In the News

 

 

Senseis Named to Karate Hall of Fame

The Record

Published: Saturday, June 13, 2009

Local martial arts instructors sensei Bill Hunter and sensei Andy Pruim were inducted together into the West Coast Can-Am Hall of Fame in Vancouver last month.

Hunter and Pruim are both fifth-degree black belts and co-owners of the Tashu Shotowa Karate and Fitness Centre on Sixth Street in New Westminster.

They were recognized for their contributions to the sport of karate during the past 30 years as competitors, officials, coaches and event promoters.

Pruim, a recognized expert in traditional Shotokan karate and kobudo, has trained in Japan with noted master Kanazawa Hirokazu Sensei.

Hunter, a five-time world champion in two divisions with the national black belt league, began his training in New Westminster in 1971.

"Our goal is to train the next generation of athletes so that they, in turn, will be able to share what they learn with those who come after them," said Hunter in a press release.

 
 

VPD Welcomes Dangerous Man to its Ranks

Const. Chris Chin, an actor/stunt man in martial arts films, transfers to Downtown Eastside

By Gerry Bellett, Vancouver Sun, May 1, 2009

 One of the Vancouver Police Department's newest recruits paused for a minute to remember the last movie he was in.

"It was with Steven Seagal. I think it was called Dangerous Man," said Const. Chris Chin, Thursday, as 16 men and women were sworn in as police officers at the Vancouver Rowing Club.

As a title, Dangerous Man might well apply to Chin, considering his martial arts expertise.

He has won more than 200 martial arts awards and is versed in many different techniques from karate to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Chin is a former United States national champion, who once ranked third in the world and first in Canada in martial arts weapons competitions.

For the past five years, Chin, 34, has worked as a police officer with West Vancouver. Now he is swapping Ambleside for the Downtown Eastside.

"I came to Vancouver because I was looking for a change," said Chin, who started work two nights ago. "The VPD has more specialty units. Right now I'm in the beat enforcement team in the Downtown Eastside. Vancouver is a big city and it will be an exciting place to work."

He said his former colleagues in West Vancouver were supportive of his need for change. "They made it a good transition for me."

Along with his impressive list of martial arts credentials are a long list of movie credits including The Last Samurai, Shanghai Noon, Dark Angel and The Outer Limits in which he has appeared as an actor and stuntman.

"They use me primarily for fight scenes, explosions, firearms -- that kind of stuff," he said. "I'm still going to be carrying on with my film career."

Sgt. Howard Chow, who runs the recruiting section, said Thursday's class was the final batch of recruits that would be sent to the B.C. Justice Institute's Police Academy this year, although Chin and two others -- one a former RCMP officer, the other a Transit Police Service constable -- were exempt.

The force is beefing up its numbers in preparation for the 2010 Olympics and will be targeting experienced police officers from other forces for the remainder of the year, Chow said. "We are looking for 25 experienced officers who can come in and basically just switch uniforms."

Chow said his section will be relying on word of mouth among Canada's policing community to find recruits. "We're putting the word out that we want people. We will be telling them about the advantages of joining Vancouver."

Perry Conn served as a police officer in Texas for 10 years. Earlier this year, he emigrated to Canada.

"I moved here four months ago. I came here in 2003 and fell in love with the city," he said.

His wife, Stephanie, was also a police officer in Texas, but since moving to Vancouver has gone back to school to study psychology.

Conn said he expects there will be some differences in policing between Texas and B.C. "I think it's a little more laid back here and there's not as many guns, obviously. I hope I can help out as I've had a lot of experience."

 

He's Making Sense Out of Karate

Blind martial artist perfect at Supergrand karate competition
Tom Berridge, The Record

Published: Saturday, January 24, 2009

Possibilities are all around us.

That is what blind martial artist Randy Kurzeniski found when he lost complete sight in both his eyes six years ago.

Since then, the 49-year-old retired Telus worker has gained an understanding of himself through karate and recently two world titles at the National Blackbelt League's Supergrands world karate championships in Sacramento, California.
On sight: Blind martial artist Randy Kurzeniski punctuates his title-winning karate form with a dramatic flourish.

Kurzeniski, an orange belt, won both the adult novice advanced traditional weapons kata or form, as well as the handicaps form at the Supergrands, both with perfect scores.

What is perhaps more amazing is Kurzeniski also placed third in the open over-18 underbelt traditional weapons division and eighth in the over-35 division.

"Winning the two handicapable divisions was a huge achievement, but placing so high in the other two divisions against fully able competitors was truly remarkable," said Andy Pruim, a sensei at the new Tashu Shotowa dojo on Sixth and Clarkson streets in New Westminster.

Kurzeniski and Pruim knew each other from Telus, where they used to carpool back and forth from work.  At Telus, Pruim worked under Kurzeniski. Now, in the dojo, those roles are reversed. But Kurzeniski doesn't mind one bit.

"Sensei Andy has taken it way farther than my wildest dreams. I was ecstatic."  Kurzeniski lost his sight due to a combination of conditions that slowly left him totally blind.

He was also slowed by a herniated disc in his lower back.  Through conversations with Pruim, Kurzeniski learned about techniques for walking with a cane and some other positions that would ease the discomfort in his back.

