Archive for June, 2009

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Kickin’ it Old School

Monday, June 29th, 2009

“Old School Muay Thai establishes local not-for-profit At-Risk Youth Program in Toronto.”

In an effort to help and offer a safe place for Toronto’s at-risk youth to train body, mind and spirit,  James Hines, “Kru” (instructor) at Old School Muay Thai is pleased to announce the establishment of a not-for-profit incorporated division. 

Already working in partnership with local organizations, the goal of the at-risk youth program is to identify and help kids that can enjoy the many benefits of this self-affirming martial art including physical, mental and spiritual aspects.

As James tells it, “The program offers at-risk youth a place to meet after school, access to caring and supportive mentorship and a pathway to good health and self-realization.”

Financial support is needed and welcome in order to create an environment filled with positive role models who can mentor at-risk youth through martial arts programming, inspiring them toward personal fulfillment, excellent physical health, and ultimately encourage integration into the community at large as citizens with respect for themselves and others.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available and can be made by sponsoring an individual student or a group of youth.

Please contact James Hines of Old School Muay by calling 416-436-0226 or e-mailing james@oldschoolmuaythai.com.

About Muay Thai
Muay Thai– also known as Thai Boxing and Thai Kickboxing – is a striking martial art and excellent form of physical fitness.  In addition to being an effective form of self-defense, Muay Thai also teaches respect and humility.  Read More…

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Pillow Fight League ~ Toronto, Ontario

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Do you have mad pillow-fighting skills? Do you dream of becoming professional pillow fighter?  Do you have a secret pillow fight club name? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s time to start fluffing and head over to The Pillow Fight League (PFL) tryouts held in downtown Toronto. 

Running until the end of June, tryouts are not for the faint of heart.  Novitiates will need to be in top fighting form as they’ll be run through a gauntlet of pillow-swinging drills that will put their cardio, stamina and pillow talk technique to the test. 

In addition, contenders will need to complete a 6 page questionnaire; no doubt to determine if pillow-related allergies exist.   Only those with the “eye of the tiger” and “right ‘pillow’ stuff will be called back.

Bring Your Own Pillow* (BYOP).

Thinking of hosting your own massive pillow fight, but not sure where to begin?  If so, click here.

*Must be a minimum of 19 years old and female ~ sorry guys.

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Women’s Grappling Camp August 23-29 ~ Toronto, Ontario

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Following the sure to be successful ‘Grapple Girls Women’s Open Grappling Tournament on August 22nd’ will be the second annual ‘Women’s Grappling Camp.’ [Now say that three times fast]

Held from August 23-29, it will take place at MECCA MMA in Toronto, Ontario and feature world-class female grappler’s such as Felicia Oh, Emily Kwok, Val Worthington and Krista Scott-Dixon.

Fore more information, visit www.womensgrappling.org

Grappling  - Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bowmanville, Bradford, Brampton, Brantford, Brockville, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kanata, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, Leamington, Listowel, London, Markham, Midland, Milton, Mississauga,  Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peel Region, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Thomas, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Trenton, Vaughan, Waterloo, Welland, Windsor, Woodbridge, Woodstock, York, York Region Ontario Canada.

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Grapple Girls Women’s Open Grappling Tournament 2009

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Taking place in Toronto, Ontario on August 22nd is the first ever – but surely not the last – ‘Grapple Girls Women’s Open Grappling Tournament 2009.’ 

The event aims to raise the profile of women in sport; more specifically, female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) artists and Grapplers.

Formed by female grapplers from various Toronto-based BJJ and Grappling Arts Academies, the Tournament committee plans to run a grappling-centric event that is both professional and politic-free  ~ sorry guys :(

The organizers are “committed to making this not only the best-run women’s grappling event, but the best-run grappling event anywhere.”

The event will feature some of the biggest names in women’s Grappling and BJJ in North America and, in keeping with the spirit of the event, proceeds generated will go to non-profit women’s organizations.

