.

Events

RMA is always busy helping to serve our students better by adding extra training workshops, special social events and more.

Be sure to visit the NEWS page or our website regularly and check the information board in the dojo for extra information.  To learn more about other dojo events and special offers receive our weekly ENews. Simply submit your email address to one of the Senseis.

November 13 to 18

Extreme Martial Arts Skills Week

November 18

Red/Green Belt Review 6:15pm

November 20 to 26

Action Shots Week

November 25 & 26

Tournament

November 26

Classes cancelled for tournament.

December 3

Brown/Black Open Dojo Cancelled

December 3

Christmas Party & Award Presentation

December 4 to 10

Be The Chamge Week

December 9

Northern Dragons Applications due in.

December 16

Extreme Skills & Ninja Night 6:30 to 9:30

January 7

Uniform & Equipment Event 12noon to 1pm

Success at Ontario Open Martial Arts Championships

8 RMA students attended the Ontario Open Martial Arts Championships promoted by East West Karate owner Christina Magliocco.

The event with over 300 competitors was a well run tournament giving the RMA students a chance to show their skills and give their best.

RMA instructor Sensei Tressa Young gave everything she had and her skills left her with the results she wanted.  She won first in every division including musical open, musical weapons, traditional forms, traditional weapons and point sparring.  The second degree black belt went on to compete in the junior black belt grands division winning forms grand champion.

Shodan-ho (advance brown) belt Samantha M won first in four divisions including musical open, traditional weapons, traditional forms and sparring.  She also won second place in the musical open weapons division.

Blue belt Alysha S-P won second in sparring, seventh in weapons and was a finalist in the forms division.

Green belt William M won first in sparring and third in the forms division.  Red belt Asher A won fifth place in traditional weapons.

Keegan S-P won second in sparring, fourth in weapons and was a finalist in the forms division.

Orange belt Liam N won second in sparring and was a finalist in the forms and weapons division.  Orange belt Sale B was a finalist in the forms, weapons and sparring division.

All 8 martial artists had a great time enjoying the experience and are looking forward to the next event.

It's all about the fun.

Ready to start.

Game Face is one before the competition begins!

All smiles waiting for the competition to begin.

WKC 2011 World Karate Championships

Here is a video compilation of Sensei Tressa Young's competition at worlds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uIob3kVZCg

TressaYoungWKC2011Spain.wmv

RMA - Day 5 of Worlds Competition and GOLD

Today was the last day of competition and Sensei Tressa still had her 16/17yrs -60kg fighting divisions to do.


Sensei Tressa was pumped and ready to go.  She blitzed fast and kicked hard in these two divisions with the results she wanted.  Sensei Tressa won gold in both the point fighting and continuous fighting divisions.

Congratulations Sensei Tressa!

Sensei Tressa has also been asked to perform at the closing night show for all competitors to have the chance to see her musical open form.


** A big congratulations to all 5 RMA who have represented our dojo and country well.  We are very proud of you.  Here are the 2011 WKC World Karate Championships results:

Sensei Tressa: 8 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze  

Sempai Samantha: 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze

Tyler: 1 bronze

Brooke: 1 bronze

Jacob:  1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze

RMA - Team Forms & Team girls fighting

This just in....

The Canadian girls fighting team won bronze at worlds!

Sensei Tressa and Sempai Samantha won GOLD for team forms at worlds!

Congratulations!!!!



BELOW: Sensei Tressa and Sempai Samantha pose after winning gold for team forms!!!!

RMA Karate - Latest Picture from Spain

Sempai Samantha receiving her gold medal and Brooke receiving her bronze medal in the Korean forms division.  Congratulations girls!

RMA - Day 4 & First Day of Finals at Worlds

It's day 4 at the world championships in Spain and the first day of finals.

Sensei Tressa won gold in extreme forms, traditional forms, Chinese forms, Musical weapons and Korean forms.   She also won silver in creative open forms, traditional weapons and bronze in creative weapons.  Results for Sensei Tressa's team kata with Sempai Samantha and with her fighting, including team fighting, will be posted tomorrow.

Sempai Samantha has won gold in Korean forms, silver in musical weapons and bronze in Chinese forms.  Results for Sempai Samantha's team kata with Sensei Tressa will be posted tomorrow.