Those questions eventually led to answers involving karate.

"You have other treasures and that's the beauty of the martial arts world. We have four other senses and focusing on the others - auditory and tactile - those are truly treasures," said Kurzeniski.

Watching Kurzeniski perform his award-winning kata, one can also see where the real treasure lies.  Pruim's face glows with elation watching his friend and student move about the floor.

His eyes are fixed on the subject. His body twists and flexes in sequence to Kurzeniski's movements. His smile is animated.  "Oh buddy, right on," Pruim said, running up to him after the kata is finished. "Without me saying a word, you were bang on." And then out of earshot of his student. "He can get me in tears, sometimes."

Together the two have spent countless hours taking the visual world into a tactile one.  Randy has learned hundreds of positions, each one formed through Andy's patient hand and commanding voice - left had down, block position, front facing. When the body alignment is right, they put a name to it.

"Double-punch and leg kick and hopefully I'll get out of the way," Andy jokes. It is also obvious the two also have a lot of fun.  And in a nutshell, that is the whole story.

Pruim said moments like that make his 30-plus years as a black-belt instructor of karate all worthwhile.  "This is what I live for. I want to see these guys do well.

Pruim, whom Kurzeniski calls the "kata guru," wants to be that old guy in the corner, who is one day singled out by a former student who is asked the question by a stranger, "Who made the greatest impact on your career?"

"I think the sensei/student relationship is one of friendship and support," Kruzeniski said.  "One thing I realize in the dojo world, it's a special bond. ... What I notice is with his students, it is a special relationship to watch, or listen to ... and then to see how they end up doing physically things they never dreamed they could do."
© The Record (New Westminster) 2009

 
 

Hunter Wins Third Title

Vancouver Sun, Saturday, March 1st,2008

Karate instructor Bill Hunter of New Westminster went undefeated to win his class at the recent National Blackbelt League's Supergrands World Karate Championship in Myrtle Beach, S.C. It was the third world championship in four years for the 5th Dan Black Belt. After the competition, Hunter announced he was retiring to open his own Karate dojo, a training facility for martial arts.

 

World Champ Trains Locals

Fifth-level black belt karate sensei opens new training centre in New Westminster
Alfie Lau, The Record

Published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

After three world championships in four years, Bill Hunter will now help others work toward that achievement.

Hunter, 50, is a fifth-level black belt karate sensei who recently opened up his own studio, the Tashu Shotowa Karate and Fitness Centre, at 52 Sixth St. in downtown New Westminster. Along with wife Terry and business partners Andy and Cheryl Pruim, Hunter wants to share his love of the sport with his students.

"I've got my world titles, and now it's time to help others," Hunter said, referencing his most recent world title, the National Blackbelt League's Supergrands in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which he won in December.

Hunter, who has more than 35 years of karate experience, has won five world titles in an illustrious career that began in 1971. Training and learning from his mentors, Jim MacArthur, Bob Smith and Mark Kaliciak, Hunter became active in promoting martial arts events throughout the Pacific Northwest. Hunter wasn't only a competitor, he served as a coach, judge and referee.

When the last of those mentors retired in 1982, Hunter turned more of his attention toward teaching. By 1991, Hunter had set up a thriving karate studio that ran out of Douglas College and was part of their continuing education program.

With more than 60 students regularly honing their karate skills on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7 to 9 p.m., Hunter was very happy with the arrangement until last autumn, when Douglas College needed more space and Hunter could only run his classes on Friday night from 7 to 9 p.m.

"Friday's the worst night of the week, and it wasn't sufficient for our needs," Hunter said. "We were quite happy at Douglas College until we started getting crowded out, and the writing was on the wall."

At the same time, Andy, whom Hunter had known and trained with for more than 25 years, wanted to open his own karate studio, and the two decided to go into business together.

It didn't take them long to find a 2,000- square-foot facility on the corner of Sixth and Carnarvon streets that was centrally located and had the nice bonus of original hardwood flooring.

With a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of determination, the Tashu Shotowa Karate and Fitness Centre opened in January.

"We've been open nights for karate, but we're opening in the mornings for yoga classes that will be taught by Tricia Keith," Hunter said.

Yoga, which on the surface has nothing in common with karate, was something students had requested. Once the numbers were there for a class, Hunter gave the go-ahead.

"Yoga and karate are actually closer than you think," Hunter said. "Both have an Eastern (Asian) influence, and in terms of fitness, I don't think you can find two better ways to get fit."

If demand warrants, Hunter hopes to expand into tai chi and fitness kickboxing classes in the future. But first and foremost, Tashu Shotowa will emphasize karate, with Randy Hanlon and Krista Lee running kids' programs and Hunter and Pruim teaching higher levels.

"My goal is to help others reach their full potential," Hunter said, "I've got a wealth of tournament experience, and I know what it takes to do well."

Hunter, who has helped promote local karate tournaments for the last quarter century, retired at the top of his game, as his final ranking was number 1 in the world in his age and class.

"It was time," said Hunter. "I wanted to put more time into my school and my students and turn my energies toward them. ... Maybe I can help my students win a world title."