MARTIAL ART PROGRAMS
S.M.A. Karate CANADA offers three different systems of martial arts - Shotokan, Gōjū-ryū, and Wing Chun Kung Fu. Shotokan and Gōjū-ryū styles of karate are of Japanese origin and are two of the most recognized styles of Karate worldwide. Wing Chun Kung Fu is a Chinese boxing system that is widely known because of Bruce Lee.
Check out our Program Schedules for all classes and age groups.
Shotokan
Shotokan is an exciting karate style that is very well suited to fighting in open spaces as it employs straight-line offense including devastating kicks and powerful punches. It's founder was Gichin Funakoshi Sensei (1868-1957) on Okinawa Island, Japan.
The three major components of Shotokan are basics (kihon), forms & patterns (kata), and sparring (kumite) . In kihon, Shotokan practitioners focus on developing powerful devastatingly fast and powerful kicks and punches. Kata implements these strikes into a disciplined pattern to train the body and prepare for combat. Finally kumite allows members to experience combat in a safe environment with proper safety equipment.
Shotokan is one of the most practiced and influential forms of karate. The color of a member's belt indicates his/her level of experience and knowledge in Shotokan. All members begin with a white belt and aspire to a black belt, 1st Dan. Once completed, most will continue their journey beyond this to attain progressively higher belt rankings, up to 8th Dan (Master). At S.M.A. Karate CANADA, Shihan Robert Patry, is a 7th Dan Black Belt, the highest ranking Shotokan teacher in Kingston & Surrounding Area.
Goju-Ryu
Gōjū-ryū (hard-soft style) is a very disciplined type of karate well suited to fighting in enclosed spaces such as alleyways. Gōjū-ryū practitioners concentrate on being grounded and breathing correctly to perform powerful strikes and throws. It was formalized into a style of karate by Chōjun Miyagi around the year 1930.
Gōjū-ryū emphasizes a hard/soft philosophy, where the body is soft and inhaling to absorb contact, but hard and exhaling whilst striking or throwing opponents.
Gōjū-ryū builds great character, as its principles of strength through flexibility can be applied to life in general, not only within the dojo. Gōjū-ryū also concentrates on proper distancing from the opponent as well as the concept of 'stickiness,' meaning to follow the opponent and use his/her movement against them.
Like Shotokan, practitioners of Gōjū-ryū begin with a white belt and progress towards a black belt, Dan ranking. Shihan Robert Patry, the leader of S.M.A. Karate CANADA and has a 5th Dan Black Belt in Gōjū-ryū. S.M.A. Karate CANADA has the highest quality Gōjū-ryū practitioners in Kingston & Surrounding Area.
Wing Chun
About 400 years ago, in China, there lived a small family in a village governed by the town of Fatshan. Not wealthy they managed to earn a decent living making and selling Bean Curd. Their family name was Yim.
Their daughter, their only child, was named Ving Tsun; and at the age of seven she was sent by her father to learn Kung Fu at the Shaolin Temple. He was concerned with the riots and mobs afoot at the time. At the temple, Ving Tsun’s teacher was a nun by the name of Ng Miu.
A beautiful young woman, Ving Tsun began to attract a lot of attention from young men in her village. Among the many admirers was a warlord, who’s advances she resisted. In a rage, the warlord caused trouble for the Yim family, and provoked a fight with Ving Tsun’s father. Not himself trained in Kung Fu, Ving Tsun’s father was seriously injured, as was Ving Tsun when she interceded .
Shocked that her training had been defeated, Ving Tsun realized that it had been her opponents strength as well as skill that had defeated her, and she would have to rethink her method of Kung Fu. This problem kept her in a long state of meditation.
One day while out walking, she happened upon a Snake and a Crane fighting in the fields. Fascinated, she realized that she has found the answer; that focusing power with maximum speed could defeat any opponent regardless of his power.
Keeping the fight she had witnessed in mind, Ving Tsun set out about refining and modifying the techniques she had been taught. With confidence rekindled, she the sought out the warlord and soundly defeated him. After this, Ving Tsun organized her new method into a series of forms; Siu Nim Tao ( Little Idea), Chum Kiu ( Searching the Bridge), Biu Chee ( Shooting Fingers) and a series of techniques performed on the wooden dummy ( Mook Yan Jong). Henceforth, followers called this system “Ving Tsun” in memory of its founder.
Weapons
The martial art of stick fighting using a bō. Staffs are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by humankind. They have been in use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. Some techniques involve slashing, swinging, and stabbing with the staff. Others involve using the staff as a pole vault or prop for hand to hand strikes.
Yang Style Tai Chi and Northern Shaolin
Yang Style Tai Chi: The form is taught using 44 seed, which are small groups of movements. The form is 144 combinations long. This trains strength, balance and range of motion. The seeds in combination with push hands are the building block for the self defence.
Northern Shaolin: This system is based on the teachings of Grand Master Yang Shang Mo and then Master Kwok Chan. The student starts with the 33 Shaolin Seeds. These teach the basics of power, precision, spring and balance.