The 2019 Karate Canada Summit welcomed over 160 participants from across the country last weekend, at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport and Conference Centre. This edition focused on athletes’ training while also giving many other participants of Karate Canada a chance to get together and to take part in various workshops and meetings for athletes, coaches, instructors, officials, leaders and administrators.

Karate Canada wishes to thank the Ontario Karate Federation for their assistance and support in hosting this important event. KC also thanks the numerous volunteers and staff involved in making this event such a success. Particularly, Karate Canada wishes to thank Officials’ Committee members Mr. Thomas de Freyman and Mr. Babak Sotoudeh (who co-led a 2-day National Referee Clinic), our National Team Coaches and High Performance Director Miss Pam Ross, Mr. Denis Beaudoin, Mrs. Nassim Varasteh and Mr. Kraig Devlin(who co-led national kata and kumite trainings) as well as other HP Committee members, Mrs. Hidemi Uchiage for her help with translation during the kata trainings, the members of our Technical Advisory Committee and examiners (who held National Dan Evaluations), our Para-karate Committee Chair and National Para Team Coach Mrs. Heather Fidyk (who led training and education for Para-karate athletes and coaches), Mr. Alex Grey from CAAWS (who led a session on gender equity), our Medical Chair Mr. Gus C. Kandilas (who led a seminar on Concussion Awareness and Management for officials) and all the medical support staff, our NCCP Committee member Mr. Gary Walsh (who led a NCCP LF training and Comp Dev karate-specific course), as well as all participating athletes, referees, coaches and / or instructors and Provincial / Territorial Association representatives. Last but not least, we wish to sincerely thank our two very special Guest Star Instructors, Mr. Salah Mesnaoui (Kumite trainings) and Mr. Takashi Katada (Kata trainings), who generously shared their extensive expertise with our athletes and coaches in this rare visit to Canada.

We look forward to greeting all of you again soon for our 2020 Sr National Championships March 21-22 in Calgary, and hope you will all join us again next year for our 2020 Summit!

Photo: Anthony Small