Page 60 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 130

60 Issue #130 November 2023 www.sportsenergynews.com

The Hockey Card Report KARATE KOMMENTS

By Bennett Harty
almost feels like he was built in a
lab or from a video game. By Jim Riddell,
When Thompson was first
traded to Buffalo it was one of Seaway Karate Club
the worst trades in Sabers history,
as the Sabers gave up O’Reilly
for Thompson, Patrik Berglund, Injury Prevention
Vladimir Sobotka, and draft picks. very athlete knows that the best way to deal with injuries is to prevent them
Later that year O’Reilly won the Efrom happening, and for karate practitioners it is no different. The karate
student must learn the correct form and mechanics of the art as well as have a
Conn Smythe and was named good understanding of his/her own body. They must be strong, flexible, properly
captain after Alex Pietrangelo left
trained (but not overstrained), and properly nourished.
the team. On the other hand, the
The sport of karate has evolved over the years and as it has, so have the type
of injuries that we see. In the 70’s and 80’s when karate tournaments were at
fter a long offseason, it feels their peak, impact injuries were the most common type that we would see. Kata
Agreat to see NHL hockey back was an important part of karate and had its place in tournaments, but the Kumite
in full swing. On Tuesday October (sparring) was what attracted larger numbers. This involved a considerable
24th all 32 teams had a game, amount of sparring during class time in preparation for an upcoming tournament.
allowing fans to get a true preview Tournaments were plentiful and most weekends there was one taking place
for what’s to come this year. After somewhere in Ottawa, Gatineau, or Montreal. Most of these tournaments were
watching some of the games it’s quite well run, but people tended to get bumps and bruises either in preparation
easy to identify the players that for or at the competitions. Even though it was not looked at as an “injury” in those
days, many students were often favouring a hand, foot, or rib area that had gotten
have the biggest impact. One of
a bit banged up sparring.
those players is Tage Thompson of pieces the Sabers acquired hadn’t
Tournaments today are, for many reasons, nowhere near as common as in the
the Buffalo Sabers. Even though the quite panned out yet making it
past, therefore the focus has shifted away from sparring. Thirty years ago, getting
Sabers couldn’t come up with a win look like all had went wrong for
a bit banged up in a dojo sparring session was common and bruises or “Karate
against the Habs, they proved again Buffalo. As O’Reilly declined, tattoos “ were a badge of honour. Times have changed and today safety is first
how exciting it is to be a Buffalo Thompson improved more and and foremost and great care is taken to prevent any type of injury. About the
Sabers fan this year. You can see more and hasn’t stopped since he only way that an impact injury could occur today is if a student has improper
this new maturity and composure came to Buffalo. Thompson has mechanics, positioning, or balance when striking a pad or shield. Impact injuries
that the team has built over the last silently proved all the doubters can be prevented with a properly trained pad holder who is in charge and dictates
season’s small successes. wrong and has shown the type the positioning, distance, and intensity level during each type of drill. The pad
of promise that is has been rarely holder should also be responsible for inspecting the pads previous to being used,
A lot of this is shown in and any pad that is torn or showing signs of wear and tear should be immediately
Thompson’s game and his growing seen with the Sabers franchise. removed from service.
With lots of other promising young
experience makes Thompson look Perhaps the most common type of injury that occurs these days is one that is
like he has been in the NHL for talent on the Sabers it won’t be to caused by overtraining. Fortunately, this type of injury can be prevented by the
years. It is on display in the Sabers long before they are making a run instructor changing things up so that students are not doing the exact same thing
at Lord Stanley’s Cup, and if they
lone goal as Thompson starts at class after class. Working through a bit of pain may sometimes be required to get
the top of the circle and sets a ever climb that mountain, Tage through a belt grading or even tough class, but this does not mean ignoring pain
Thompson is my odds-on favorite
“pick” which allows Jeff Skinner until continuing becomes impossible - common sense must prevail at all times. It
to wire it home. Having that type to win the Conn Smythe! is very important that a student and his/her instructor learn to recognize an issue
of instinct to play off the puck and That will be all for this month’s and to take proper and immediate measures to promote a full recovery. There are a
few things that students can do to help prevent injuries: 1) try to arrive a bit early
create chances for your teammates edition of the Hockey Card Report.
for and get a bit of light stretching in before class. 2) Get an adequate amount
is possessed by very few in the Stay tuned for next month’s edition
of sleep, maintain a balanced diet, and stay properly hydrated. 3) Take a Karate
league. Not only does Thompson of the Hockey Card Report, when Coaching course- this will cover safety and injury prevention. 4) Standard First
possess an elite level hockey mind, we update the Ovi watch after a Aid and CPR; this is often a requirement before testing for Blackbelt. The skills
but he is also 6’6”. His size might slow start for the Caps! Good luck and knowledge gained at these courses may come in handy elsewhere in life, not
not even be the biggest factor of his to all players and let’s enjoy the just at karate class.
game as his puck handling abilities best season of them all; the Hockey Karate Quote: What you become often depends on what you can overcome.
are off the charts in this league, it Season!