On July 6 to the 8th, 2012, Oshawa members Jennifer Virgin (Shodan) and Michael Kuczkowski (Shodan yr.) joined a pool of selected talented Wado members from across Canada in Olds, Alberta for the Shintani National Team Tryouts. These tryouts are held every two years which members compete towards a possible placement on the National Team. The first SWKKF National Team was handpicked by Shintani sensei himself in 1997. This team paved the way through international training and tournaments, displaying to the world what the organization believes. Subsequent teams have traveled to train and compete all over Canada, the United States, northern Africa, Scotland, Italy and Japan often with top coaches, The purpose of the SWKKF National Team is to represent the organization at various events within Canada and around the world. The team strives to uphold Shintani sensei's values of humility and kindness while competing for top spots on the world stage. Candidates are selected based on various weighted categories, including level of fitness, coach-ability, adaptability and an evaluation of kata and kumite. The process is a weekend-long event, by the end of the weekend the best competitor will be selected to represent the team. Both Jennifer and Michael were very excited for this opportunity.