Shihan Mady spared no effort to ensure the success of the event and the enjoyment of everyone involved. Friday evening before the tournament was the Awards Banquet. See the next entry for the majority of the results.
The Banquet saw a number of other important announcements. As was previously announced, Grandmaster Lewis Lizotte stepped down as the AOKA Director, appointing Grandmaster Steve Young as the new Director.
Master Mitch Kobylanski was both promoted to Kudan (9th) and named as the new President of the AOKA. Additionally, a much deserved but unexpected promotion was Shihan Albert Mady's promotion to Kudan (9th) at the same time.
The food and atmosphere at the event was amazing. The following AOKA awards were issued to Canadians.
Lauri Challans - Outstanding Female Instructor of the year
Amanda Findlay - Outstanding Female Student under 18 of the year
Jeff Long - Outstanding Male Black Belt under 18 of the year
Rachel McGovern - Outstanding Female Black Belt of the year
Kaitlan Brown - Outstanding Female Black Belt under 18 of the year.
AOKA Award Finalists
John Naimian - Adult Male Student
Chucky Mady - Male Black Belt under 18
Simeon Ostap - Adult Male Black Belt
Jesse Hill - Adult Male Black Belt
Mike Fenton - Adult Male Instructor
The tournament was a spectacular show of skill that began with an amazing breaking show by Shihan Albert Mady. Following the breaking demonstration Shihan Mady was inducted into the International Kickboxing and Karate Federation Hall of Fame. His lifelong dedication to the martial arts is respected both within Isshinryu and in the greater martial arts community.
Click here for all the results, read on for Canadian Results.
All Canadian competitors displayed both their skills and character during the competition. The event ran without complains or incidents and was very fair to all. The Canadian Black Belts would not be shown up when it came to fighting though. Chucky Mady (Windsor, ON) won both his division and the Junior Black belt Grand Championship. In the adult divisions, Mike Fenton (Thunder Bay, ON) and Tim Leonard (Ottawa, ON) each won their divisions (Black Belt Instructors and Black Belt Instructors over 35 respectively) and went on to meet in the finals of the Grand Championship. The final of the grand championship is decided
by a three round fight and the total accumulated points. After a hard found battle, Tim emerged victorious claiming the Grand Championship.
Other Canadian Results
Thunder Bay, ON
Under Black
Vlad Serenko - 3rd in Fighting, 1st in Kata
Alexander Serenko - 3rd in Kata
Amanda Findlay - 2nd in Fighting, 2nd in Kata
Gord Findlay - 3rd in Weapons
Hailey Tennier - 1st in Fighting
Black Belt
Simeon Ostap - 3rd in Fighting
Jesse Hill - 4th in Weapons, 3rd in Fighting
Mike Fenton - 4th in Weapons, 4th in Kata, 1st in Fighting
Jeff Long - 4th in Weapons, 4th in Kata, 4th in Fighting
Trevor Warren - 4th in Fighting
Other Participants
Susan Baldassi, Dinah Jung, Joe Rigato and James Stewart
Ottawa, ON
Under Black
Rod Berek - 2nd in Kata, 2nd in Fighting
JF Sauriol - 1st in Kata, 1st in Fighting
Jack Lafleur - 1st in Weapons, 4th in Kata
Pat Couperus- 4th in Weapons, 3rd in Kata
Black Belts
Shane Hale - 3rd in Weapons
Tim Leonard - 4th in Kata, 1st in Fighting, GRAND CHAMPION FIGHTING!
Brandon, MB
Black Belts
LeeAnn Gloor - 1st in Fighting
Yvonne Riesmeyer - 2nd in Fighting
Catherine Tsagarakis - 3rd in Fighting
Other Participants
Richard Wharf, Buzz Cox
Cookstown, ON
Under Black
Shannon Bottrell - 1st in fighting, 5th in Kata
Sam Bottrell - 1st in Fighting, 1st in Kata
Kyle Ringhofer - 5th in Fighting, 5th in Kata
Brandon Ringhofer - 1st in Kumite, 2nd in Kata
Tyler Pharand - 2nd in Fighting
Scott Pharand - 3rd in Fighting
Brandon Carman - 1st in Fighting
Ashley Aman - 1st in Fighting, 3rd in Kata
Peter Elines - 1st in Fighting
Adam Mollica - 2nd in Fighting, 2nd in Kata
Aaron Stevens - 5th in Fighting
Riley McColl - 5th in Fighting, 5th in Kata
Daniel Smith - 2nd in Fighting
Jamie Ferguson - 5th in Fighting
Mark Amen - 3rd in Fighting
Other Participants
Chris Mollica helped judge the Kata competition in the intermediate 13-15 year old girls division, and was the recipient of the two Louisville Slugger baseball bats, that were broken in half with a shin kick from Master Mady.
And of course Sensei Harri Makivirta.
Windsor, ON
Black Belts
Arthur Ramsay - 3rd in Weapons, 2nd in Kata, 2nd in Fighting
Melissa Pinazza - 2nd in Weapons, 3rd in Kata
Anna Falk - 3rd in Weapons, 1st in Kata, 1st in Fighting
Stanislov Veinberg - 2nd in Weapons, 3rd in Kata, 3rd in Fighting
Greg St. Louis - 3rd in Kata, 3rd in Fighting
Chuck Mady - 1st in Fighting, Junior Black Belt Grand Champion Fighting
Under Black
Nicholas Bondar - 2nd in Fighting
Emily Carter - 1st in Kata, 1st in Fighting
Tiffany Duffy - 1st in Fighting
Kyle Durham - 1st in Fighting
Kyle Falk - 3rd in Kata, 2nd in Fighting
Casey Froese - 3rd in Fighting
Glenn Froese - 1st in Kata, 3rd in Fighting
Samantha Froese - 1st in Fighting
Dalton Gilmore - 1st in Fighting
Brian Harvey - 4th in Fighting
Afnane Kraba - 2nd in Fighting
Shaimea Kraba - 3rd in Kata, 2nd in Fighting
Sohaib Kraba - 4th in Fighting
Mat Halls - 1st in Kata, 3rd in Fighting
Cyndy Marlein - 3rd in Kata, 3rd in Fighting
Jordan Marlein - 2nd in Fighting
Kyle Marlein - 1st in Weapons, 2nd in Kata, 2nd in Fighting
Nicholas Mihall - 1st in Fighting
Nicholas Miharo - 4th in Kata
Frank Murgic - 1st in Fighting
Danielle Oliverio - 1st in Fighting
Christian Pagan - 4th in Fighting
Juan Parachini - 2nd in Kata, 1st in Fighting
Tatum Parent - 2nd in Kata, 3rd in Fighting
Tiara Parent - 1st in Fighting
Tirene Parent - 3rd in Fighting
Anthony Piruzza - 4th in Fighting
Ken Steele - 2nd in Weapons, 2nd in Kata
Natan Veinberg - 3rd in Weapons, 3rd in Kata, 2nd in Fighting
Chitora Dojo Group presenting their Awards, Simeon Ostap, Jesse Hill, Amanda Findlay, Mike Fenton and Jeff Long
Cookstown, ON Team with Sensei Harri Makivirta and Shihan Albert Mady
Catherine Tsagarakis, LeeAnn Gloor, Yvonne Riesmeyer - Brandon, MB
