Karate

Sensei Robbert Intveld

The Goju system of karate, as taught by O'Sensei Richard Kim, is the central focus of the Academy. Students are taught through high energy training exercises, exciting partner and group work, and traditional Katas (forms). As the body is developed, the mind and spirit grow. Karateka (Karate Students) gain improved motor skills, increased attention span, improved confidence and sense of respect.

Goju Ryu karate is a Japanese form of karate that traces it's lineage to Higaonna Kanryo, who first brought the Chinese arts to the Naha region of Okinawa. There Chojun Miyagi became a life long pupil of Higaonna and eventually developed the modern karate sytem of GoJu. GoJu is the the melding of two Japanese words- Go (Hard) and Ju (Soft). O'Sensei Richard Kim trained under many masters during his life long passion with the martial arts, include Gogen Yamaguchi, from whom he learned Goju Karate, and passed it on to his direct students.

The first precept of Karate: Karate begins and ends with respect

Kobudo

Sensei Intveld teaches Kobudo

The oldest form of martial arts is weaponry. Okinawan Weaponry was developed by the farmers and fisherman of Okinawa to defend themselves against the Samurai. The Samurai had outlawed weapons for the Okinawans, so all of the weapons are items that would have been present in small, rural communities. Moreover, many of the traditional katas now practiced as open hand, were originally developed to use weapons such as the bo. If a Samurai happened upon an Okinawan who was practicing, it would simply appear as a dance or other innocuous activity.

Sensei Intveld posing with Sai

Okinawan weaponry embraces various implements including the Bo (6 foot staff), Jo (4 foot staff), Tonbo (2 foot stick), Tanto (Knife), Kama (Sickle), and more. Like karate, training in kobudo is heavily aided by the use of katas. Many of these katas bare the names of the masters who originally developed them. As a traditional school, the art is passed on as it was taught without modification. As an active member of the Kokusai Butoku Kai of Canada, Sensei Intveld works with other direct students of O'Sensei Kim to preserve the art as he taught it.

Sensei Joe Fournier teaches Jiu Jitsu

Jiu Jitsu

Through his friend and fellow martial artist, Sensei Joe Fournier, Sensei Intveld has brought Jiu Jitsu and ground fighting in as part of the ongoing self defense training he offers. Jiu Jitsu focuses on holds, throws, chokes, arm-bars and other such submission techniques that have been proven very effective when a fight does go to the round. Since karate focuses mainly on sparring techniques from a standing position, these two styles are an ideal compliment for a complete self-defense training program.

Sensei Robbert Intveld - Tai Chi Instructor at Kennedy Senior Recreation Centre

Tai Chi

Considered a soft-art, Tai Chi utilizes flowing gentle movements that encourage relaxation and meditation. These movements can restore and maintain flexibility as well as helping to develop proper breathing and posture. Elements of Tai Chi are present within aspects of the ongoing training at the Academy. Katas and Tai Chi forms are both forms of meditation. Although from a western perspective, we tend to think of meditation as a sitting or kneeling activity, many martial artists have trained themselves to enter into a meditative state whenever they enter the engage in a form.

Copyright  R. Intveld 2007