London champion thanks his dad

Pete Daypuck wins world honours in the martial arts

By JULIE BELL, The Londoner

The past year has been a good one for karate sensei Pete Daypuck. The 29 year-old Londoner runs his own business, Daypuck Sport Karate, and brought home his second consecutive win at the National Blackbelt League's World Championships in November, the Most Winning Competitor title at the Can-Am National Conference for 2003, multiple titles in the Tornado Internationals, the AKA Grand Nationals, the Kumite Classic and the Amerikik Internationals. This November he will represent Canada as a team fighter in Tokyo, Japan.

JULIE BELL PHOTOS

With a highly successful year under his blackbelt, karate champion and sensei Pete Daypuck says he has close family ties and a lot of help from his father to thank for it.

Also a black belt, his father Reg Daypuck began training Pete in traditional Japanese karate at age 15, helping to bring his son the title of world champion.

The 29 year-old Londoner brought home his second consecutive win at the National Blackbelt League's World Championships in November, along with the title of most winning competitor at the Can-Am National Conference for 2003. The year also brought him multiple titles in the Tornado Internationals, the AKA Grand Nationals, the Kumite Classic and the Amerikik Internationals.

News also came recently that he had been handpicked by the head instructor of the Japanese Karate Association to represent Canada as a team fighter in Tokyo, Japan this November.

"It really is an honour to be selected. I couldn't be more surprised that I was chosen," he says.

Pete holds a second degree black belt, a position that is the top belt colour, and eight degrees away from the very top. It's the result of strenuous training and testing, Pete says. The countless hours of practicing and perfecting his basic and advanced karate skills have been difficult, he adds, but have never seemed like work.

"Karate has never been like a job for me. It's my passion. It's what I love to do."

This thanks to the support and knowledge passed down by his father, who has been involved with the sport since the late 1960s. "He really taught me everything I know."

His father began his training with sensei Minorou Saeki, a Japanese instructor who came to Canada more than 30 years ago. The two continue to train together, at times with Pete. Spending three days a week training, more when competitions are near, allows the father and son to spend a great deal of time together, something Pete says he is incredibly grateful for.

"It's great that we get to spend so much time together. We really could be considered best friends. He has so much experience and knowledge. He's just amazing."

The family has always been close, he says, adding that karate has been a helpful factor. His brother, sister and mother have all been involved with the sport at some point in their lives under Reg's teaching.

Pete regularly participates in around six competitions a year, competing in traditional Japanese karate, as well as weapons, both creative and traditional.

The weapons portion of Pete's work involves intricate moves with a bo, a long, wooden stick that is twirled, spun and maneuvered.

Traditional weapons competitions call for basic fighting moves with the bo, while the creative portion is more of a show and involves the creation of a routine involving gymnastics and original moves.

Pete's win in November put him among only three other individuals in the world to score two consecutive wins at the NBL World Championships, a yearly competition that pits blackbelt karate athletes against one another. His efforts resulted in a gold standing in men's blackbelt creative musical weapons, a bronze in Japanese (Okinawan) forms and a bronze in men's blackbelt traditional weapons.

Today he is passing on the knowledge given to him by his father, teaching more than 50 students in his own business in London, Daypuck Sport Karate. Students range in age from six to 50.

"Our student numbers may not be as high as some of the other schools in the city, but they allow us to get to know each of the students on a personal level. It allows for better teaching in the end."

Following in his father's footsteps, Pete has been working on spawning world class karate champions.

The school was rated the number one karate school in Canada by the National Blackbelt League in 2003, and was founded by Pete's father in 1990, who continues to teach at the school today.

"I love that I am able to know each of the students individually. Teaching really isn't a job for me, it's more of a pastime," Pete says.

The benefits of karate are more than apparent, Pete adds, as he has witnessed in both himself and his students.

"Confidence is a major benefit. Karate really forces you to face the things you're afraid of, like being the centre of attention. I see kids come in here with no self confidence, and a year later they're standing up in front of a crowd of hundreds of people performing. I absolutely love that."

Karate also had tremendous physical benefits, teaching balance and strength, he adds.

As if his busy schedule of training, competing and teaching weren't enough, Pete also works full time as a production lead hand at Bach-Simpson Inc. and plays hockey.

In the near future he hopes to complete his third degree blackbelt as well as working at the school full time.

"It's my love, my passion. It's what I want to do with my life."