OSHAWA WADO-KAI NEWS

Christmas is a busy time of the year for everyone, but some people make sacrifices with their time to do things for others.

Such is the case with Sensei Jose-Carlos Garcia. Recently Sensei Garcia organized (with the help of the YWCA and the Optimists Club of Oshawa), the 10th annual Wado-Kai Junior Karate Tournament.

Photo By Ian Goodall

THE KARATE KID: Jennifer Virgin of Oshawa battles with Justin Edmonstone of Oshawa during the 10th annual Wado-Kai Junior Karate Tournament. The event is sponsored by the Optimist Club of Oshawa and the YWCA.

Sensei Garcia admits it is a difficult tournament to organize, with 76 students ranging in age from seven to 14 taking part. Also, taking into consideration the time everyone needs to organize for Christmas and the New Year, it can be very difficult to get a tournament like this one together at this time of year.

"It can be very time consuming," said Sensei Garcia. "I almost hesitated in running it. There are certainly no financial benefits to running it and it is easy to get tied up around Christmas. But the parents and the students want it, so it is an easy decision to make."

All of the youngsters have a terrific time at the tournament and for some, it is an early Christmas present because they win a trophy. The Optimist Club of Oshawa donated all the trophies for the tournament, while the YWCA supplies the facilities.

Sensei Garcia wanted to hold the tournament for his students who may not have a chance to go to other karate tournaments. The majority of local tournaments are held around the Greater Toronto Area and for many students, it is difficult for their parents to drive to these events. While many tournaments have high entrance fees, the Wado-Kai tournament is free to its competitors.

With his 27 years of martial arts experience, Sensei Garcia makes sure his students are all well prepared before they step into a competition. Winning and losing is all relative in a karate competition. What Sensei Garcia wants his students to bring out of a tournament is knowledge and experience, so he makes sure that when they do step onto the mat, they feel confident with their abilities.

"During class we do a lot of sparing, so they are not afraid when it comes to a competition," he said. "For a lot of first timers they are not comfortable in front of a lot of people doing moves or fighting. I try to sit my students down and relax them before a tournament and let them know it is not a big event in the sense of fear, but it is a big event for fun."