We're taking Thanksgiving Monday off! Stay home and enjoy your bird. Be prepared to work it off on Tuesday.
Updated September 29, 2004

Please be registered for this event by 7:30 Friday, October 15. All kids classes will still be scheduled. NO ADULT OPEN CLASS!

CLICK HERE for more information on belt tests.
Updated September 29, 2004

Grab your gi and a big thermos of coffee because it's time once again for the 24 hour training! That's right, we start bright and early Saturday morning and train until 8am Sunday morning. Look forward to great and diverse training sessions with a variety of instructors, a session at the local pool, the legendary flag session with Heritage at Sensei Fries' family farm and more!

Registration for the event is limited to 25 students and is limited to those students training in the adult program. Cost for the event is $90 (+gst), Gold and Platinum discounts apply. Don't miss out!
Added September 7, 2004

THE FALL SCHEDULE IS NOW EFFECTIVE!
Every parent should confirm which class your child will be in as the classes have changed as well. AS OF SEPT 7, FULL UNIFORMS MUST BE WORN.

If you have any questions about the schedule or about your child's class contact us.

Download the fall schedule (PDF, requires Acrobat Reader).
THIS FILE WAS UPDATED AUGUST 19.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE THIS VERSION!
Updated August 30, 2004

Sensei Rice, Darren and Bailey are proud to announce the latest member of the Driftwood family! Sydney Chapman arrived Sunday, August 8th at 10:17pm and weighed in at 8lbs 6oz.

All are well and recovering at home.
Updated Aug 9, 2004

Driftwood Martial Arts is proud to currenly be the only Canadian distributor of this fledgling publicaton. Launched in part by JuJitsu legend Royce Gracie, the magazine's focus is towards a well-balanced lifestyle. With articles on self-defence, fitness, diet and children's safety, it is geared towards the entire family. Each magazine also includes a pull-out 16 page section on different martial arts exercises and techniques.

As this is a new publication with limited distrubution, you will not find this magazine in bookstores or even othe martial arts studios. If support for the magazine is strong, we will continue to offer it to our students.

Check out your copy today for only $7.99 and show your support for this new magazine.

Visit the website at www.bodyguardmagazine.net
Added August 6, 2004

The following is a list of dates that Driftwood Martial Arts will be closed for selected holidays in 2004. Mark your calendars!

Thanksgiving - Closed Monday October 11
Christmas Break - Closed Friday December 24, Reopen Monday January 3

These dates are subject to change. Always check back to this website and the bulletin board in the lobby to confirm schedule.

Revised May 10, 2004

It is with great sadness that I report that in the early morning of April 7, 2004, Grand Master Peter Urban passed away. Sensei Urban, founder of Urban Goju and author of the highly touted book, The Karate Dojo, is considered to be the grand patriarch of American Goju. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and learn from this modern martial arts legend.
Added April 7, 2004

It's done. We've been working away on this for a while and it's finally done. Have a look around and see all there is to see. Most of the site will be familiar to those here before with a few new changes. If you see any mistakes, encounter anything that doesn't work, or have any suggestions about things you'd like to see here, email us at: webmaster@driftwoodkarate.com

The one thing that you won't see here are active email links. The dojo email accounts have been bombarded by spammers which gain addresses by scanning websites for active email links. So, we've cut them out. You'll have to enter the address manually in your favourite email program. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Added March 24, 2004

As part of the festivities at the Annual Awards Banquet, February 28, 2004, Sensei bestowed upon Rainer Neufeld the title Sempai. This title is awarded to a senior student who demonstrates exceptional qualities as a martial artist, instructor and student peer.

The dojo Sempai is someone that students or parents can go to, as a secondary source to Sensei, for guidance, for answers to questions or to express concerns about the training. As a show of respect to Sensei, the dojo and the traditions of the martial arts all students are asked to refer to Mr. Neufeld as "Sempai" at all times.
Added Mar 1, 2004

The following were the 2003 Driftwood Martial Arts Award Winners. Congratulations to all winners and nominees. Keep up the hard work!

Lil Dragon of the Year Award - Andrew Gonsalves
Lil Dragon Superstar Award - Ryan Hodgins
Lil Dragon Future Black Belt Award - Tristan Smalldon
Lil Dragon Super Strength Award - Zachary Olinski

Dragon Award (5-10 Beginner) - Tanja Marinkovic
Monkey Award (5-10 Int-Adv) - Tyler Mayo
Tiger Award (11-14 Beginner) - Cody Cavaliere
Snake Award (11-14 Advanced) - Ryan Potter
Kid's Weapons Award - Alex Vaughan
Kid's Kata Award - Nathan Campbell
Kid's Sparring Award - Michael Cugliari
Youth Spirit Award - Ersin Ertan

Adult Novice Award - Joanne Couturier
Adult Intermediate Award - Bojan Ljubuncic
Adult Advanced Award - Aaron Hewitt
Adult Kata Award - Josh Patterson
Adult Sparring Award - Robert Laurette
Adult Weapons Award - Darren Chapman
Adult Spirit Award - Ryan Brooks
Assistant/Instructor of the Year Award - Nicole Couturier
Added March 1, 2004

This year students from Driftwood Martial Arts Academy volunteered their time at the local Operation Christmas child sorting station. Every year, thousands of Canadian families and individuals prepare Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes for underpriveledged children around the world. Without the help of volunteers like these boxes would not get to the children who need them.

Thanks goes out to: Ashley Jermyn, Aaron Hewitt, Tayfun Uzun, Matt Lovell, Cody Keupfer, Rob Laurette, Bojan Ljubuncic, Ryan Neufeld, Ryan Brooks, Scott Underwood and Chris Gray.

“Never before have I had such wonderful toys ”. “ My mom does not work and she can’t afford to buy me such nice presents. Thank you so much .” – Unkown Child - Kazakhstan
Added Dec 8, 2003

We've officially opened the new expansion to our dojo with a festive Halloween Party (click for the pics). Added is 1400 sqare feet of facilities to our existing location including a 2nd training floor with 880 sq.ft. of space, a brand new office for Sensei, a kitchen, a lounge for our senior students (and Bailey!) another bathroom and yes, we now have windows in our dojo.
Added Nov 4, 2003

With new facilities come new programs. The first being our Cardio Karate instructed by Nicole Couturier which began this week. Our own Nicole has been certified as a Fitness Instructor at the national level by Can-Fit-Pro and has custom designed this new and exciting course. Ask about it next time you're in!
Added Nov 4, 2003

On Saturday, November 1st at the OKF 3rd Annual Budo Den, Sensei Adette Rice was inducted to the Okinawan Karate Federation's 2003 Hall of Fame as Ontario Female Instructor of the Year. So congratulate your Sensei when you see her and remember... you can't have a great Sensei without great students.

See the photos at www.mikecheliak.com.
Added Nov 4, 2003

Thanks to the work of Mike Cheliak of Mirokabi Photography we have a fabulous photo collection of the participants of Summer Challenge 2003. All of the photographs taken are available for online purchase at a reasonable price, or you can just check out the gallery.

See the photos at www.mikecheliak.com.
Added Aug 26, 2003

It is official, Driftwood Martial Arts has it's first Shodans (1st Degree Black Belt). Congratulations to Rainer Neufeld and Cynthia Brown on officially receiving their belts! Their years of hard work and dedication and one big day of testing have paid off. Now their journey really begins. Be sure to congratulate them when you next see them and, oh yeah, you now must address them formally so that'll be Mr. Neufeld and Ms. Brown to all of the lower belts.
Added Aug 18, 2003