Page 20 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 63

20 February 2018 Issue #63 www.sportsenergynews.com

NGS Novice C Braves Win
The Attributes: Balance

‘A’ Title in Carleton Place

West Carleton Warriors, NGS won
By Jim Riddell, By Todd Anderson a nail-biter 1-0. Labelle recorded

Seaway Karate Club he NGS Novice C Braves were his second-straight shutout while
Tthe champions at a tournament Theo Manson was named the game’s
hosted by the Carleton Place Kings hardest worker after scoring the only
on December 27. goal of the match.
n the past few issues we have looked at the attributes, or components of The visiting Braves defeated the
Ikarate that all serious practitioners should strive to improve. Each of host Kings in the final game of the day
these components is an individual stand-alone attribute but they all work by a 2-1 score. After falling behind
hand in hand with each other. So far we have looked at speed, power, 1-0 just under three minutes into the
and timing; each very important components that can be enhanced by match, NGS scored 25 seconds later
improved balance. It doesn’t matter how fast and strong you are, or how to knot the score at 1-1. Payton Leger
scored from Alex Matta. Matta then
mechanically correct your kicks and punches are, without proper balance
scored the game-winner early in
they will never reach maximum effectiveness.
the third period assisted by Leger
Balance relates to your centre of gravity, which is the balance point in to secure the championship. Quinn
your body. For most of us that point is located in the lower part of our Anderson was named the hardest The NGS Novice C Braves
captured the A championship
upper body. Your centre of gravity can be raised or lowered depending worker of the game for NGS.
in Carleton Place on December
on how your weight is shifted in various stances. For example, a horse “It was a back-and-forth game, 27. Pictured front from left are:
riding stance has a lower centre of gravity than a high narrow stance and is with good chances and big saves by Alexandre Matta, Izaiha Labelle,
therefore more stable. While a low stance may be more stable, it lacks the both teams,” said Head Coach Kevin Payton Leger, Travis Bergeron,
mobility of higher stances. A stance may be very stable in an attack from Anderson. and Quinn Anderson. Middle row:
Kevin Anderson (head coach),
one direction but unbalanced in another direction. As a student moves up The Braves opened the tournament Brady Beck, Cameron Sieber,
with a one-sided 11-0 victory over
through the belt ranks he / she, with the help of the instructor will identify Ben Pare, Theo Manson, Damien
efficient movement controlling the centre of balance allowing for smooth the Richmond Royals. Izaiha Labelle Martin, Dylan Arial, Matt Manson
recorded the shutout with Cameron (assistant coach). Back row:
and proficient technique.
Sieber securing the hardest worker Darryl Beck (assistant coach),
Continued repetitions will improve every aspect of karate - kicks, punches, award in the win. Ayeisha Khan (assistant coach),
and Lisa Labelle (trainer).
self-defence, sparring, and kata. When punching, the knee should be In their second game against the Photo Submitted
slightly bent with both feet planted and pushing off against the floor. A
slight lean in the direction of the punch will add body weight to the strike Brought to you by Scores
but care must be taken not to over extend. It is a little more difficult to Athlete of the Month
maintain proper balance while kicking, because when the kick is executed
the bodyweight must be directly over the supporting leg. During the kick,
one’s foundation is only as wide as the foot that you are standing on. For Matthew Briggs
this reason, in both self-defence and sparring situations, one of the best Hometown: Clayton, New York
times to displace your opponents balance is when they are on one leg. School: Ontario Hockey Academy

Age: 17 Grade: 12
If your balance has gotten a bit “out of shape” there are many drills to help
“The one special thing about Matthew is he comes
get it back. Here are a few simple ones: to play every game the same way,” says OHA U18
coach Brent Loney. Matthew Briggs plays hard: He
1) Take a forward stance with your eyes closed and hands in on guard
has scored 5 goals for OHA in his last two games,
position. Very slowly raise your right leg and extend it into a front kick. including one short-handed and two power play
You will feel your muscles making little adjustments to keep you from markers.
falling over – those are the ones that you are conditioning with this drill. Matthew is the team captain. “His competition level
is amazing, and he leads by example every shift,”
Your arms should not wave. (3-one minute reps with each leg.)
says Coach Loney. This young skater plays right wing and can step in at centre when
2) Take a forward stance with your eyes closed and your hands in the the occasion demands.
on-guard position. Raise your right knee so your thigh is parallel with the For Matthew, the best part about playing hockey is how he gets to travel and see different
parts of the world. One thing he particularly likes about playing and studying at OHA is
floor, then slowly lean to the front, then to the back and then side to side. he gets to meet and play with people from all over the world.
(3 reps of 30 seconds with each leg) Along with his hockey aspirations, this team captain and aspiring engineer is attaining
his academic goals and hopes to play for and graduate from a D 1 school in the states.
3) In a forward stance with your hands up and your eyes open very slowly
He believes hockey will be an important part of his life, whatever he does.
throw a front kick, retract the leg, chamber, and slowly throw a sidekick,
retract, chamber, execute a roundhouse kick, then a back kick; all without Delivery Available
putting the kicking foot back on the floor. If this is no problem you can ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT
add a crescent kick followed by a hook kick. (1 set of 10 reps with each SOUP, SALAD AND FRUIT BAR
leg].

Balance is a very important but often overlooked component of Karate -
the good news is that with some balance drill training it can be quickly
and easily improved. 960 BROOKDALE AVENUE, CORNWALL
613-935-7777