SPOTLIGHT COMPETITOR – ALISON FERGUSON
“You’re never too old to try something new” – a commonly used cliché which clearly defines one of Canada’s Best Veteran competitors – Alison Ferguson.
Alison Ferguson classifies herself as “vintage” but like vintage wine, she gets better with age. Only telling the editor that she’s in her mid 40’s, Ferguson’s body is definitely keeping up with her spirit as she single handedly made herself the “most winningest” individual at this year’s WKA World Championships in Karlsruhe, Germany. Coming home with an undaunting 10 Gold Medals, she also claimed her personal best at any World-level event by claiming a Gold in all three disciplines – Forms, Weapons and for the first time, Fighting. According to Ferguson, the pressure was on for her to capture 10 Golds and to finally get one in Fighting.
Alison’s Gold Medal conquest began in 2007 when the WKA World Championships was last held in Karlsruhe so it was fitting that her best result was where it all began. At the 2007 Worlds, she won her first Gold Medal in Kata, coming behind in the eliminations to Mary Kate Garrity – someone who Alison coins as one of her toughest forms opponents. Alison continued her quest for Gold with a hardware haul at the 1st WKC World Championships in Dublin, Ireland where she won 2 Gold Medals (Traditional Forms and Creative Weapons) and a Bronze in Point Fighting.
Alison’s martial arts path began in 2001. Alison was no stranger to physical fitness as she played many sports and enjoys biking as a regular hobby. However, the physical challenges and the technical intricacy of Karate definitely caught her eye as her teenage children, Taylor, Jordan and Darien were going through the motions at ProStyle Karate under the instruction of John Laroda. For Alison, doing things together with her family is important and she just wanted to be involved in an activity that her and her family would enjoy. So she immediately signed up so began her martial arts journey.
When asked what Alison likes most about Karate she simply responded, “It’s a bit sick... but I really wanted to see how I would cope with the physical challenges at each grading”. That’s probably the last thing the editor expected to hear from a mother of three. Her coping definitely was put to a test in 2009 when she graded for her 2nd Degree Black Belt. Joining her in the “fun” was her (then) 15 year old son, Taylor – who together underwent an arduous and gruelling two and a half day grading. Alison definitely encourages her kids to work together with her in various Karate-related activities. At this year’s WKA Worlds, her and daughter Jordan entered Traditional Team Kata but missed the medal round by a mere one one-hundredths of a point. As the cliché goes, “the family that KICKS together, STICKS together”.
Recently, Alison and her children moved to Canadian Sport Martial Arts (CSMA) under the direction of Jason Dupuis. CSMA provided the ‘team’ atmosphere which most people seek after and her and the family enjoy the comraderie that CSMA had to offer (Note: I spent alot of time with this group and I have to admit that they are a tight-knit group of people and made my stay in Germany alot more fun!). In addition, members of CSMA push her to achieve her personal best and keep pushing her to reach those individual goals. Winning ways seems to follow Alison around as CSMA was also the Most Supportive Club at this year’s WKA Canadian Championships. Perhaps Alison’s good luck could rub off on everybody else. J
Alison’s list of favourite competitors and most admired individuals is like a “who’s who” of current Canadian Sport Karate competitors. Names such as Jeff Liotta, Andrew Cabilan, Cedric Ferland, Jonathan Milot and Amanda Bentley –DeSousa make her list for favourite Forms competitors. She also lists fellow Ottawa natives Stewart Wilkenson and Victoria Marcotte as her favourite fighters and not surprisingly, she lists Chelsey Nash as one of her favourites as well.
When someone is asked who their most admired individual is, the typical answer is mother, father, sister or brother. When Alison was asked this same question, without hesitation, her answer was fellow CSMA member (and Bernardo Karate alum), Dirk Muir. It was Muir’s patience, understanding and overall martial arts knowledge which Alison admired most. To her, his critical analysis and suggestions of improvement without demoralizing the individual is important for a student’s success and she credits him for her constant improvement in Kata.
So what’s left for a happily married mother of three who holds numerous World Championships and Gold medals to do? According to her, she’s far surpassed all of the goals that she had thought of achieving but is game to create new goals. She is leaving the door for competition wide open for the time being and will continue to teach classes from time to time. She also interested in becoming a Referee to bring her expertise to the table and give back the time as a sign of thanks to those Judges and Senseis that have helped her though the years. Whatever the path she chooses, we as a Sport Karate community are confident that she will proper in that field.
