Border battle ensues at the Southern Ontario Open

--Andrew Cabilan

WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA – With a name like the Southern Ontario Open, one would automatically think that this was a tournament somewhere in the outskirts of Toronto. However, this Southern Ontario Open was actually held at the Southwestern-most tip of Ontario in the border city of Windsor. The newest addition to the NMAC Can-Am Tour, first-time promoter Brian Brunelle definitely hosted a tournament with plenty of promise and potential. With a large facility that could easily dwarf the facilities held at World-level competitions, the St. Denis Centre at the University of Windsor provided a spacious environment where competitors and spectators can freely roam the competition floor without bumping into others. In fact, in between the rings were spaces large enough for two rings where competitors can warm up prior to competing. The highlight of the event were the hand-crafted Torino Olympic-inspired medals, which were well worth their weight in Gold.

For those not familiar with Brunelle, he is no stranger to the competition scene. Under the tutelage of World Famous Weapons Champion, Mike Bernardo, Brunelle in his early teens captured many Forms and Weapons wins in the NASKA Circuit with stiff competition from the likes of Jon Valera, Mike Chaturantabut, Bernadette Ambrosia and Carmichael Simon (just to name a few). After a lengthy absence from the scene, Brunelle returned as hot as fire by competing in and qualifying for the 1st WKC World Championships in Dublin, Ireland late last year and managed to capture a Silver Medal in Freestyle Forms. Not bad for someone who had been away from competing in over ten years. Following the ways of his mentor instructor, he made the smooth transition from competitor to promoter. Bernardo’s meticulous organizational skills definitely rubbed off on Brunelle as this event started sharply on time and without the delays which usually plague tournaments run by first-time promoters. In fact, in the last few days leading up to the tournament, Brunelle could be found pacing back and forth with phone in hand ensuring that those who made a promise to be at the event would indeed be present.

The event was well attended by Windsor natives and neighbouring Michiganites which makes this event the new “border battle” event of modern times. Making the short trek over the Ambassador Bridge was World Fighting Champion Richard Plowden, who lent his hand judging throughout the day. When he wasn’t judging, he was at the corner of his son, Richard Jr. Following in his father’s footsteps, Richard Jr. continued the winning family tradition as he easily blitzed his way to victory and captured the Men’s Fighting Grand Championship and the cash, defeating Mark Santoro and Lawrence Collymore en route to the victory. Also present in large numbers was Conell Loveless’ delegation of talented Forms and Fighting competitors. Daughter Noel Loveless “stepped up” her game by entering the Adult divisions as a mere 16 year old and was able to claim top honours in her Forms division with her rendition of Annan. Local Windsor natives also showed their support by judging various divisions throughout the day. Long time Windsor Goju-Ryu patriarch Conroy Copeland made an appearance and judged a myriad of divisions the entire day. Last but not least, Windsor’s “karate kid” Mark Santoro made a strong showing by capturing a win in Men’s Black Belt Weapons and Lightweight Fighting. Making a surprise appearance to Windsor was Blake Patterson. Rarely seen at tournaments, the Burlington native made the short trek to Windsor and brought a large group with him, most of them taking top honours in their Forms and Fighting divisions.

With Hamilton’s “Circle of Friends” tournament postponed for the year, the Southern Ontario Open was the host for the first leg of the popular “Triple Team Kata Challenge”. As always, competitors always anticipate the new teams formed and once again, there were plenty of surprise pairings. Noticeabley absent were two out of the three individuals from last year’s winning team, Team SLR. This left Lawrence Collymore without a permanent team for 2010. The same held true for Mark Santoro, who in 2007 and 2008 was part of the winning team, Team RAM, consisting of Ryan Young and Alexa Littleton. Tressa Young, who in previous years has basically been on “pick up” teams, was also looking for a team to be a part of this year. So who would this year’s team pairings be? Brunelle Karate was in full force with three teams consisting of talented up-and-coming Juniors. Relative newcomer, Jamie Kerr joined forces with Tressa Young and Mark Santoro to form “The Flyers”. Lawrence Collymore, who is now a member of Straight Up, re-joined forces with former Pro Rank teammate, Andrew Cabilan and the newest rising star of the NMAC, Steph Verschuren. With such equally formidable pairings, the 2010 Team Kata Challenge will sure be one to watch! Both Cabilan and Kerr performed Traditional katas, with Cabilan receiving the higher score of the two. Collymore, usually regarded as a traditionalist, decided to compete with a Creative form against Tressa Young’s Extreme musical form with Collymore narrowly edging Tressa. The final battle for Team Form supremacy was a “Battle of the Bos” with Mark Santoro and Steph Verschuren performing Creative routines. Verschuren wowed the audience with a performance exhibiting dexterity, speed and precision. Santoro, who consistently performs flawless routines, had some misfortune with him this time around as he dropped his bo twice during his performance, resulting in a no-score. As a result, “Team 2BGAA” claimed the first victory of the Team Kata Challenge. Who will rise up to the challenge at the Ontario Grand Nationals and Toronto Tournament of Champions? Stay tuned.

“Quality over quantity” accurately described the Adult Black Belt divisions at this event. Although, on average, there were five competitors in each division, each competitor was equally skilled and of high calibre. In the 18+ Weapons division, Jamie Kerr, Steph Verschuren, Lawrence Collymore and Mark Santoro provided entertaining performances which made judging an arduous task. Kerr, who performed with the oar for the first time, accidentally cracked his weapon during a floor strike and threw off the pace of his form. Verschuren and Collymore both performed strong routines but it was the creative styling of Windsor native Mark Santoro that would take the win. In the Traditional Forms division, it was a head-to-head battle between Collymore and Kerr. The more reserved Kerr almost pulled an upset with his performance of Seipai but the powerful and intensity of Collymore’s Koryu Gopaisho would receive the nod of the judges, winning merely by .01 over Kerr. The 30+ divisions was all Andrew Cabilan as he managed to claim top honours in both the Forms and Weapons divisions. In the Forms Grands, Cabilan elected to bow out and this left Collymore to face Santoro for the trophy and the cash. A slight weapon bobble by Santoro took him out of contention for the title and cash and Collymore, once again, received the vote of the judges. On the Junior side of things, Tressa Young continued her winning streak by winning the Forms Grand Championship, winning all of her Forms and Weapons divisions during the day.

On a Facebook status update immediately after the day’s festivities, Linda Young (Tressa’s mother) defined the event as “fun” and “promising”. With Brunelle’s continued dedication to bring forward a tournament which the whole family can enjoy, it should be no surprise that this will be a well-attended event in the future. With neighbouring state Michigan a dominant force in Fighting, those desiring an opportunity to spar with National and International champions should definitely consider the trek to Windsor next year. Not to be outdone, however, are Ontario Forms fanatics who are always seeking new challenges – ones that are usually not present at Central Ontario events. Be sure to mark your calendar next year for this delightful event for the beginner and experienced competitor – the Southern Ontario Open!