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The Guelph Open Karate Shiai, in support of the Children's Wish Fund of Guelph, welcomed close to 200 competitors from all over Southern Ontario on Saturday, November 18th, 2017. Many dojos and styles were represented and participants of all ages performed in a fine display of excellent karate. Tri-City Training, hosts of the Guelph Open, had the privilege of having guest instructor, Sensei Conroy Copeland (Windsor, ON) lead a pre-competition sparring seminar. Sensei Copeland lead the group through a series of sparring drills and presented training tips in an engaging and entertaining manner. Participants commented on how beneficial it was to learn from Sensei Copeland and have opportunity to "get rid of nervousness" prior to competing. It was a fantastic learning experience for all involved! After an opening ceremony which included the singing of "Oh Canada" by Centennial C.V.I's volunteers and head of music, Jeff Daniels, the audience heard from Sharon Rice, executive director of the Children's Wish Fund. Sensei Tom Cako, director of the Guelph Open, congratulated participants on their involvement and offered special thanks to all the volunteers. Competitors presented fine kata and kobudo and also participated in kumite. Award winners were presented with medals and bonsai trees. All participants and spectators were invited to partake in the light luncheon that was offered and many completed holiday shopping by participating in the silent auction and swag clothing vendor items. The Guelph Open Shiai 2017 was a quality event that supported celebrating the Martial Arts in our community and emphasized a 'bigger picture' through supporting the local charity. The hosts of the Guelph Open, Sensei Tom Cako & Tri-City Training, would like to congratulate all participants on their demonstration of courage and hard work through competition. Additionally, they would like to extend enormous gratitude to all volunteers and black belts - special thanks to all involved in this year's Shiai. May you continue to experience the many benefits of being involved in competition and karate comradeship. All the best as you continue in 'the karate way.'

The annual Tri-City Training Youth Elite Training camp took place July 17-21 and was a huge success! Various Tri-City Training wrestlers & karate students participated in a rigorous training week that included physically demanding workouts (100 stairs sprints, Park Circuit, Mole Hill, and Guelph Lake Dam Camp Challenge...plus more!) Participants had some down time making Nunchuks, fishing poles, and playing various camp games. The youth were also invited to participate in Level 1 of the Tri-City Training Leadership Academy. The week concluded with an overnight stay at Guelph Lake (campfire, treats, games, outdoor viewing of "The Jungle Book", training, and family BBQ on the beach). It was an incredible experience and such a privilege to work with our outstanding youth! Many of our campers experienced leadership training as they taught various aspects of the camp or helped out with our Pee Wee campers. It was really wonderful to see the growth and development of each member! Special thanks to our participants for the fantastic week! Additionally, please see letter below to our parents. Dear parents, Thank you for supporting your child through the Tri-City Training summer camp this year! It has been a fantastic experience seeing our Tri-City kids excel the way they have this week. This couldn't happen without the support and dedication of parents like yourselves. The kids were physically and mentally challenged in so many ways this past week. ..from the 100 stair run -- to teaching a class-- to the camp challenge - each person rose to the occasion with an incredible attitude. We couldn't be prouder of our students. On a personal note - I was inspired once again (also as a student) to see our director, (Sensei Tom), leading by example and training right alongside our students. He never asks anything of his students that he is not willing to do himself...even 20 hill sprints...lol. With the launch of our "Leadership Academy" during this year's camp, our students had opportunity to learn aspects of leadership exemplified. It's so inspiring to see our new leaders rise to each challenge and experience growth as they discover new aspects of their journey on this path. Thank you for having your child partner with us this week - it has been a privilege to work with them.

The Tri-City Training Scholarship was awarded at the Centennial C.V.I. Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, June 29th, 2017. Congratulations are extended to Matthew Poon, recipient of this year's Tri-City Training Scholarship Award! Tom Cako, Director of Tri-City Training, said he was "honoured to be able to present the award to Matthew. Matt has worked very hard, has been very humble, and has been an example of what a good student should be," said Cako, "It has been fantastic to see Matt's growth." The Martial Arts Scholarship is awarded to a graduating student planning to attend post secondary education who has demonstrated both proficiency in Martial Arts at CCVI, and who exhibits exemplary character and leadership both at school and in our community. With recognition of diligence, honour, integrity, and sincerity, the recipient has proven to be worthy of this award. Congratulations to all our graduates! We wish you all the best!

The Tri-City Training Family BBQ took place on Saturday, June 10th, 2017 at Guelph Lake Island Pavilion and it was a wonderful success. Families enjoyed delicious food, fun games, and relaxation while Sensei Blair Purdy and Band played from the Stage. The weather was spectacular, the Lake was beautiful, and the warm sense of family and community was fantastic. Special thanks to Sensei Tom Cako for hosting this wonderful event! Thank-you also to Blair Purdy and Band for a wonderful show... and thanks to Flora Laird for facepainting, Mark for BBQ, and each person for being a part of this special day! It is wonderful to be a part of such a fantastic community of people!

