A Japanese expert in Karate, Sensei Nobuaki Kanazawa, offered a seminar to some 100 people in Verdun on the last weekend of May.
Sensei Nobuaki Kanazawa, 6th Dan, is the son of Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIF) founder Hirokazu Kanazawa Kancho, 10th Dan. He was a guest of the local SKIF-Montreal dojo.
“In the past three years, Sensei Nobuaki Kanazawa has been supporting our efforts to develop our students in both the art and sport of karate,” says Michel Hurtubise, one of two senseis who teach weekly karate classes at the Centre Marcel Giroux. “He has always been very generous in helping us develop the SKIF network across Quebec as well. We are honoured to be hosting him later this month.”
Local black belt students used the weekend training seminar to prepare for the 11th SKIF World Competition that will happen in Australia next November. Try-outs for the team that will represent Canada will occur in June.
Hurtibise and fellow sensei Richard Valiquette plus three of their Verdun students attended the 10th edition of the World Tournament in Greece in 2009.
All five formed part of the Canadian delegation that finished in 8th place overall. Hurtibise and Valiquette finished 4th in the Yakusoku Kumite competition, while student Jérémie Dufort finished 8th in katas. Daniel Chalifour, Robert Racine and Michel Hurtubise also made it into the semi-finals in their kata categories.
The Verdun seminars are among many Sensei Nobuaki Kanazawa will be giving in North America. He’ll also visit La Beauce and Rochester before heading south to Beaumont, Texas on June 15 and Houston on June 16.
For more information about the Verdun-based SKIF Montreal group, check out their website at http://www.skifmontreal.com. For the schedule and information about the World Tournament in Australia, visit http://www.skifworld.com.
