Kaiden Vichert

I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 23rd, 1999. I moved to Nanaimo at the age of 4 and began to explore the world. At an early age I tried many sports, from baseball and basketball to swimming and golf, but after several years, I realized that I did not want to seriously pursue any of them, and only casually continued with sports.

During this time, I had coincidentally been introduced to Goju-Ryu Karate through the Shima Karate Spring Camp. At the age of six, I officially enrolled with Shima Karate School. Through many ups and downs I slowly made it through the ranks (kyus) and along the way decided to start competing in tournaments. Needless to say, I did not know what to expect, but after dipping my toe in the water, I came to really enjoy competitions, and found karate to be a real passion.

I managed to qualify for the provincial championships several times, and placed silver in the Kata division. I had started entering more and more competitions, but unfortunately, I stopped competing for a year in 2013/2014 due to a busy year in music and academics.

Through this year, I still came to the dojo to train as often as possible, often practicing 5-6 days a week. This is ultimately what allowed me to grade for my black belt. Karate has always been by my side, even outside of the dojo. It has taught me an immense amount of discipline, strength and courage, which have helped me to obtain high marks at school, become a strong musician, and of course, obtain my Shodan-ho of Goju-Ryu Karate.

For this I will forever be grateful, and will never let go of martial arts, even if my life pulls me elsewhere.