The Whistler Seikido Martial Arts Association came away from a tournament in White Rock last weekend with a total of four medals.
Nine year old Israel Traub, after just three months with the club, earned a gold medal in his age division. Yuki Ishii, also nine, finished with the bronze medal.
In the adult coloured belt division, Cory Ilchuk took the bronze medal after fighting in four contests.
Cole Gregerson, the owner and instructor at Whistler Seikido, won a gold medal.
In addition, club members Kevin Irvine and Frank Francini each won two matches, but were eliminated before the finals. Adelle Chabot, one of the female members of the club, competed in the men’s devision and won two matches herself.
"I’m totally impressed with their sparring ability," says Gregerson. "They all practised extremely hard for this tournament, and the outcome was more than I could have expected."
The matches were all two minutes in length, after which point the winner would be determined by a points system that measures the number of clean, and accurate kicks and punches to the body and head. Competitors wore gloves, footpads and armour for their contests.
In Seikido, you have to compete if you want to advance to higher belts. According to Gregerson, the athletes who competed were also tested by the Gregerson’s Sensai at the Seikido, and could be promoted.
