This event is for students aged 4-13, white belt to blue belt.
To date, our dojo is the only one is BC that hosts an event based on the fundamentals of karate.
Participants are active for the majority of the event, as the 5 to 6 rings run concurrently and all groups rotate every 20-30 minutes. Stations include Paddle Kumite, Kata, Kumite or Tag Kumite, timed Obstacle Course, Fitness (pushups, planks, standing high jump, etc), and Kihon. There is also a Team Kata event, which is usually after the lunch break. The entire event is finished by 2pm.
The Skills Challenge was designed by Donna Gardecki to reflect the training and competitive needs of the young athletes as defined by our new Long Term Participant (Athlete) Development model (LTPD).
Team Kata
Paddle kumite
Kids getting ready for the obstacle course
Ribbons for achievements!
Our annual Skills Challenge this year was held in March. Due to lower-than-expected enrollment, we had to change venue from a school gym to our own cozy dojo. The tight space made for some changes to the way the event was run, but we plan to return to the larger-scale event in March 2026! Please plan to join us!