“At the dawn of my 65th birthday and after nine (9) years as “Head Kumite Coach of the National Junior Team of Karate Canada” (2014-2023), it is now time for me to leave my place to the younger coaches.  I want to devote my time more to my Dojo, to my training center, to my Shotokan style association “Beaudoin Todokai Canada”, to my Training and Research Institute “Kaizen Budo International” and to promote the values of sport and martial arts in Canada- USA-Europe, and to my family (my wife, my two daughters and my five grandchildren).

These last nine years have been exceptional for me and have allowed me to meet and discover great people and to live stimulating and enriching experiences, which have made me grow personally and professionally.

To this end, I would like to warmly thank Karate Canada, his President Craig Vokey and Board members, and the administrative and therapeutic staff, the national, provincial and Dojo coaches, the athletes of the National Junior Team, as well as their parents, for all that we have experienced and accomplished together. For me, all of this has been a beautiful gift of life and unforgettable and exceptional moments, which I will treasure forever in my heart.

I sincerely hope that my humble contribution that I gave with my heart and passion, has helped the athletes development and the advancement of Karate in Canada and rest assured that I will always remain active and available to help KC, the Dojos, coaches and Canadian karatekas.

Sincerely,

“On behalf of Karate Canada, I would like to extend sincere thanks to Coach Denis Beaudoin for his dedication and years of service to Karate Canada. Since 2014, countless athletes, coaches, parents and volunteers have been touched by Mr. Beaudoin’s calm, supportive and caring demeanour. Coach Denis was the first coach hired specifically to coach the ‘Junior Team’ Kumite athletes. I think it is one of the best decisions Karate Canada has ever made. In his time at Karate Canada, Coach Denis brought great success to the team both on the Pan American and World Karate Federation stage. What is striking to me, however, was the way in which this was achieved. Coach Denis brought a disorganized group of athletes and united them into a cohesive whole that supported and cared for each other. This transformation was remarkable. Athletes went from identifying as club and provincial athletes to identifying as National Team athletes. Watching the athletes sit together, support each other, cheer for each other is always something that I considered very special, because, frankly, we were missing that prior to Coach Denis’ arrival. At the recent WKF World Championship, Canadian athletes were every bit as loud as every other nation when cheering on their colleagues.

For Karate Canada, Coach Denis Beaudion embodies the best of coaching qualities. No matter if you are a new coach beginning your journey with your athletes, or a seasoned coach who wishes to work with Karate Canada, I would urge you to see Mr. Beaudoin as an example of how to do things the right way, in the best interest of the athletes.”