The Jake Connolly Recognition Award

On Sunday June 9th, we hosted our annual in-house tournament and fundraiser, in memory of Sensei Jake Connolly who passed away on January 9, 2023.

The event was well attended as usual and we would like to thank all the parents & family members who showed up to support the students.

The students put on a great show in both kata and continuous sparring. There was some outstanding matches and I'm glad to say that although some students took hard shots from their opponents, they showed tremendous courage and strength in defending themselves.

There was overwhelming support for the winners and we're shocked to see how generous our sponsors were. In total, we raised almost $5,000.00 which will to go mental health issues and enrolment for a student from low income families.

This year we also created an annual award to be given to a student, selected by the instructors, who exhibits compassion, patience and camaraderie. This year, the recipient was Cole Hatala. He received a personal award and his name has been added to the annual memorial plaque.

In addition, we created a plaque for the most helpful and respected Sensei. The winner was Sensei Ligaya Stinellis.

​

​