日時：2023年4月19日〜23日
場所：カナダ、ケベック州モントリオール
主催：カナダ支部（アンドレ・ギルバート支部長）
4月19日から23日にかけて外舘 慎一師範がカナダを訪問、ギルバート支部主催の一連の行事に特別ゲストとして参加しました。外舘師範は4月19日にカナダ・モントリオール入り、翌20日には受審者稽古を指導しました。受審者稽古には、23日にギルバート道場で開催予定の審査会で初段から四段までの受審を予定している全員が参加、生徒たちは外舘師範の指導内容のレベルの高さに感銘を受けていました。
4月22日にはギルバート支部第32回大会が行われ、北米各地から300名の選手が参加しました。開会式では、外舘師範から選手たちへの激励の言葉をいただき、その力強くも謙虚な挨拶に選手と聴衆から惜しみない拍手が贈られました。大会には、在モントリオール日本国総領事館の齊藤純総領事のご臨席を賜り大会の様子をご覧いただいた他、ジャスティン・トルドー・カナダ首相から祝報も賜わりました。
4月23日のセミナーには200名が参加、北米地区の支部長道場長の95％が出席し連帯を深めました。併せて行われた地区特別昇段審査は、外舘師範にお越しいただくことで、北米地区で初めて初段から四段までの全ての段の審査機会となりました。
全ての行事が素晴らしく、一連の行事の期間中、多くの参加者や受審者から口々に感謝と喜びの言葉をいただきました。この栄えある機会に、暖かく謙虚な人柄と世界トップの指導力を兼ね備えた外舘師範をお迎えする事ができ大変光栄でした。外舘師範は写真や握手を希望する生徒たちにも快く応じて下さり、北米地区新極真会の家族の一員になってくださいました。カナダに来てくださった師範に心よりお礼を申し上げます。
Canada Gilbert Branch 32th Championship and North America Seminar
Date: April 19-23, 2023
Place: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Organizer: Canada Branch (Branch Chief Andre Gilbert)
Canada Gilbert Branch organized a series of events, featuring Shihan Shinichi Sotodate 6th Dan of Japan from 19th to 23rd April 2023.
On April 19th, was the arrival of Shihan Sotodate from Japan to Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The main purpose of his visit was an extraordinary grading exam for all North America.
The first event took place on April 20th. The pre-test for all candidates passing their black belt from shodan to yondan at the dojo of André Gilbert Shihan. The pre-test was a great success, and we were all impressed by the quality of Shinichi Sotodate Shihan’s teaching.
On Saturday, April 22nd, at the opening ceremony of the 32nd championship, the speech given by Shinichi Shihan Sotodate was very much appreciated by the competitors and the public.
Mr. Sotodate received a great round of applause for his very motivating and humbling speech. The Consul General, Mr. Jun SAITO from Consulate General of Japan in Montreal
was also present and was excited to see the enormous progress and the number of competitors for this huge event. We also received a letter from the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr.Justin Trudeau who wished us good luck for the tournament and thus giving a lot of prestige for WKO Shinkyokushin Canada.
At the 32nd Canadian championship, on April 22nd, 300 competitors were present and on Sunday, April 23rd, 200 students (children and adults) were present. The students came from all over North America. During this magnificent seminar, 95% of the North American Branch Chiefs and contacts were present.
The international Shinkyokushin organization is happy to have such a warm, humble and high-class representative for this prestigious event. Mr. Sotodate was kind enough to give time to anyone who wanted to shake hands and take pictures with him. Mr. Sotodate is part of our family in North America. I would like to add that this was the first time in North America that we had a grading for all black belt levels (shodan to yondan). The candidates truly appreciated this event. During the weekend of the championship and the seminar, I was thanked for what I have done for this great organization.
A very humble thank you to Mr. Shinichi Sotodate for his presence in our country.
Shihan André Gilbert