INTRODUCTION

Welcome! Here at "Friendly Eagle" we promote a positive environment combined with seriousness and hard work. Maybe you have never been in touch with the martial arts before - or maybe you have some (or lots of) experience. Either way, we would like to learn from you and hopefully you'll learn something from us too.

FEES / REGISTRATION

Pre-registration is always required for a 2-3 month term. Please contact Christine Langdon at the Summerside Beach Club for more information and registration: 780.497.7558 ext.2 or programs@lakesummerside.ca.

KYOKUSHIN KARATE

Karate ("Kara te": empty hand technique) is for everyone, regardless of age - starting as early as 4-7 years old. When followed truthfully, from the heart, it can become a lifestyle, positively affecting everything around us. It definitely helps improve mental and physical strength. For kids in particular it is essential - it can build a strong foundation they will rely on their entire life. No one should expect magical results after a week or two of training, but results usually become visible after two or three months. A karate practitioner (karateka) will notice over time an increase in confidence, coordination, ability to focus, general awareness, moderation, respect for others and more appreciation for life's values. Together with adjusting eating habits and lifestyle, the overall body balance increases.

Although Kyokushin karate is a full-contact style, self-defense and fighting are learned gradually, starting essentially with non-contact techniques and introducing more and more contact as the student's body becomes prepared for it, and according to the level achieved. It is not uncommon to see black-belt students sparring with white-belt ones, or (advanced) adults sparring with kids. The key is to adjust speed and strength to the training partner. There is no such thing as "opponent" during training, everyone is a "partner", all students should gain: beginners simply learn, while the advanced polish their techniques. Due to the strength of punches in the Kyokushin style, punching to the face is not allowed even in competitions, although kicking to the head is permitted. Depending on the training or competition level, protection elements are used, like helmets, gloves, shin and chest protectors.

Kyokushin karate ("Kyoku": ultimate, "shin": truth, reality) was founded by Sosai Masutatsu Oyama. The Kyokushin Dojo Kun (dojo oath, "dojo" being the training place) represents the core values of a Kyokushin karateka and should be properly understood and integrated:

Hitotsu, wareware wa, shinshin o renmashi, kakko fubatsu no shingi o kiwameru koto.
We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaken spirit.
Hitotsu, wareware wa, bu no shinzui o kiwame, ki ni hasshi, kan ni bin naru koto.
We will pursue the true meaning of the martial way so that, in time, our senses may be alert.
Hitotsu, wareware wa, shitsujitsu goken o motte, kokki no seishin o kanyo suru koto.
With true vigour, we will seek to cultivate a spirit of self-denial.
Hitotsu, wareware wa, reisetsu o omonji, chojo o keishi, sobo no furumai o tsutsushimu koto.
We will observe the rules of courtesy, respect our superiors, and refrain from violence.
Hitotsu, wareware wa, shinbutsu o totobi, kenjo no bitoku o wasurezaru koto.
We will follow our religious principles and never forget the true virtue of humility.
Hitotsu, wareware wa, chisei to tairyoku to o kojo sase, koto ni nozonde ayamatazaru koto.
We will look upwards to wisdom and strength, not seeking other desires.
Hitotsu, wareware wa, shogai no shugyo o karate no michi ni tsuji, Kyokushin no michi o mattou suru koto.
All our lives, through the discipline of karate, we will seek to fulfill the true meaning of the Kyokushin way.

"One thousand days of training, a beginner. Ten thousand days of training, a master."

- Masutatsu Oyama

"Karate is a defensive art from beginning to end."

- Gichin Funakoshi

"To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill."

- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

From Mr. Miyagi's dojo (remember the first Karate Kid movies?):

RULE NUMBER ONE: "Karate - For Defense Only"
RULE NUMBER TWO: "First learn RULE NUMBER ONE"

BELT GRADING

Initially, there were no belt colors as we see today. It was only the master and the student. A master was not easy to find and being accepted to learn his or her secrets was sometimes challenging. It was a real honour to be accepted as a student, and training usually lasted several years. Japanese Judo was the first martial art to introduce the colored belt ranking system as a visible indication of the student's progress. The colored belt ranking system was soon adapted for Karate, and was first used by Gichin Funakoshi and his Shotokan Karate schools.

Below is the belt ranking system used in Kyokushin karate. Each ranking is associated with a KYU - until reaching the black belt. Thereafter, the ranking is indicated by "DAN".

(no kyu): white belt
10 KYU: orange belt
9 KYU: orange belt (stripe)
8 KYU: blue belt
7 KYU: blue belt (stripe)
6 KYU: yellow belt
5 KYU: yellow belt (stripe)
4 KYU: green belt
3 KYU: green belt (stripe)
2 KYU: brown belt
1 KYU: brown belt (stripe)
1st DAN: black belt - first level
2nd DAN: black belt - second level
...
10th DAN: highest black belt level (Sosai Masutatsu Oyama)

KATA

Kata (fighting with imaginary opponents) is an essential part of karate training. It represents a sequence of usually around 20 predefined moves during which the karateka is blocking, punching and kicking on a predefined pattern. The combination of stances, breathing, balance, rhythm, focus, speed (fast / slow) and power are essential for a good execution of a kata. They are introduced gradually as the student progresses, and although their patterns can sometimes quickly be acquired, executing a kata correctly overall can take a long training time. As a rule, each movement execution takes one second (there are exceptions), therefore in less than one minute a kata is over.

A white belt can quickly learn the first and second kata (Taikyoku 1 & 2) - usually required during a 10 KYU grading (orange belt level) - but he or she will discover over time that one centimetre off the target, or slow versus fast punching, or keeping an elbow slightly bent in a precise moment during execution can make a lot of difference. All of that is part of regular and serious training.

Below is a list of core Kyokushin kata, linked to YouTube videos.

ABOUT ION

Ionut (Ion) started Kyokushin karate in 1990 in Romania (Eastern Europe) and continued training in Canada from the year 2000, mainly within the Ohan Brothers Dojo (Montreal, QC / Canada). He has also been welcomed and trained at the Edmonton Kyokushin Karate Club (Edmonton, AB / Canada, 2003-2004 and 2008-2009) and at HUF, Extreme Martial Arts Centre (Mississauga, ON / Canada, 2004). Although his interest in martial arts started early during childhood, finding an instructor and a place to train in his area was not easy - it was only in 1990 that the opportunity came and he started training while reaching remarkable performances in the fields of mathematics and physics (school), and later in Control Systems engineering and Artificial Intelligence as well as in Software Development.

2008: awarded a black belt (shodan) by Shihan Camille Ohan, at the Ohan Brothers Dojo (Montreal, QC / Canada).

2009: encouraged by the Ohan Brothers (Sensei - at that time - Dominic and George), he opened a dojo in Edmonton (AB / Canada) and has continued since then at various locations in the city.

2012: awarded a second-degree black belt (nidan) by Hanshi Roman Szyrajew at the Shihan Roman Dojo (Laval, QC / Canada).

2018: founded FRIENDLY EAGLE SOFTWARE Inc. - a software company based in Edmonton (AB / Canada) with primary focus on Health, Safety and Environment ("OPTIC", www.theopticsystem.com) and GPS tracking ("EAGLE GPS", www.eaglegps.ca).

2020: awarded a third-degree black belt (sandan) by Hanshi Roman Szyrajew at Centre Pierre Charbonneau, Montreal (QC / Canada). His student, Jared Knapp, got his first-degree black belt (shodan) at the same time.

2022: founded FRIENDLY EAGLE FARMS, a farm located north of Edmonton (AB / Canada), specialised in hay and vegetable / fruit / berry production.