On Monday, the Pemberton/Whistler Karate Club hosted a tournament for juniors at Signal Hill Elementary School with members of the Whistler Martial Arts Centre taking part.
In total there were more than 50 kids aged 5 to 11 in the tournament, including 16 members of WMAC and more than 30 members of PWKC. With parents and friends coming out to watch, it was a packed gymnasium.
There were three competitive categories. In the basic category, students would pair up and demonstrate a range of basic moves for judges.
In the Kata category, students performed short routines of different fighting combinations for the judges. The WMAC students hadn’t practiced this and only a few participated.
The last event was the Kumite, or sparring.
The kids were matched up in their age and belt classes, and had one minute to land as many kicks, punches and combinations as they could, with judges breaking up the fight whenever something was landed cleanly. Punches were worth one point, kicks two points, and moves involving kicks to the head and putting your opponents to the mat and finishing them off with quick punches were worth three points.
All of the kids were wearing full safety gear, including head and face guards, gloves and foot pads. Girls and boys fought each other in different age and belt groups, and the girls more than held their own.
"The parents were almost more excited for this than the kids were," said Cole Manson of WMAC.
"A week ago I heard about the tournament they were having up in Pemberton and I called to see if it was okay to bring some of my kids up and they said okay," he said.
"It went pretty smoothly considering it was short notice, it was pretty cool to go up against another local club like that. It was really social, and really fun. That’s the way it should be I think," he added, referring to some of the bad blood that has existed between martial arts clubs in the corridor in the past.
"We thank Wim (Tewinkel) and the Pemberton/Whistler Karate Club for letting us join their tournament, and enjoy their apres dinner as well," said Manson.
Following the competition, the kids and their instructors put on demonstrations breaking wood planks. A group of black belts from PWKC also demonstrated a traditional Kata routine for the spectators.
Results:
White Belts Basics, All Ages
1. Tachona Jones, PWKC
2. Emma Sturdy, PWKC
3. Brodie Hauser, PWKC
White Belts Kata, 7 and Under
1. Michael Fong, PWKC
2. Tachona Jones, PWKC
3. Simon Walsh, PWKC
White Belts Kata, 8 and Over
1. Thea Sturdy, PWKC
2. Emma Sturdy, PWKC
Yellow Belts Kata, All Ages
1. Mason Protter, PWKC
2. Lane Gobert, PWKC
3. Morgan Williams, PWKC
Orange Belts Kata, All Ages
1. Chris Walsh, PWKC
2. Tiarra Sulyk, PWKC
3. Nathaniel Protter, PWKC
Green Belts Kata, All Ages
1. Hannah Van Mook, PWKC
2. Tanis Aiton, PWKC
3. Taylor Aiton, PWKC
White Belts Kumite, Ages 5-6
1. Ben Kirch, WMAC
2. Amhanni Jones, PWKC
3. K’exemaolin Nelson, PWKC
White Belts Kumite, Ages 7-9
1. Tachona Jones, PWKC
2. Wyatt DenDruyff, WMAC
3. Emma Sturdy, PWKC
Yellow Belts Kumite, 7 and Under
1. Jaria Tompkins, WMAC
2. Alex Auger, WMAC
3. Jonny Hutchinson, WMAC
Yellow Belts Kumite, 8 and Over
1. Joey Hutchinson, WMAC
2. Mason Protter, PWKC
3. Lane Gobert, PWKC
Orange Belts Kumite, All Ages
1. Nathaniel Protter, PWKC
2. Chris Walsh, PWKC
3. Taylor Aiton, PWKC
Green Belts Kumite and Up
1. Keegan Koning, PWKC
2. Noah Smith, WMAC
3. Cole McDonald, WMAC
