Six members from the Beaver Valley Recreation’s Chito-Ryu Karate Dojo travelled to Penticton last weekend for Sensei Taneda’s Friendship Tournament.
Over 150 competitors from Chito-Ryu Dojos across western Canada gathered in Penticton to compete in Kata, Kumite, and Team Kata and to meet new and old friends.
In Boys 10-11 kata Dawson Stemmler performed a near flawless kata and brought home a bronze medal for his efforts, while in Boys 12-13 kata, Tyson Nelson delivered an excellent exhibition of athleticism and just missed a medal placing fourth.
In Boys 8-9 kata Lohan Buckland placed fifth in his division, while in the girls 12-13 Kata Meagan Campsall also performed a strong Rohai Sho Kata and nearly made the medals placing fourth in a very strong division of eight other girls.
In Woman’s Master’s Kata Division, Andrea Buckland performed a very strong kata as well placing sixth. Nelson, Campsall, and Sensei Scott Hutcheson put up a good fight and placed fifth in the Black Belt division of the Team Kata.
“It’s not all about the medals won,” wrote Hutcheson in an email. “It’s the improvement gained in the experience, and without a goal like a tournament-match to overcome, the drive to improve is stagnant.”
On Sunday, the Beaver Valley club also had a clinic with seven-time Canadian Nationial Kumite Champion seventh Dan Sensei Taneda and had an illuminating class with new exercises to share and improvements to do.
Beaver Valley Rec’s Chito Ryu karate trains Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in Fruitvale and Tuesdays and Thursdays in Rossland. Call Kelly at BV Rec 367-9319 or Robin at Rossland Rec 362-2327 to join for our Spring Semester.