Awards and Prizes, Achievements and Acclamations
Fought in well over 130 tournaments since my first one April of 1991, in Point Sparring, Kata, Continuous Sparring, Kickboxing, Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu, earning:
- 65 Golds and 1 gold in Brazil
- 44 Silver and 1 Silver in Brazil
- 36 Bronze
- 7 time Kata/Forms Grand Champion
- 4 time Sparring Grand Champion
- 4 time Honourable Refereeing/Juging award winner
- Best in town fighter – Kickboxing – 2001
Amateur Fight record: 9 wins, 2 TKO and 3 KO and 3 losses, in Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts
- 2001 Canadian Golden Gloves WKA Middleweight Title Belt
- 2007 Canadian Modified Muay Thai Middleweight Title Belt
- Fought five times in Thailand 3 wins, 2 losses
2001 – Introduced and trained several times in Bangkok and the WMC Lamai Camp on Koh Samui Thailand, with Coach Stephan Fox, the Vice President of the World Muay Thai Council and the General Secretary of I.F.M.A. (International Federation of Muay Thai Associations). Since then, I have chaperoned a group of Canadians for 4-6 weeks each year for the past 21 years to the WMC camp, with owner Ralph Beale and the amazing team of instructors, for an intense, amazing training course and a chance to fight abroad.
- Training since Sept. 1990.
- Teaching since 1992.
- Black Belt first degree May 5, 1995.
- Jan. 1996-present – Appointed Co-Head Instructor of Arashi-Do Martial Arts and 1 of 3 Board members on the Arashi-Do Black Belt Certification Committee.
- Black Belt second degree Dec. 5, 1998.
- Black Belt third degree March 4, 2006.
- Red Belt Arashi-Do Sniper Mixed Martial Arts.
- Black Belt with Arashi-Do Behring Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Alliance
- Awarded a Muay Thai Black belt equivalence during Mongkon ceremony in Bangkok Feb. 2006 by Stephan Fox, Vice President of the WMC (World Muay Thai Council) – General Secretary of the IMFA (International Muay Thai Federation Amateur).
- Taught for several years at various Arashi-Do locations including Sylvan Lake, Rocky Mtn. Hse., Red Deer, Red Deer College, Penhold.
- Started my first dojo, Arashi-Do Caroline, Dec. 4, 1994, Caroline, AB.
- Opened Arashi-Do Edmonton in July 1996. Renovated to expand Arashi-Do Edmonton South school 2001.
- Co-opened second school, in North Edmonton on St. Albert Trail, with Sensei Mike Yackulic, Jan. 2004.
- Opened a third location to be co-owned in Fort Saskatchewan, with Sensei Mike Yackulic, on July 1, 2008.
- Co-opened forth school, in West Edmonton in La Perle Shopping Centre, with Senseis Rem Amparo and Lane Binetruy, on May 29, 2009.
- Co-opened fifth school in Sherwood Park, with Sensei Ryan Timoffee, in August, 2009.
- Opened my sixth school, in Leduc, June 6, 2011, with Renshi Jordi Amaya now acting as Head Instructor/Co-owner.
- Feb. 2014 – Gold Medal at the “Grand Master João Alberto Barreto Circuito Rio Championships 2014″, in Rio De Janiero Brazil.
- Oct. 24, 2014 Presented my Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from then 9th Degree BJJ Red Belt, Grand Master Alvaro Barreto, and 7th Degree Coral Belt, Master Sylvio Behring.
- Oct. 23, 2015 Present my Professor stripes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Master Sylvio Behring.
- Co-opened seventh school, this time in St. Albert with the acting BBCC partners, with Professor Tyson LaRone acting as Head Instructor/owner, in September, 2016.
- Co-opened eighth school, in West Edmonton with the acting BBCC partners, with Professor Lane Binetruy acting as Head Instructor/owner, in January 2017.
- Purchased a brand-new 8000 sq/ft building for the New Edmonton South Expansion dojo on July 31, 2017 after moving out from our original dojo of 20 years at the end of April 2017. Finished renovations enough to start classes April of 2018.
- Sunday May 6, 2018, Presented my 5th Degree Black Belt in Karate from 8th Degree Master Dale Lee of the Ging Jing Martial Arts Association assuming the new title of distinction, “Kyoshi”.
- Co-opened school in Olds with the acting BBCC partners, with Sensei Jamie Hart acting as Head Instructor/owner in July 2018.
- Oct. 19, 2018, presented 1st degree stripe in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Master Sylvio Behring, along side Professor Troy Sorensen.