Most importantly, however, is her life with her family. As a wife and mother of three teenage children, she spends most of her time delegating her responsibilities (and time) to her husband and three children. Her daughter Darien is an avid hockey player and when Alison is not in the ring, she’s in the arena with her. Ultimately, all Alison wants is to help her kids get through teenage years and into adulthood with the least amount of angst. She is a firm believer that their 2nd Degree ranks in Martial arts have provided for them great grounding and a strong sense of self-respect, respect for others and confidence – all virtues and traits which will be valuable for the rest of their lives.
It’s hard to give an award to a person who fulfills the traits which satisfy “Competitor of the Year”, “Mother of the Year” and “Wife of the Year” awards – there is no single award that recognizes that. These traits, along with her individual Sport Karate accomplishments are why she was selected for the CSKM Spotlight Competitor.
SPOTLIGHT COMPETITOR – JORDAN FERGUSON
Following in her mother’s footsteps in the quest for Gold in Sport Karate, Jordan Ferguson is also a featured CSKM Spotlight Competitor.
Jordan’s beginnings in martial arts very much mirrors her mother’s initial start except for the fact that according to Jordan, it was for different reasons. As an enraging and tempered child, her parents enrolled her into Karate to manage her “rage issues” (as she put it) and to establish self-control. To make it a family affair, her brother Taylor and sister Darien were also enrolled at the same time at John Laroda’s ProStyle Martial Arts. Several years later, the family moved to Canadian Sport Martial Arts (CSMA) under the direction of Jason Dupuis. However, Jordan enlists her mother and good friend Imran Jaffer as her primary mentors.
Jordan’s competitive highlights, much like her mother’s, include winning her first Gold Medal in Point Fighting at the 2007 WKA World Championships in Karlsruhe, Germany and then again in 2011. Continuing her journey was another medal haul at the 2009 WKC World Championships in Dublin, Ireland where she won 2 Gold Medals and a Bronze in Team Fighting. However, she recalls her Team Fight at the 2010 WKA World Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland being the most memorable. Coming from a loss in her individual Point Fighting division, Jordan describes the surge of adrenaline as “exhilarating” and this in turn led to her fury during her match in the Team fight. Although ultimately the Team lost, she felt that this was the best fight she ever had. What made Jordan even happier is that her performance won the approval of her coaches and mentors which were by her side the entire duration of the match.
As a “jack of all trades” in Sport Karate, Jordan excels in all three disciplines (have I already said that she’s just like her mother?) so it’s no surprise that her list of toughest opponents is a diverse array of Canada’s best forms and fighting talent. In Forms, she lists Bernardo alum Alexa Littleton as her toughest opponent during Littleton’s competitive years and goes on record that she has never defeated Alexa in Forms and (during that time) not many could. Currently, Jordan lists top Junior Tressa Young as her (friendly) Forms nemesis. Although they haven’t competed against each other as of late, Jordan respects Tressa’s talent and athleticism and simply coins Young as being “outstanding”. As for her fighting opponents, Jordan lists Verona Soliman as her toughest fighting opponent when Verona was a Junior and Britain’s Tara Billingham. According to Jordan, both of them are talented fighters who have given her difficult matches during their various head-to-head duels.
When asked what the future holds for her competitor career, she puts it plain and simple and states that she would “love to be able to win some outrageously big tournament” with no seeding and to win it on her first try. If anything, she acknowledges the “real talent(ed)” field present in circuits like NASKA and would like the opportunity to do events on the NASKA World Tour in the near future.
Aside from Karate, Jordan is a high school student whose primary goal is to graduate with an 80% average with long-term aspirations to be an anchorwoman on broadcast television. During her free time, she also likes to write stories and uses her victories and defeats as sources of creative inspiration when she writes. She also wants to make a significant impact on people’s lives and with her nurturing and caring nature, this is something that everyone surrounding her would expect of her.
For aspiring young ladies who have an ambition of being a successful Sport Karate competitor, Jordan suggests that one has to be meticulous in their training methods and be able to pick out tiny intricate details to improve. She states, “You can learn something in an hour, but it can take you 5 years or more to master it”. She encourages people to never give up on themselves and to listen to parents when they push you to train because in the end, all parents want to do is to see their children flourish and prosper (even though at times they may sound like they are nagging). She feels that all types of criticism are constructive and not to take it too personally. If anything, it’s this type of criticism which fuels one to improve themselves and make them successful.