Tyler won bronze in traditional weapons.

Brooke won bronze in Korean forms.

Jacob won gold in Korean forms, silver in traditional weapons and  bronze in Chinese forms and continuous fighting.

Congratulations to all of you!  And good luck to Sensei Tressa and Sempai Samantha who still have more competing to do!

Pictures and more results to be posted soon.

GIRLS Team Fights Announce Captain

This just in from Spain....

Sensei Tressa's last fight was watched by many including Master John Douvris of Ottawa and World Class fighter Miss Chelsey Nash of Queenston (Hamilton).  Sensei Craig (Ridout) said it was the best fight she has ever fought and both Master Douvris and Miss Nash both agree she fought exceptionally well.

Sensei Tressa has been selected to be part of the girls fighting team and has been named team captain leading the way for our Canadian girls to win GOLD for Canada.

Sensei Tressa is already in the running for 11 medals and will now have the chance to earn herself a 12th gold medal for Canada!

Go Sensei Tressa!!!

RMA - Day 3 Fight Day at Worlds in Spain

It's Day 3 at the 2011 WKC World Karate Championships and that means another day of fighting for RMA.

Today Sensei Tressa fought in the girls 16/17yrs minus 60kg point fighting divisions and Jacob fought in the boys 13 to15yrs continuous fighting division.

It's the last day of preliminary rounds with all finals to determine medals starting tomorrow.

First up was Jacob who was ready to give his best.  Jacob won his first fight against an English competitor but lost his second fight to another competitor from England finishing him in the bronze medal position.


Later in the day it was Sensei Tressa's turn to give everything and she was determined to fight as well as yesterday's matches (Tressa advanced yesterday in continuous for the gold match). 

Tressa was a powerhouse and gave a repeat of yesterday's performance.  She fought well with winning combinations defeating her US opponent in the first fight and now moves on to the gold medal match in the finals!  

Another great day of performances by RMA!

All final divisions for medals start tomorrow and we wish all 5 RMA the best of luck.  Go for GOLD everyone!


**Special Note:  Thank you to Sensei Craig and Sensei Tressa for working so hard and helping prepare the RMA students for this moment.  You are amazing- thank you Senseis!

RMA - Day 2 Fighting rounds at Worlds in Spain

It was day 2 of competition at the 2011 WKC World Karate Championships and for the 3 RMA athletes that meant fight day.

Sensei Tressa competed in the 16 to 17yr girls minus 60kg continuous fighting division, Sempai Samantha competed in the 8 to 12yr girls point fighting division and Jacob competed in the 13 to 15yr boys point fighting division.

The fighting divisions are tough at worlds. Many of the toughest fighters, who come to this world class event just to fight, are vying for their title and to be called champion winning gold in their division.

First up were Sempai Samantha and Jacob for the point fighting divisions.  Despite both of them putting a great effort into their first fight they lost to their opponent removing them from advancement in that division and to the medal round on Friday.


Next up was Sensei Tressa in the continuous fighting division. Sensei Tressa fought well in her division and has advanced to the gold medal round on Friday where she will be giving everything to win gold for Canada!  Good luck Sensei Tressa.

Tomorrow - fighting divisions continue. 

Sensei Tressa & Sempai Samantha Advance

As promised here is an update for the team forms division.

Sensei Tressa and Sempai Samantha have advanced in the team forms!  This is a big accomplishment considering Sempai Samantha was put into the team division last minute.  With only 2 weeks left before leaving for Spain, Sensei Tressa and Sempai Samantha practiced diligently before they left and then again once they arrived in Spain.

Congratulations Sensei Tressa and Sempai Samantha for advancing in team forms.  We are very proud of you!!

RMA - First Day of World Competition Results

It's been pins and needles for the families of the athletes here at home in Barrie, waiting for information on how their children are doing.  Even for me!

Athletes competed in Forms divisions today.  For Sensei Tressa that meant 8 divisions, Sempai Samantha 4 divisions, Tyler 1 division, Brooke 2 divisions and Jacob 4 divisions.  Only the top 4 of each division advance to the medal round.

Results are in......

