Following an impressive showing at a northern tournament in January, the Thompson Karate Club returned to The Pas on April 21 to compete in the 2018 JKA Canada National Karate Championship.
Nine members of the club attended this tournament and ended up capturing 11 medals altogether in the choreographed kata categories and in the sparring section of the competition known as kumite.
Gerry de Beer walked away from this event with the biggest medal haul out of his group, picking up two gold and a silver in kata, kumite and team kata, respectively.
De Beer’s fellow athletes Brayden Osmond, Teyara Braun, Max Nerbas and Pamela Lawhead also made their presence known by capturing two medals apiece.
According to sensei Peter de Beer, this collective effort on behalf of his students was “fantastic,” especially since it marked their first time competing in a tournament of this scale.
Moving forward, he’s hoping that this result will encourage them to participate in next year’s JKA Canada national tournament, which is set to take place in Winnipeg in April.
While the Thompson Karate Club isn’t holding classes right now, they’re aiming to start up again in September 2018, when they will be hosting sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays at École Communautaire La Voie du Nord.
For more information on the Thompson Karate Club, contact Peter de Beer at mushudebeer@hotmail.com.
Thompson Karate Club results at the 2018 JKA Canada National Karate Championship:
- Max Nerbas (bronze in kumite for males aged 10 and under and silver in team kata)
- Teyara Braun (gold in kata for females aged 10 and under and silver in team kata)
- Gerry de Beer (gold in kata, gold in kumite for males aged 11–13 and silver in team kata)
- Pamela Lawhead (gold in kata and silver in kumite for adult females)
- Vani Varma (silver in kumite for females aged 10 and under)
- Brayden Osmond (silver in kata and bronze in kumite for males aged 11–
- 13)
- Peyton Robinson (bronze in team kata)
- Jeeya Pagedar (bronze in team kata)
- Soliman El-Rennewi (bronze in team kata)
