Ippon Karate Dojo has enjoyed a landmark few weeks on and off the mat, with a historic international medal and a milestone anniversary celebration at home.
Four athletes from the Cochrane-based dojo suited up for Canada at the Senior Pan American Karate Championships in Monterrey, Mexico, from May 22 to 25. Brooklyn Carter and Yuki McNeil competed in the individual kata divisions, while McNeil, Carter Dawood and Vincent Thottungal teamed up to secure a bronze medal in the men’s team kata event.
The result marked a breakthrough for Karate Alberta, as the trio delivered the province’s first-ever senior men’s team kata medal at the Pan Am level—an achievement made even sweeter by a win over host country Mexico.
On the junior circuit, Thottungal, the reigning national champion in the 16–17 men’s kata division, is set to represent Canada again at the Junior Pan American Championships in Paraguay from Aug. 28 to 30.
Back home, Ippon continued its winning streak at the Karate Alberta Provincial Championships, finishing atop the overall medal table for a fourth consecutive year. The club racked up 12 gold, eight silver and eight bronze medals.
The next major event is the Junior Pan American Championships, where Thottungal will once again compete for Canada.
“He’s the current national champion in that division, so that’ll be very tough,” said Adam Wackershauser, chief instructor at Ippon Karate Dojo. “He’s training hard, and his improvement has just been incredible. He went from being in the top five at nationals the past couple of years—doing really well, but not quite reaching the podium—to winning this past year. So, he had a big jump.”
Carter and Dawood will travel to Salzburg, Austria, for a Series A tournament, where all competitors are ranked in the top 32 globally.
“It’s a pretty prestigious tournament that’s very difficult to enter,” said Wackershauser. “Both of them will be trying hard to compete in that event.”
The schedule also includes the senior nationals, expected to take place in late December or early January at a location to be announced.
The recent string of athletic accomplishments coincided with the dojo’s 20th anniversary. On May 17, past and present members gathered for an alumni dinner honouring the club’s two-decade legacy. Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie attended the event, which featured live demonstrations and speeches reflecting on Ippon’s impact in the community.