The Black Belt Grading took place in Elora, on Saturday, June 3rd. Successful candidates included Sensei Barbara Lamble (Head Instructor, Elora) and Sensei Tom Cako (Head Instructor, Guelph) who both received Godan (5th degree black belt) rank. It was an honour for students to witness their instructors receive this outstanding achievement. Kyoshi J Purdy talked about the training time and teaching time required for this rank and the importance of understanding the complete system/curriculum, leadership development of their students, and contributions for greater good of each candidate. Congratulations Renshi Barbara Lamble and Renshi Tom Cako. Congratulations also to Collin Burns (Arthur, ON) who achieved Sandan (3rd degree Black Belt) and Alex Laird (Guelph, ON) who achieved Shodan ho (Junior Black Belt). In addition to rank advancements, several students received their Instructor's Certification achievement. Congratulations to the following recipients: Renshi Barbara Lamble (Elora) - Instructor Level 3 Renshi Tom Cako (Guelph) - Instructor Level 3 Sensei Ed Charlton (Arthur) - Instructor Level 1 Sensei Matthew Theriault (King City) - Instructor Level 1 Sensei Collin Burns (Arthur) - Instructor Level 2 Sensei Max Bailey (Guelph) -- Junior Instructor Level 1 The Black Belt grading was attended by students representing each C.N.G.K. dojo (Purdy Center for the Arts, Tri-City Training, Elora Karate Dojo, Elmira Karate Dojo, Mapleton Martial Arts, Arthur Karate Dojo, Barry's Bay). There was an excellent display of quality kata, kobudo, kumite, and board breaking. Students were reminded of the importance that "putting in time" will make in order to achieve excellence and quality in technique, and to continually work towards self-improvement in both action and character. Special thanks to Kyoshi J Purdy for his dedication towards his students and their continued growth and development.

By Bigum D (CCVI High School Martial Arts Student) (This essay was written by Centennial CVI graduating student, Bigum D, about the impact of her Martial Arts experience in grades 11 and 12. Students trained everyday in 75 minute classes; training included Goju Ryu Karate, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Judo, Olympic Freestyle Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and several other martial arts. Students also were introduced to martial arts physical preparation and traditional Japanese body conditioning. They also studied philosophy, culture, and other Japanese arts which included presentations on Tea Ceremony, brush painting, calligraphy, etc. Bigum received her Orange belt in Goju Ryu Karate as well as her Martial Arts High School credits. She continues to train with Sensei Tom Cako at Tri-City Training and will do so until she moves cities to attend Engineering program at McMaster University.) "When I first entered the gym first period of first semester of grade 11, I had no idea the changes and surprises I was up for. Sensei Tom welcomed me with a warm smile and a 'hello'. It was this man that would soon become one of my favourite people. I sat down expecting to just have fun in that class and nothing more. Once I got in the groove of the class, I realized how much I did not know and this idea was thrilling for me as I quickly fell in love with the Martial Arts lifestyle. In the past two years, the Martial Arts has transformed my life in restoring balance to me emotionally and intellectually. As I started sparring, I started realizing my lack of control and I did not know why this was, but I believe that the first step to self-improvement is realizing ones' 'flaws'. Slowly over the course of that first semester, I was inspired and pushed in the right directions to gain some self-control. This was applied to every corner of my life and not just in class. I was able to control my anger around my siblings, my anxiety in tests and all that meant less people, including myself, got hurt. Although I learned to keep in my negative emotions, I also learned how to release them the right way so I don't pent up emotions that could possibly destroy me from the inside out. In the dojo I had a few occurrences where I would suddenly start crying. After awhile, I realized that it was less about the physical aspects like exhaustion and hurt, but more so because of my pent up emotions. I would be hit hard and even though it did not hurt much, this triggered all the anger and sadness I had built inside me. After I realized this, I began to let out my mind once in a while and not hold back necessary words when I was upset. It brought a balance to me emotionally as I began to live my life between the hard and soft. Painting and sculpting gave a soft satisfaction to let out my shy and quiet side. But when Martial Arts became a part of my life, I had a medium to release the exact opposite side of me... the adventurous, passionate warrior girl who just wanted to have fun. Secondly, Martial Arts has opened my eyes intellectually to the world outside and within myself. I am a bit of an old soul and philosophy interested me greatly. However, I did not have many learning opportunities to expand myself intellectually until I came across the Martial Arts philosophy. I started realizing that in certain areas I was insecure but the great cultivation side of Martial Arts made me realize that as I have all rights to love myself and that life is too precious to stay with the same old stubborn mindset. This growing self-confidence made me fearless in my personal life, I was more self-respected, more spunky, and unapologetic about my energy. This confidence cleared my view of the world and allowed me to prioritize what things I put my energy and time into. Before Martial Arts, I concerned myself with the petty matters of other people's opinions, the embarrassing moments, and all the small things that will not matter a year from now, or even a month or week from now. After some time, I realized that I should concern myself with people who lift me up, things that are learning opportunities, and things that naturally fill me with energy. My friends, my family and even some of my teachers have noticed a more mellow side of me that I know I did not have before. And that to me, speaks great volumes of my growth both as a martial artist and individual. Lastly, Martial Arts has developed me socially as it has opened my eyes to my flaws and on how to improve them to have better relationships. Before, I would speak my mind and concern it with insignificant matters. Through listening to my senseis and being more bodily aware, I started to be more aware of my actions and words. Because of this, I became more careful with what I say and what I do. I started having better relations with my siblings and friends, which made me even happier in life. Also, Martial Arts has allowed me to get close to people who really understand me and my life philosophy, to be around people who have the same goals in life as me. This kind of connection opened up opportunities for me to express myself around like-minded people and I feel very blessed to have gotten to meet and get close to these individuals in the last two years. Lots of great memories were created there and really gave my high school experience the boost I needed. In conclusion, my experience with Martial Arts has opened up a new world for me; it has made me more emotionally balanced, allowed for intellectual growth, as well as made me a better, more confident, and happier individual."