For more information, contact ggopen@womensgrappling.org.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) - Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bowmanville, Bradford, Brampton, Brantford, Brockville, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kanata, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, Leamington, Listowel, London, Markham, Midland, Milton, Mississauga,  Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peel Region, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Thomas, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Trenton, Vaughan, Waterloo, Welland, Windsor, Woodbridge, Woodstock, York, York Region Ontario Canada

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11th World Master Athlete Judo Championships 2009 USA

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

If you’re a Canadian Judo Player who is 30 or over, it’s time to dust off that old Judo gi and belt for The 11th World Master Athlete Judo Championships.  Taking place in Atlanta, Georgia from August 19th to 23rd 2009 at The Georgia International Convention Centre, the tournament will feature more than 20 countries and is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet.

Spread over 5 days, The tournament will have something for all Master Judoka – male and female – including shiai (individual and team tournaments) and kata (forms) competition for:
• Goshin-Jitsu
• Ju-no-kata
• Katame-no-kata
• Kime-no-kata
• Koshiki-no-kata
• Nage-no-kata
• Itsutsu-no-kata

Age ranges start from 30 and go to 80+

International Judo Federation rules will apply with the contest duration as the only modification – all contests 3 minutes duration except 60 years and over 2½ minutes.

For more information, contact The World Master Athlete Judo Association at info@masterathlete.com or visit their website at www.masterathlete.com/usa2009.htm

Judo Club Directory Serving Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bowmanville, Bradford, Brampton, Brantford, Brockville, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kanata, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, Leamington, Listowel, London, Markham, Midland, Milton, Mississauga,  Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peel Region, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Thomas, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Trenton, Vaughan, Waterloo, Welland, Windsor, Woodbridge, Woodstock, York, York Region Ontario Canada

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BJJ vs Judo

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Before MMA, UFC, BJJ and other combat-related TLAs, there was Gracie vs. Kimura; or, in today’s terms,  ‘Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) vs Judo.’

The date was 1955, Dana White still a gleam in his father’s eye.  The 38 year old Kimura was to fight a slightly older and lighter Hélio Gracie in what was known as a submission Judo match.

Taking place in Gracie’s native Brazil in front of 20,000 martial arts fans, the bout lasted just over 13 minutes, and saw Gracie repeatedly thrown, battered, smothered and man-handled by the most famous Judoka of the time – Kimura. 

A true warrior, Gracie refused to submit – even as Kimura was breaking his arm.  As a result, Gracie’s corner threw in the towel to prevent further injury.

Ironically,  the arm lock that resulted in Gracie’s broken arm would later be called the Kimura Arm Lock – also known in BJJ and MMA circles as the Kimura* -  paying homage to the Japanese Judoka.

*Known in Judo as ude garami (arm entanglement)

Judo Club Directory Serving Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bowmanville, Bradford, Brampton, Brantford, Brockville, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kanata, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, Leamington, Listowel, London, Markham, Midland, Milton, Mississauga,  Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peel Region, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Thomas, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Trenton, Vaughan, Waterloo, Welland, Windsor, Woodbridge, Woodstock, York, York Region Ontario Canada

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The Art of The Choke

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki is one of the most revered and dangerous Judo grapplers to ever come out of Japan.

Small in stature at 130 pounds, he was a giant on the mat, often beating competitors twice his size while choking, pinning and arm locking his way to multiple All Japan Judo weight class championships as well as Judo and Sambo world championships.

Gravitating towards groundwork early on in his Judo development, Kashiwazaki developed a fondness for choking techniques evident in his book “SHIMEWAZA” (translated as ‘choking techniques’), in which he devotes 112 pages strictly to the art of the choke.

Possibly the largest single collection of choking techniques ever compiled, this book is an excellent source and resource for any grappler serious about learning how to choke an opponent from a variety of positions and situations.   Bridging the sublime, Kashiwazaki goes into such detail as to just the right amounts of pressure that need to be applied in order to put your opponent in a deep sleep or light sleep. 

