13th Annual CKKA Convention Weekend
Waterloo, Ontario – March 29th-31st, 2019
What a weekend! The biggest and best yet!! We want to thank Sifu David Moylan and Lee Deline of the Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy for organizing, hosting, and running this year’s event.
Held at The Inn of Waterloo, the weekend saw well over 300 students, instructors, and their family members for many events such as our Association Annual General Meeting, Tournament Competition, Martial Arts Seminars, Banquet with Demonstrations and Award Ceremony, Form Certification, and Rank Gradings.
Many of the out of town guests arrived Friday evening to a warm and welcoming group of students and instructors from WKFA helping direct where anyone might need to go, as well as helping them with their event items.
With many volunteers, they made quick work of their tasks in helping everyone pick up their registration packages, as well as set up the many mats and rooms needed for the events throughout the weekend.
Our Annual General Meeting went very well, with some productive discussions and directions for the association over the next year. We look forward to accomplishing our goals, and to be able to share the results of them with all of you soon!
Saturday morning kicked off with a full banquet hall just short of 200 competitors ready to show off all their hard work in preparation for this year’s competition. There were wonderful displays of Kata, Forms, Weaponry, Sparring, Creative, and Team Performances across all age and rank levels.
After a short lunch break, the Seminar Training Pods began. About 100 students had the wonderful opportunity to learn from many masters of Martial Arts of several different disciplines, and it looked like everyone could not have been more than happy to get to see and train and work with so many of their dear friends and instructors who they have the chance to see once a year at these events.
The evening then moved onto the Banquet, where over 200 hungry individuals had the chance to see some of the best Martial Arts Demonstrations around provided by our association clubs. WKFA kicked off the entertainment with a Chinese Lion Dance, followed by Double Dragon Martial Arts with a Dragon Dance and Martial Arts Demo. Johanis Karate School presented next, followed by 3 Fired Martial Arts, Kitchener Kicks, and again WKFA to book-end the entertainment. Interspersed with the demonstrations was many awards presented for Student of the Year to many of our CKKA schools, as well as some very important awards in recognition for the following individuals:
Wilson Chung Memorial Award – Henry Choo Chong (Black Belt Institute)
Humberto Medeiros Memorial Award – Muzammal Nawaz (Black Belt Institute)
Ron Day Memorial Award – Gee Wong (Kitchener Kicks)
Tony Chong Memorial Award – Rick Dupuis (Valois Kung-Fu)
CKKA Lifetime Achievement Awards – Doug (Bear) Foskett & Doug Horton
Also, of important note was the following rank promotion presentations to some of our senior CKKA instructors:
6th Degree Black Sash & Title of Sigung – David Moylan (Waterloo Kung-Fu Academy)
7th Degree Black Sash – David Hackett (Kitchener Kicks)
7th Degree Black Belt – John Johanis (Johanis Karate School)
8th Degree Black Belt – Noel Davis (TKA Martial Arts)
8th Degree Black Belt – Mike Watson (Watson’s Family Karate School)
Lastly, was some special thank you awards to David Moylan and Lee Deline of WKFA for organizing and hosting this year’s event.
Sunday morning began with a seminar taught by our Grand Master of the CKKA, Si Tai Gung David Chong, instructing almost 50 students in the Shaolin Spear vs. Broadsword Form. The spear side was taught this year, and the Broadsword side will be ready to teach everyone at next year’s event.
The last part of the weekend saw 33 students performing for Animal Form Certification and Black Sash Ranking. Judged by a strict panel of some of our senior CKKA instructors, Steve Rushmere, Darrell Couchie, Marc Valois, Si Tai Gung David Chong, Ken Tallack, Noel Davis, and David Hackett oversaw the examination procedures with Kyle Cochrane and Karen Gray assisting.
Congratulations to the following students for their great accomplishments:
Animal Form Certification
Iron Wire – Andreas Helmer, Caiden Carter, Dominique Picard, Nash Scharlach, Piper Scharlach, Ryan Peever, Sage Scharlach, and Steven Ecclestone
Leopard – Austin Eltherington, Ben McKaig, and Jayden Reger
Dragon – Justin Dakin, Leona Zuchlinski, Mia Pilon, Michelle Pilon, Riley Vacheff, and Matt Lord
Tiger – Charles Ecclestone and Jennifer Ecclestone
Crane – Samuel Crabtree
Two Door – Kyle Cochrane
Snake – Rick Dupuis
Black Sash Rank Certification
1st Degree Black Sash – Piper Scharlach
2nd Degree Black Sash – Hailey Day, Steven Ecclestone and Jennifer Ecclestone
3rd Degree Black Sash – Christine Rabong, Charles Ecclestone, Dominique Picard, Logan Weaver, and Lori Davis
4th Degree Black Sash – Matt Lord and Rick Dupuis
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, and we cannot wait until next year’s convention weekend where we can do it all again! We will let everyone know approximately where and when as soon as we possibly can.
We want to heartfully give a big thank you to everyone who attended, it would have not been the success it was without your support. We look forward to seeing you all again next year!
- Sifu Kyle Cochrane (Tallack Martial Arts)
Canadian Karate Kung-Fu Association
Tallack Martial Arts - Tallack's Karate Kids School Program 