This is the 5th year Ontario has had the pleasure of hosting Sensei Wicks’ Canadian training. As always, our training is focused primarily on the Black Belts, providing them with world class instruction in a small group setting. There were 9 hours of evening group training, 4 hours of semi-private training in the afternoon, and the Dan grading on the last afternoon session. Canada has been lucky to be able to have this kind of focused training for the Black Belts as you would not be able to get this kind of training anywhere in the world outside of the England Leaders training which normally consists of 50 or more Black Belts.

This year, Kata training was emphasized, as Sensei Wicks took us through Seishan, Pinan Shodan, Niseishi, Jion, & Rohai kata in the evening group training, and Kushanku & Chinto kata during the semi-Private training. During the evening group training we also covered Kihon #1, Idori #2, Tanto Dori #4 & #9, and Sensei Wicks also showed us some interesting Jiyu Kumite drills. To finish off the evening sessions Sensei Wicks ran us through a core workout before the cool down. The afternoon sessions allowed the Dan grading candidates to prepare for their test, and for the rest of us in the session to go through some of the items in the new grading syllabus.

Congratulations to this year’s successful Dan grading candidates:
Tony Stranges – Shodan
Benedict Vieira – Shodan

We will not be bringing Sensei Wicks to Canada next year as we will be attending the 2017 WIKF World Championships in Curacao and attending his seminars there. Look for Sensei Wicks to be here again in 2018.