Although written for Judo, many techniques will and do cross-over to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Judo Club Directory Serving Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bowmanville, Bradford, Brampton, Brantford, Brockville, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kanata, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, Leamington, Listowel, London, Markham, Midland, Milton, Mississauga,  Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peel Region, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Thomas, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Trenton, Vaughan, Waterloo, Welland, Windsor, Woodbridge, Woodstock, York, York Region Ontario Canada

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Fight Like a Girl Judo Camp

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

The second annual ‘Fight Like a Girl’ Judo Camp will be taking place on August 8th and 9th at Royal St. George’s College in Toronto, Ontario.

Guest instructor will be Jacqui Lloyd, 3rd degree black belt, member of The British Masters Judo Squad and instructor at the world-renowned Budokwai Judo Club in England.

This two day Judo Clinic is for girls and women of all ages, ranks and abilities.

For more details, contact Tami Dacks (Event Organizer) – tdacks@gmail.com – or call (416) 565-0282

Note: This is a Judo Ontario Sanctioned pointable event.

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Toronto 2009 Tournament of Martial Arts Champions

Saturday, June 20th, 2009

The 2009 Toronto Tournament of Martial Arts Champions will be held on Saturday November 28th, 2009.

The tournament will feature Martial Arts such as Karate, Kung Fu, Weapons, Sparring, Korean Patterns and Sanshou Sparring.  In addition, $2,200.00 in prize money will be presented for the following:
Black Belt Grand Champion = $900.00
Team Kata Challenge = $600.00
Most Supporting = $400.00
Kyu Belt Kata = $300.00 Cash Grand Championship

For more information, visit North Toronto Karate or contact Michael Palitti at (416) 875-9820.

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Camp Budokan 2009

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Camp Budokan, one of the longest running Judo Camps in Ontario and Canada is back for yet another year.

Established in 1965, Camp Budokan’s Judo Camp delivers an action packed week of unparalleled Judo Instruction, Training and Fitness.

Located in North Oshawa at Camp Samac, Camp Budokan will be held from July 26th to August 1st, 2009 and offers a once in a lifetime experience for beginners, intermediate and elite Judoka alike.  The Camp features internationally respected Judo Coaches, Trainers and Instructors including:

Bill Doherty, 7th Degree Black Belt.  Sensei Doherty is past president of Judo Ontario; former Member of National & Provincial Grading Boards; past member of Judo Canada’s Executive and High Performance Committees and a world-class referee.

Kevin Doherty, 7th Degree Black Belt.  Sensei Kevin Doherty was 1981 World Judo Bronze Medalist, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Judo Team Member as well as many times Canadian Judo Champion who in 1996 was inducted into The Judo Canada Hall of Fame.

Karl Doherty, 5th Degree Black Belt and Camp Director of Camp Budokan.  In addition, Sensei Karl Doherty was a Member of The Canadian National Judo Team from 1978 to 1990; served on the Judo Canada Executive Committee and is President of Budokan Judo Clubs.

The camp focuses on Judo Techniques  including Judo throws and takedowns, takedown defense and grappling techniques (chokes, arm locks, hold downs and other submissions).

To find out more, visit Newmarket Budokan Judo Club today.

Judo Club Directory Serving Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Aurora, Barrie, Belleville, Bolton, Bowmanville, Bradford, Brampton, Brantford, Brockville, Burlington, Cambridge, Chatham, Cornwall, Elliot Lake, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Guelph, Halton, Hamilton, Kanata, Kingston, Kitchener, Lindsay, Leamington, Listowel, London, Markham, Midland, Milton, Mississauga,  Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North Bay, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Orillia, Oshawa, Ottawa, Owen Sound, Peel Region, Peterborough, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Sarnia, Scarborough, Sault Ste. Marie, St. Thomas, St. Catharines, Stratford, Sudbury, Thornhill, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Toronto, Trenton, Vaughan, Waterloo, Welland, Windsor, Woodbridge, Woodstock, York, York Region Ontario Canada

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