A young boy demonstrates his kata. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

The power of Martial Arts

Prince Albert hosts inter-provincial Karate tournament

Apr 7, 2025 | 6:00 AM

For over 40 years, Karate has been a way of life for Prince Albert’s Chris Lair.

And as he looks out at the dozens of young students warming up on Saturday at the Elevation Academy gym for a tournament, the sixth-degree black belt and chief instructor for Saskatchewan does not hesitate when asked what motivates him to keep going.

“What keeps me going is the kids. What got me going and kept me going was that I didn’t have a place to fit in as a teenager, and Karate was a place where I felt like I fit in. So for me, what keeps me going is providing that opportunity for kids to have a place to fit in and watching them grow as people,” he said.

Karate started in Prince Albert in 1981 and Lair started in 1983. In 2017, he was inducted into Prince Albert’s Sports Hall of Fame for meritorious service.

“I’m surprised I’m the only one left from some of the beginning people. Everybody else has gone on to retirement and I’m getting there myself, but I’m not there yet.”

Crime

Teen charged after dragging officer with vehicle during investigation, arrest

7h ago

Local leaders

Parkland Ambulance named Business of the Year

7h ago

Provincial Politics

Sask. MLA's duties scaled back after Jagmeet Singh comments

23h ago

(Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

Over 150 Karate students were registered for Saturday’s tournament and represented three clubs in Saskatchewan and three clubs from Manitoba. Over the course of the weekend there was also a separate seminar and belt testing. Maureen WoonA-Tai, a 9th Dan black belt and co-vice chair of International Karate Daigaju, also flew in from Toronto to attend.

Lair explained why competition is good for youth.

“I always say competition helps them in life because they’re going to have challenges in life and sometimes that little bit of extra nerve and people watching prepares them for other things in life,” he said, adding he personally doesn’t really care who wins medals.

“I mean, obviously we want our students to do well, but our goal really is to help kids be better prepared for life and the tournament is just one step that can help them in other ways that they don’t maybe get in other venues where there’s people coming, there’s a medal on the line, there’s nerves, and so it’s something that they can feel like they’ve achieved something and they can get past a hurdle,” he explained.

(Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

(Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

(Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

The overall martial arts community in Prince Albert is very strong, and offers youth the opportunity to learn Karate, Taekwon-Do, Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Lair explained martial arts teaches kids discipline, how to treat people, and when you encounter somebody who is adversarial, you can still have respect for them.

“And that’s not an easy thing for kids or sometimes for adults that if something is adversarial, it has to be a fight when it doesn’t have to be a fight and we teach people to not fight. But if you have no choice, and somebody’s gonna hurt you, you’re gonna defend yourself.”

—

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Blue Sky: @nigelmaxwell.bsky.social