- Co-opened ninth school, in East Edmonton with the acting BBCC partners, with Professor Neil Armstrong acting as Head Instructor/owner, in July 2019.
- Oct. 24, 2020, presented 2nd degree stripe in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Master Sylvio Behring, along side Professor Troy Sorensen.
Our Arashi-Do dojos in Edmonton have been awarded with:
- Best Martial Arts Studio – Vue Weekly (September 2012)
- Best Martial Arts Studio – Vue Weekly (September 2013)
- Best Martial Arts School – Top Choice Award (May 2014)
- Best Martial Arts Studio – Vue Weekly (September 2014)
- Best Martial Arts Studio – Vue Weekly (September 2016)
- Best Martial Arts Studio – Vue Weekly (September 2017)
With a website design template from Sensei Andrew Mackenzie in 1999, I started and managed Arashi-Do’s website since 1999 to present, revised and recreated in 2008 and entirely developed and rebuilt in 2013 with website programmer (and now Arashi-Do Behring Black Belt) James Petryk.
I became an assistant instructor as I moved up the colored ranks from about green belt on.
At a Brown belt, I opened my first dojo Dec. 4, 1994, in Caroline and trained six people to Black belt and watched several others from there move onto Black belt after I moved to Edmonton. I have very fond memories of that school. Including Caroline and Edmonton, of our 425+ Black belts as of Jan. 1, 2022, I have helped over 79 of our students and counting achieve their Black Belt goal.
I enjoy teaching as it is my passion. I love keeping in shape doing something I love and surrounding myself with positive people with great attitudes.
The more I train and the more I travel the world and am exposed to other martial arts schools and systems, I realize that I have grown up in and still train with some of the best and definitely most Open minded Martial Artist in the world.
My instructors have taught me the values of embracing and upholding traditions, yet the open-minded attitude to try new arts, and strive towards constant and never-ending improvement.
I started out training with my brother and to me this has always been a family.
At one point 5 out of the 6 people in my immediate family were training at one of Arashi-Do’s schools in Alberta.
But since that time, I have acquired a different family; one not of blood. The support and love is very strong within Arashi-Do’s Core, and in the time I’ve been in Edmonton, I see a definite family of students and friends within my own school and our newest schools.
The greatest highlight of my career still has to be my Black Belt test.
I was the first and last to be tested under all five of my former and current Chief Instructors. I had a grueling three-hour technical test, and then fought 15 rounds of semi contact sparring which I still remember vividly like it was yesterday.
8 rounds-one with each of the different brown belts that our school had, 1 round with each of the five Black Belts, 1- two on one match, and 1- three on one match.
Because it was very old school and I was the only testing candidate, this was a tremendous accomplishment for myself.
Anytime I have self-doubt, lack the mental or physical confidence to do something in my life, I always think back to how hard I was pushed that afternoon in Red Deer, Alberta. I fought on long after my body was exhausted and pushed through defending myself and fighting back even if I didn’t have the physical strength at times to do so.
Being a perfectionist, I am very hard on myself, and I keep in mind the small portion I know in the grand scheme of Martial arts. I try to be technically excellent at what I teach and make sure I can do what I pass on.
Teaching children has also always been very gratifying for me. I have watched many kids five years old and up grow into young adults and take great pride that all of them have included their marital arts training with me in some aspect of their life.
I always looked forward to receiving a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, because of the quality of the technical expertise Master Sylvio Behring demands, and the amount of technique required to be a great practitioner, and I look forward to continuing my competitive career in the many facets of my Karate, Muay Thai, Mixed Martial Arts, and Jiu Jitsu training.
It is my goal to open a Martial Arts and Fitness Training center soon that offers the full weights, cardio equipment and amenities of a modern-day Gym/spa, a retail store supporting fitness, nutrition and all martial arts supplies and of course a full Martial arts school with a boxing ring and a playground of training equipment and space. With facilities like this I will be able to expose more of the public to the positive benefits marital arts have to offer.
I want to continue giving opportunities for people to compete in martial arts as a sport by hosting seminars, tournaments, and eventually fight cards as well as supporting those who are trying to make martial arts part of the Olympics or a more world governed body. I also want to provide an atmosphere for those who may not pursue the competitive side of Martial arts but find a place in their life for its many other qualities and virtues.
I look forward to keeping Arashi-Do Martial Arts an organization known throughout the world for being a genuine group, with high standards, a high level of quality instruction, and an internal family that people can choose to be a part of.