Sensei Tressa advances to the final gold medal round for all 8 of her forms divisions.  She is first in five divisions including Extreme forms, traditional kata, musical weapons, Korean forms and Chinese forms.  She is currently in second place for traditional weapons and creative forms and third in the creative weapons division

Sempai Samantha advances in 3 of her divisions.  She is currently first in Korean forms, Musical weapons and is in third place for Chinese forms.

Tyler advances in his division.  He is currently placed in fourth division for the traditional weapons.

Brooke advances in the Korean division currently in fourth place.


Jacob advances in 3 of his divisions.  He is currently in first place for Korean forms, 2nd in Chinese and third in traditional weapons.


Team forms results with Sensei Tressa and Samantha have not been provided yet.  Once we have those results we will post them!

Good luck to all in the medal round for their forms! 


Thank you to all 5 of the RMA athletes for putting a fantastic effort and representing RMA well.  We are very proud of all of you! 


Good luck to Sensei Tressa, Sempai Samantha and Jacob in their fighting divisions (point and continuous). 

Stay tuned as pictures will follow shortly.

WKC Team Canada in Spain

Just check out this photo of the 2011 Canadian national karate team.

What an awesome team from all over Canada including 5 from RMA Karate Centres in Barrie, Ontario!

RMA Karate Athletes make weight

The martial arts athletes from RMA Karate Centres in Barrie have registered for their events at the 2011 WKC World Karate Championships.

3 out of the 5 athletes who are competing in the fight divisions includes RMA's own Sensei Tressa Young and  all 3 have met their weight class.  This means that the weight class that they qualified for at the Canadian nationals is the same as what they are fighting in for the world championships.

The rest of today will be left to a trip to the beach, chatting with other martial artists from other countries, a healthy dinner and plenty of rest to help be ready for tomorrow.

All 5 amazing athletes are ready to start competing tomorrow in forms.  We wish Sensei Tressa, Sempai Samantha, Tyler, Brooke and Jacob good luck tomorrow.  Stay tuned to this blog for world competition updates and pictures!

RMA KARATE - Spain Update

All of RMA have arrived in Spain for the 2011 WKC World Karate Championships. 

Today they rest and mingle - tomorrow it all begins.  First with registration for all competitors including weigh-in for all fighters.

The WKC Canada team will have a team meeting including the annual team photo op where parents will have a chance to take a photo of the 175 team members proudly holding the Canadian Flag.

Tuesday is when the competition will begin with all competitors in the forms divisions.

Good luck WKC Team Canada!!!

Stay tuned to the blog for photos and updates.

Kihon

KIHON
 
Kihon translates to basic techniques, and is the foundation of all subsequent learning in karate. All students start karate by learning basic blocks, strikes, kicks, and stances. Over time, these moves are practiced repeatedly so they become second nature and fluid. Kihon is taken very seriously and is taught very consistently in our dojo to ensure that correct technique is learned at the very beginning.
 
Bad form in the basics leads to ineffective technique and possible injury, therefore much attention is given to correct kihon techniques throughout the curriculum. Through continual refinement, kihon becomes central to learning the kata and drills, and in depth study will lead to more advanced techniques.

RMA KARATE CENTRES in Spain

RMA IN SPAIN!

Sensei Tressa along with 4 RMA students are in Spain as part of the 2011 WKC Canadian National Team competing at the 2011 world karate championships.    As their karate instructors, we are proud to be part of their journey to the championships through their training at the dojo and coaching them at local tournaments. 

We are proud of all of them for making the national team.  Here  is a quick bio on all of them:

Sensei Tressa: 7 x Canadian National Karate Team Member, 27 x world karate champion medallist, 38 x Canadian national karate medallist and a 3 x Canadian national karate team alternate.

Sempai Samantha: 3 x Canadian National Karate Team Member, 4 x world karate champion medallist, a 7 x Canadian national karate medallist and a 2 x Canadian national karate team alternate. 

Tyler: 2 x Canadian National Karate Team member, 1 x world karate champion medallist and a 5 x Canadian national karate team alternate. 

Brooke: 2 x Canadian National Karate Team Member, 1 x world karate champion medallist and a 1 x Canadian national karate team medallist. 

Jacob: 2 x Canadian National Karate Team Member, 2 x world karate champion medallist, 8 x Canadian national karate team medallist and a 1 x Canadian national karate team alternate.