Page 47 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 121

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #121 February 2023 47

pain and in the worst of cases, been like an enlightened adult, part of the decision. Does he not believe that
It Is What It Is dehumanized and persecuted as a world runs to their room and closes the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone”
people. the door. This is how many felt when campaign is worthy? Does he
By Peter Collins the Flyer’s Ivan Provorov declined not believe that the LBGTQ+
The NHL has decided to promote
diversity through an initiative called to wear a Pride-themed jersey during community deserves inclusivity?
“Hockey is for Everyone”, which a pre-game skate. Provorov stated What sort of belief system or religion
that he chose to “stay true to myself makes, as part of it’s mandate, to
encourages NHL teams to celebrate
n today’s modern world countless the diversity that exists in their and my religion,” in explaining his discount a group of people? He also
Ipeople and groups are promoting respective markets. Sounds like a decision to skip the pre-game skate stated that “he respects everyone, I
diversity. The reason for this is that great idea and since 2017, teams with the uniform. respect everybody’s choices”. The
for so many years, I mean since the have been participating through a Indeed, we live in a society where Britannica dictionary defines respect
beginning of time, society hasn’t series of events. Well, this great idea we do have the freedom to make as “a feeling of admiring someone
done an adequate job of treating hit a snag a few weeks back when these types of decisions. But one can or something that is good, valuable,
people in the minority very well. a player for the Flyers decided not wonder how someone who has made and important”. I have a feeling
In fact, we’ve treated them terribly to participate. Sometimes when we millions of dollars playing a sport, that the LBGTQ+ community in
and with prejudice. Because of think as a people we’re getting ahead, while being supported by a wide Philadelphia is not sensing that vibe
this they’ve suffered immeasurable when society is starting to behave spectrum of fans, can make such a from Ivan Provorov.

KARATE KOMMENTS become smaller, lighter, more durable, and brighter.

When shopping for a light make sure to purchase one with a smooth bezel,
avoiding those with the “cookie cutter” type tops as you certainly do not
want to be carrying something around that looks like a weapon. Shining
By Jim Riddell, a light in an assailant’s eyes can create temporary disorientation, causing

Seaway Karate Club them to cover their eyes, close their eyes, or turn their head, buying you
an extra second or two. You may get by with as little as 100 lumens in
complete darkness, but with any kind of ambient lighting around, at least

Mini Flashlight for Self-defence 200 or more may be required. Choose a light with a single LED bulb,
which allows for a narrow, deep reflector providing a bright focused beam.
n the last Karate Komments column, we discussed non-traditional It should have a tactical tail (bottom) mounted switch with a momentary
FPO
Imartial art weapons or “weapons of opportunity,” which are common (allows for flash) feature. It should be waterproof and rugged enough not
everyday items that have a primary purpose but can be used to defend to break if dropped or used as an impact weapon. Choose a light that is
oneself if necessary. We looked at several items such as a cane, walking large enough to protrude at least one-half inch on either side of your hand,
stick, snowbrush, and umbrella that have some commonality of technique but small enough to be easily carried and readily accessible. Many people FPO
and are quite effective for self-defense purposes. prefer a light with a clip for quick access, as your mini flashlight will be of

One of the everyday items that has drawn the most attention as a self- little use if it is buried deep in a pocket or purse. It is also very important to
defense tool is the mini flashlight. For the past twenty years or more, the choose a light that is simple to operate – some models come with a strobe
mini flashlight has been a part of our self-defence program at Seaway and/or several brightness levels, depending on how many times the tail
Karate. During that time, I have been asked numerous questions ranging cap is pressed – these features will only make things more complicated in
from what model to purchase, where to buy it, what features to look for, a stressful situation. The battery that your light requires is also important,
and what a good price is. The flashlight has been a popular and functional - you may want to consider choosing one that takes AA batteries, as they
tool for more than one hundred years, being patented by the American are reasonably priced and can be purchased almost anywhere. There is no
Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company in 1899. This company shortage of new higher-end brands available online, but Surefire, Pelican,
later became known as Eveready, and today as Energizer, continues to and Streamlight have been around for years and make a quality product. I
be a major provider of flashlights and batteries. The company was quite have a Pelican model 2360 that is at least 8 years old and has stood the test
good in their marketing strategy – they donated many flashlights to the of time. There are numerous good quality lights that are available to choose
NYPD getting written reviews back from the officers, then using these from at our local stores. Rechargeable models have begun to catch on in
testimonials in their advertising, which soon had everyone wanting one the past couple of years and may be an option to consider when shopping
of these “new contraptions.” The flashlight had been used as a protection for a light. Once you have chosen your preferred model, spend a bit of
device by law enforcement for decades, but didn’t really gain popularity as time and become competent with it. Remember, a criminal is looking for
such until the Mag-Light came along in the 1980’s. The real breakthrough, an easy target, not a challenge. Proactive usage of a quality light can make
however, came in 1999 with the use of LED’s which allowed the lights to you appear to be a more difficult target.