RMA DUO WIN IN WINDSOR!

Eleven-year-old black belt Sale Berube and her father, purple belt Shamus Berube, gave a strong performance at the Southern Ontario Open Championships in Windsor.  The duo, who train under world champion Tressa Young, attended the event on May 3rd giving it their all among tough competition from Ontario and the United States.  

Daughter Sale won 3 third places and 1 fourth place while Dad (Shamus) won 2 first places, 1 second place and had his chance at the Grand Champion division.  The Berubes along with 6 others from Tressa Young’s RMA Karate Centres in Barrie are headed to the national team trials in Ottawa this Victoria long weekend.  It is there they hope to qualify for the national team who will be headed to the world karate and kickboxing championships in Florida this fall. 

For more information please call Tressa Young at 705-796-1994 or email info@rmakarate.com. 

MARTIAL ARTS MOTIVATION

Tressa Young is not your typical 20 something in university, working, traveling or partying.  Instead, she owns two successful karate schools in the city of Barrie with locations in both the north and south ends of the city. 

A martial arts instructor since 2005, the third degree black belt operates Tenshi’s RMA Karate Centres sometimes working 12 hour days seven days a week.   This is also done while managing to be a stunt performer for film/TV and attend tournaments across the globe.  Ask her and she would tell you she would not trade it in for anything.

Tenshi, a Japanese word, meaning angel was a nickname Young’s mom gave her and the name stuck.  So much that she decided to make it part of her business name.

Part of her motivation for operating her own karate schools, was to teach the martial arts to kids and to share her expertise with all who are willing to learn.  Young is a 10 time Canadian national karate team member and has earned multiple world titles. The fit blonde has also trained national and world champions helping many of her students make the national team every year since 2009 including 4 this year.

Easing the workload at both locations are her 14 volunteer instructors and assistants who dedicate their time helping in class, all of them wanting to give back to the students. 

Young’s bubbly personality along with her two pets are always there to welcome everyone as they come into the dojo.  “The younger students especially love petting the dogs before they start their class.  It’s become a ritual for many of the students to say hello to the dogs while chatting with me before class begins.  The dogs have become the RMA mascots”, Young stated.

Today, Tenshi’s RMA Karate Centres has more than 150 students ranging from three to over 50 years old. The students have the benefit of training in karate at both locations covered under the same price.  The Barrie locations also offer a range of programs including kickboxing, Chinese Wushu, fitness, weaponry and self-defense.

Young has worked hard to build the image of the business outside the club including supporting the Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie and hosting free self-defense classes.

The RMA north Barrie location will be hosting free self-defense training for ages 13 years and older on Thursday June 25^th at 7pm.  For more information about the self-defense class or other programs call Tressa Young at 705-796-1994 or visit www.rmakarate.com .

RMA Martial Artists Score Medal Haul at Ontario Qualifiers

Nine martial artists from RMA Karate Centres in Barrie were in London taking part in the World Karate & Kickboxing Commission’s Ontario qualifiers.  Held at the London convention centre the RMA students competed in several individual events for the chance to advance to the national team qualifiers next month in Ottawa.

The Ontario qualifiers were tough with some divisions having as many as 40 competitors vying for top spot and wanting to come home with some hardware.  Only the top eight of each division advance to the national team trials and every martial artist there traveled to London in hopes of being one step closer to being on Canada’s team. 

Second degree black belt Tara Krale gave her best performance to date in the women’s 35 years and over divisions winning gold in Chinese forms, gold in Korean forms,  gold in freestyle forms, gold in creative weapons, gold in point sparring, silver in musical weapons, silver in continuous sparring, and fourth place in both the traditional weapons and traditional forms divisions.  

First degree black belt Tara Graham gave a strong demonstration of skill in the women’s 35 years and over divisions winning silver in Chinese forms, silver in Korean forms, bronze in Traditional weapons and placed fifth in traditional forms.

Eleven-year-old junior black belt Sale Berube won gold in Korean forms, silver in Chinese forms, silver in creative weapons, placed fourth in the traditional weapons, fifth in traditional forms and sixth place in musical weapons.

Purple belt Shamus Berube continues to fine tune demonstrating his skill in the men’s 35 years and over divisions winning gold in traditional weapons, gold in traditional forms and silver in the point sparring division.

Wushu student Eden McGuire gave proof her flair for the Chinese martial art (Wushu) was difficult to challenge in the girls’ 16/17 age group winning gold in the Chinese forms and silver in the traditional weapons.

Purple belt Ella Zenon was all smiles after competing in the girls 11/12 age group winning gold in the Korean forms and placing fourth in the Chinese forms division. 

Purple belt Jacob Allen thought he would give the Ontario qualifiers a shot and his effort gave positive results in the boys 13 to 15 age group placing fifth in the traditional weapons division.

In the 10 and under girls traditional weapons, blue belt Alyson Caron demonstrated determination placing eighth in the division.

His first competition of the year blue belt Wesley Wu gave his personal best in the largest divisions of the event.  Wu was a finalist in both the traditional forms and creative weapons divisions.

The eight who will be traveling to Ottawa next month have no time to rest on their medal haul as they continue to train even harder for the national team trials.  They are already back in the karate school training in preparation for next month’s event.

For more information about martial arts classes in Barrie visit www.rmakarate.com .