This year's JKA World Gichin Cup was a notable one in many ways. One of the ways in which it was significant was due to Canada's Ray Tio retiring from competition, following his brother Stan Tio's retirement from competition 3 years prior.
I have known of Ray for a long time. I started to tryout for the US Team back when I was in college around 1998 or so, and I noticed that Canada was VERY good. Then I saw them in action at the JKA/ISKF (back when ISKF was part of JKA) Pan-American in 2001, and Ray and Stan were stunningly good. They were not just good, but they were "JKA-Good". Kihon, Kata, and Kumite - very well rounded in the way that JKA practitioners should be.
Being anti-social I am (yes, laugh. I'm better now but was way worse back then), I did not introduce myself to them when I saw them in 2001. I stopped competing (or very little, at least) for 7 years, so I never saw them then again after. I saw their unbelievably amazing performance online at the JKA World Championship in 2011 in Pattaya, Thailand, and I decided that I will finally introduce myself to them *if* I see them at the worlds. Luckily, I got to go to this year's world championship, and I was able to say hi.
Team Kata led by Ray placed 2nd place, even without Stan Tio, and that ended Ray's competition career with his 6th JKA World Cup medal. I have to say that Ray and Stan must be one of the most-medal winner at JKA Worlds as non-Japanese. It really is stunning - especially winning even after the JKA - ISKF split (very sad, but political breakup sets the country's Karate back a lot).
Canada is a VERY good inspiration to me, especially because I'm driving-distance away from Toronto. So it gets my spirit going by thinking "If they can do it, we should be able to - and WE WILL" :)
Anyway, I'm sure that I will find more and more about Tio brothers to write more about it, but I can already tell their love towards Traditional JKA Karate. Yes, they just love it. So I asked him the most basic question:
"What made you (both Tio brothers) get to the World-podium level?"
and this is what he came back with:
1. Stan was very athletic in everything he did. Ray says that he was an average athlete but loved performing artistically. Traditional Karate was a perfect blend of the both worlds that they fell in love with it right away.
2. Stan and Ray pushed each other very hard. No negative brotherhood rivalry, and instead they worked together to push each other higher and higher. They set goal together in phases: Winning nationals in Kata, then Kumite; winning Pan-American, then worlds, etc... And one by one, they pushed each other to accomplish it.
When you see them, you can tell that his words are true. I envy their healthy brotherhood that they share towards the same passion. I also believe that his "love for Karate" is very contageous. Because of their passion towards Karate, their spirit is carried down to the younger generations like this year's Colin and Thomas Chin, who were the Canadian team members (Colin also placed top 8 in individual Kata, and was part of the Canadian team 3 years ago too).
I would love to uncover more about them, so there's only one way to do it - VISIT THEIR DOJO :) I shall visit their dojo soon and write about what I learn. Meanwhile, what I learn from his answers is this:
"Love Karate. Find good friends to push each other (we can't "make" brothers...), set a goal, and keep trying".
OSS!
Tony Nakamura
Ray has an EXCELLENT blog that's worth reading!
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