On Sunday, April 9th, students from three Tri-City Training campuses competed in the CNGK Elora Championships. We are so proud of the efforts of all of our students! Students competed in Kata, Kobudo, and Kumite. Each person displayed excellence of character and demonstrated evidence of hard work. It takes courage to "put oneself out there" and each person who "showed up" should be so proud. Competition doesn't always go as planned and the outcome is not always what one expects it to be, but hopefully there is always a lesson learned and each person can "walk away" somehow a better person. What one learns is not necessarily evident immediately, but in reflection and contemplation we can all improve character or learn something (whether student, spectator, parent or judge). If we allow ourselves to grow - we will. It was an honour for students to watch their Sensei, Tom Cako, compete and when he landed his beautiful technique in kumite - they erupted in an uproar of excitement! Sensei Tom has never asked anything of his students that he is not willing to do himself and Sunday's demonstration of his karate was incredible for his students to witness and share in the experience. Special thanks to Renshi Mike Roberston (Elmira Karate Dojo) and Sensei Barbara Lamble (Elora Karate Dojo), hosts of the CNGK Elora Championships, for a wonderful tournament.

This past weekend the Ditoro brothers, Nick and Joey wrestled hard at the Montreal Open Wrestling Tournament. It was a fantastic experience... always something to learn. Coach Tom Cako was matside to offer support and was proud of the brothers' accomplishments. "It's always a pleasure to witness the character and hard work put forth by "The Brothers', " said Coach Tom, "They leave their heart on the mat and it's an honour to be a part of that." Both brothers ended the day with a silver medal finish. With competition at its peak, it's great to have the Ditoro's leading by example at the tournaments. They have been a great contribution to the coaching staff! We are all looking forward to the rest of this season's chapter and look forward to seeing what they'll bring 'to the mat.'

The CNGK Instructors Retreat at Barry's Bay was a fantastic experience this past weekend! This is an important time of training and planning for C.N.G.K. Instructors and Dojo Heads. The weekend included personal karate training sessions with Kyoshi J Purdy and Tai Chi Sessions with Renshi Mike Robertson. A few braved the ice for hill runs and hauling logs. Every meal was an incredible treat and everyone was spoiled with Brenda's home made treats including a turkey dinner! The delicious meals were followed by more hauling logs, incredible music performances, more training, more amazing food, fantastic fellowship, fun, and relaxation on the beautiful lakefront property. It was an excellent time of training, planning, and connecting! We are looking ahead with anticipation to each of the upcoming C.N.G.K events! We are also looking forward to another year with all our CNGK families! Special thanks to Kyoshi Jay Purdy and Brenda for their kind hospitality! It is wonderful to be part of such a fine group of quality practitioners in the CNGK family.

On Saturday, February 25th, Tri-City Training's finest wrestlers took it to the mats to fight their hearts out! For many it was their first tournament! We are so proud of each wrestler - it takes a lot of "guts" to step out and wrestle. Congratulations to Nick Ditoro and Julia Scappin on their Gold Medal finishes. Special thanks to Joey Ditoro on his fine accomplishment of coaching the team on his own that day. We are grateful for the quality coaches and parent support. Congratulations to each wrestler for 'stepping up' and 'stepping out' -- we are so proud of you!

By CCVI Students This presentation was compiled by CCVI gr. 12 Martial Arts students in preparation for a demonstration of the comparison between Japanese Brush Painting and the Way of Karate. (Sources attached)

We are so proud of each Kinder Karate student on their fine performances! Each student participated in a mini grading and delivered in fine form!!! To celebrate their advancement - students demonstrated board breaking for their parents and participated in belt ceremony. From a very young age these students learn discipline, self-control, body awareness, body conditioning, basic karate concepts and social skills. These wee ones are able to experience the physical, mental, spiritual benefits of martial arts from this very young age. We are so proud of each Kinder Karate student! Special thanks to Zo Wakefield and Emily McAlpine for their help with these busy wee ones.