self-protection class
By Mike Legare, Sensei
Hiscoe Jiu-jitsu
It’s been written before, and it will most likely be written again in our headlines: “Teen girl raped and killed by two or more assailants”. As a father of two young girls, there exists a part of myself that is never quite at peace. Never at peace, because to have children, is to give hostages to fate. Tragedy is becoming more and more the norm when it comes to fate and the female species of our culture in our time.
Alex Legare demonstrates form in Can-Ryu Jiu-jitsu.
A girl in our time has to live by a different set of rules than a boy does. And if a girl chooses to ignore these rules, she literally places her life at risk.
Young girls have become deprived of the experience of true freedom. It would not be too far from the truth to say, that for young girls in today’s times, it has become open season. In our culture, many males actually hunt to rape and kill young women. This is a cold truth.
In the 1990s it was the disgusting rapes and murders of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy that captured our attention. Today in the headlines we read about the gruesome rape and murder of 13 year old Nina Courtepatte. What we really dread, is that our own daughters don’t become these same statistics.
So what can we do to protect ourselves and our loved ones? Education and awareness goes without saying, but is it really enough? It is crucial that young women learn basic and simple forms of self-protection. Karate, Kung fu, and Tae Kwon-Do are great art forms, but it is also true that for these systems of self-defence to be effective, it takes many years of training to perfect.
Young females don’t have years to place into training. They need a system of self-protection that can teach them something useful in a very short period of time that is not overly complicated or a money grab. A system that is not only good enough for civilians, but for law enforcement as well.
I am a registered black belt with the Canadian Jiu-jitsu Union and a member of the Jiu-jitsu British Columbia Society. I teach a system of jiu-jitsu entitled Can-Ryu, which was developed by Professor George Sylvain. Mr. Sylvain was a Canadian Military Police officer during the Korean War. In 1964, he became the Chief Instructor for the RCMP self-defence instructors at Rockliffe, Ontario.
Can-Ryu Jiu-jitsu was brought to Western Canada by Shihan Steve Hiscoe from Eastern Canada. Shihan Hiscoe, a police officer residing in Chilliwack, BC, holds a seventh degree black belt. Can-Ryu Jiu-jitsu remains consistent of four basic principles:
• Gross motor skills verses fine motor skills: Using whole body movements are easy to learn and easier to employ under stressful conditions, whereas fine motor skills take many years to perfect.
• Simplicity: “the three minute rule”. If it takes any longer than three minutes to teach a technique and any longer than three minutes for the student to simulate that technique, then we simply don’t teach it.
• Commonality of technique. Under stressful conditions people are prone to forget what they have learned for self protection. By using the same escape for many forms of attack or holds, a person can avoid brain stall.
• Multiple assailants. Training the mind to subconsciously look around for other assailants. Attacks usually involve more than one assailant against their intended victim.
We here at Hiscoe Jiu-jitsu High Level Dojo, are holding a one evening women’s self-protection class on March 30 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. at Spirit of The North Middle School in High Level, AB. The class will be four hours in length and will consist of a no-nonsense form of self-protection for women with a realistic approach. The cost will be $10 per person with all proceeds going toward breast cancer research. To register, please call 780-841-0794. All donations are tax refundable. Receipts, hand out material, and participation certificates will be available.
Come and learn and give to a great cause.
By James Bisson
The Yukon showed it can party just as hard as the rest of the country. On February 23rd Whitehorse put on a show rich in northern pageantry at a stirring opening ceremony to kick off the 2007 Canada Winter Games, the first ever held north of the 60th parallel. Dozens of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, attended the two-hour kickoff to the the Games.
``From east to west, from north to south, isn't it great to be Canadian?'' Harper asked a screaming mob of nearly 4,000 athletes, coaches, volunteers and fans. ``Seeing the faces of you young athletes, I know these are going to be the best Canada Games yet.''
Harper, flanked by a half-dozen Mounties, officially opened the Games as he joined premiers from the three territories, which have collaborated to co-host the largest multi-sports event ever held in the north.
``You will have much to see, and over the next two weeks, I'm sure you'll enjoy your time here,'' said Yukon premier Dennis Fentie. ``It is with great pride that I welcome all of you.''
Northern hospitality was the focus of the ceremony, beginning with a pre-recorded message from Whitehorse mayor Bev Buckway. From there, a number of local singers, dancers and performing artists showed off their talents in one of the grandest-ever showcases of Northern entertainment.
At one point, all three stages at ATCO Place hosted Inuit performances simultaneously. On the left, a group of young people interacted with hand gestures to the pounding of drums. A throat-singing duet crooned on the middle stage, while to the right, competitors performed a demonstration of the one-foot-high-kick, a popular Inuit Games event.
While temperatures outside hovered near -30 C, the atmosphere inside was white-hot. Athletes chanted, waved and tossed souvenirs into the crowd as they marched into the venue. Harper offered waves and applause as each team passed by.
The largest cheer of the day was reserved for the host Yukon team, which entered last to a thunderous standing ovation from fans and fellow athletes alike.
Games chairman Larry Smith had some simple advice for the athletes.
“Compete, have fun, make new friends,” said Smith. “This is only the beginning.”
The audience went wild when six former Canada Games athletes presented this year's Games flag: wheelchair basketball player Lisa Franks, kayaker Sue Holloway, bobsleigh icon Dave MacEachern, cross-country skier Sharon Firth, world-champion figure skater Brian Orser and hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser.
The sextet passed the giant flag on to members of Team Quebec, which won the flag award at the 2003 Canada Winter Games in Bathurst and Campbellton, NB. The flag was then hoisted to the rafters, where it will remain until the Games conclude March 10.
Orser, who competed in the 1975 Winter Games in Lethbridge, AB, was thrilled to be part of this year's festivities.
``When you look at this group of athletes from all of the provinces and territories, the future Olympic medallists are here,'' said Orser. ``It's exciting to look around and see who these kids are.''
Orser said the 2007 Winter Games are especially significant, not only because of the location, but because of the event's proximity to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
“I think there will be an extra bit of competitiveness and drive because of the Olympics being in Vancouver,'' Orser said. “The kids are driven, and this will bring out the best in them.''
Friday's opening ceremony concluded with a touching moment involving local politician Peter Milner, who was instrumental in bringing the Games to Whitehorse. Milner, nicknamed the Director of Fun, died in 2004 after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Milner's granddaughter Eva was presented with the main torch and, with a little help, lit the cauldron signifying the official opening of the Games.