About 300 competitors from across Alberta and Saskatchewan will be converging in St. Paul this Nov. 6 to take part in a Genbukai Canada karate tournament, sponsored by the northeast Alberta region.
“The tournament will be bringing in people from Calgary, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Lloydminster, Battlefords and some others,” said Calvin Leckie, local karate instructor, adding that about 20 local competitors will also take part in different divisions, from junior beginners to advanced black belt. “Through competition, the students are able to further develop their own skills and increase their self-confidence.”
Eleven-year-old Gemma Pagé is a veteran in taking part in tournaments, with the 11-year-old estimating this will be her seventh competition. But she notes taking part in front of friends and family in St. Paul will be a little different for her. “It just makes me feel more nervous because it’s in my own town.” However, each tournament gives her a chance to improve her skills, “and sometimes I like to try to win medals,” she adds.
Karate action starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning at Glen Avon School and runs through the day, with six events running at any given time on each of the six rings to be set up. Four styles of karate will be taking place: the kata, where students follow a set pattern of movements against imaginary opponents; the kumite, a fighting event that involves non-contact or light contact point sparring; weapons kata, where students will use any number of traditional Japanese weapons to perform a pattern of movements; and team kata, where three students/competitors perform patterns together.
The annual tournament moves from places like Edmonton and Saskatoon to northeast Alberta, and the last time St. Paul hosted it was in 2004. This year will mark 20 years that karate instruction has been available locally, Leckie said, adding that part of the reason the town was chosen as a tournament site this year was to mark St. Paul Karate’s anniversary.
He was excited about the upcoming tournament and the opportunity to raise awareness that karate is an active sport in the area and the profile of karate in general.
Leckie welcomed spectators to come down and take in some of the action. “We get a lot of family members, but community members are definitely encouraged to attend.”
A concession is also available and will be run by the St. Paul Girl Guides as a fundraiser for the group’s summer camp.