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There are times in your life when you believe you have achieved the ultimate goal in your life and then some better happens.
During the early 70’s and while I was dating my wife, I decided to join Karate in small town North of Oshawa and South of Port Perry called Prince Albert. The Instructor was a failure but the Martial Arts had attracted me so much that I started traveling three times to train in Toronto under Sensei David Manara. The training was intensive but greatly rewarding; I was a green belt when I moved to the front row of the class. No mercy, when “Half Time Entertainment” came, I fought with Sensei Manara and I learn Karate well, he also took me to meet Sensei Masaru Shintani, under who I trained for many years, until 2000 when he unfortunately passed away. On September 1981, I started my first Adults Class in Oshawa and 1982 I opened the first Children’s Karate classes under the affiliation of Toronto Wado-Kai. Since then, over 2500 students have been trained under the Oshawa Wado-Kai and over 87 have achieved the rank of Black Belt at various degrees. On January 1992, my daughter Natalie, at the age of 6 and half, joined the Karate classes with a little bit of encouragement from her father (me), needless to say. At the age of 14 she decided to expand her horizons and grow on her own. She went out to help teach Jiu-Jitsu to children with special needs for over two years and she also started teaching Self-Defense classes at Durham College. She has been involved in many activities that helped her to be the wonderful person she is and to help others with her kindness and knowledge. She has music in her heart and she makes anyone smile who gets to know her. Last year she moved to Toronto continuing her training with the Oshawa Wado-Kai as well as in Toronto with Sensei Leaton Bernard, 3rd Dan, an instructor (Sensei) that I not only admire but also respect and who has helped my daughter to continue enjoy the training in the Wado style. Thank you Leaton !!!
On June 12, 1985, Natalie made me a happy father and on May 8th she made me a proud Sensei. I love you Chiqui! |
