Your Japanese word of the week is...

"sanka suru" 参加する which means "to participate".  This past month, if I'm honest, I haven't really participated in much.  I've been tutoring a bit more and karate's been going strong but there's lots there that's happening this month.

First off, the Pacific Spirit grading week is this month, so we're busying preparing all the students for that.  The weeks that lead up to grading are always interesting because although it comes across as a "test" of sorts, it doesn't really work that way.  For instance, while there are minimum performance levels each student has to meet for their next belt, it ultimately is partly subjective whether they pass or not.  Some may argue that they should pass because they know a certain kata or can perform a certain move, but I value effort just as much, if not more, than the product.  And while I do strive for all my students to do better than the bare acceptable minimum (and I push them with that in mind), it's also sobering to keep in mind that not everyone is capable of everything and, as an instructor, I think it's important to keep that in mind.

The next big event this month is a black belt grading.  That's not happening at Pacific Spirit but rather at a larger grading where higher ranking black belts will run the test.  I'm not, however, going to be grading for another dan but I will be helping a friend with hers.  It'll be nice to be at a grading without the pressure of being graded for once haha.....

The last big event is the Karate BC Provincial Championship Qualification round.  The actual championship is early 2011 but you basically have to qualify to be in the round.  Karate BC is separated into zones and each zone runs their own try-outs and in the provincial championships, all the qualifiers vie for the top spot.  I've never competed in any Karate BC tournament and the last time I competed was in 2009 at the Kanto area Wadokai Championships.  I'm sneaking in training time before and after classes but it'll be interesting to see how I, and the other students from Pacific Spirit that are competing, will turn out.

Of note is that, as the way these things happen, all three events are happening the same week.....  exciting =P

And in keeping with the karate theme, Richard sent me a video of the quarter final match of the WKF World Championships 75kg men's kumite.

In red is Rafael Aghayev, a multi-title winning -75kg fighter from Azerbaijan.  I was lucky enough to have watched him fight in the 2008 WKF Worlds where he won the -75kg and the Open classes.

In blue is Ko Matsuhisa, also a decorated kumite fighter that's also in the Wadokai.  The year before I went to Japan, he taught at a kumite seminar that my dojo participated in.

Anyways, enjoy the rather epic fight.  Of note is that the scoreboard is flipped but this video is kind enough to show you a running tab of the scores.  Anyway, enough blabbing, enjoy the fight!