Finally, when asked who her most admired person is, the answer was pretty obvious – her mother, Alison. Where Alison coins herself as “Vintage”, Jordan would rather use the term “Legend”. Not too many daughters can go around saying that their mother is a TEN time Gold Medalist and World Karate Champion. At this year’s WKA Worlds in Germany, it was a fitting touch that both Jordan and mother Alison competed together in Traditional Team Forms – it clearly displayed the loving bond that these two have. This editor even recalls the pride and joy seen on Jordan’s face whenever she spoke of her mother competing WITH her at a World Championship. This is something that I’m sure Jordan will cherish for the rest of her life.
COMPETITOR SPOTLIGHT – TAYLOR FERGUSON
“The family that kicks together, STICKS together” – a commonly used phrase (often to the point of being a cliché) which I use to describe many of the Sport Karate families that compete together and support each other in a harmonious spirit. Rounding out the Ferguson trio which actively competes on various circuits in Canada is the sole male in the Ferguson bunch – Taylor. The 18 year old sets himself apart from his sister Jordan and mother Alison due to the fact that his primary focus in competition is the combat aspect and enters only the Point Fighting and Light Contact (Continuous) division at the various tournaments he enters. However, it is this focus and determination which has allowed Taylor to excel in these divisions in his pursuit for excellence in Sport Karate.
Much like his sister Jordan, Taylor began his Karate career in 1998 when his parents enrolled him at John Laroda’s ProStyle Karate. In fact, Taylor was the reason why all of the Ferguson’s got into Karate. When asked why HE was put into Karate first, he simply responded, “I was a small nice boy and (they) wanted me to be able to defend myself” (Editor’s note/correction: In Jordan’s article it was listed that she started Karate in 2001 but after collating Jordan and Taylor’s profile, it was brought to my attention that they actually started at the same time and Alison followed after. Apologies J). Taylor current holds the rank of 2nd Degree Black Belt, a rank which he tested for with his mother.
Taylor currently lists one person as his toughest fighting opponent , favourite fighter and most admired person – Ben Stewart. The amount of respect Taylor has for the multi-time World Champion and current WKA Canada President is what triggered Taylor (and eventually the rest of the Fergusons) to move to their current club, Canada Sport Martial Arts (CSMA). It is at this establishment where Taylor feels he is kept motivated for him to strive and excel in his competition goals. His determination to achieve top honours is evident in some of his accomplishments to date and there is no doubt he will continue to prosper in future years to come. At this year’s WKA Nationals in Montreal, Taylor brought home not one but TWO Gold Medals – one in Point Sparring and the other in Continuous. Taylor then took this momentum to Germany for the WKA Worlds and managed to bring back a Silver in Point Sparring and Bronze in Continuous. Taylor’s success was also prevalent in other World Championships where he captured a Bronze in Point Fighting and a Silver in the Junior Team Fights at the 2009 WKC World Championships in Dublin, Ireland.
Taylor’s most memorable Sport Karate moment is interesting to say the least. Based on the story he told me, it sounded more like a bar brawl than a Point Sparring match. At the 2009 WKC Worlds, Taylor reported to have swine flu like symptoms and experienced a sense of delirium the night prior to his first fight. Hopped up on a mixed concoction of Red Bull and Gatorade, he ‘overcame’ his illness and in his words was “pumped for that (first) fight”. He felt he fought so well that day despite his illness and was up several points in the match. After some heated exchanges, Taylor’s British opponent, in frustration kicked Taylor in the back and resulted in an immediate disqualification. Unhappy with the final outcome, the British competitor initiated a shoving match with Taylor and several other Canadians which in turn resulted in a goose chase in and around the City West Convention Centre. Being only 15 at the time, perhaps the excitement brought fun-filled memories for Taylor for years to come.
While gathering info from the Ferguson’s for this Competitors Spotlight, Taylor was unable to submit his profile within the given time frame. When asked why Taylor’s profile was not completed yet, his sister Jordan immediately replied, “He’s too busy gaming – he’s a crazy gamer”. So I was not surprised that Taylor listed ‘playing video games’ as one of his favourite hobbies. Taylor’s long term ambition is to parlay his interest in video games and eventually land a job creating classic video games for a big electronics company (hopefully the execs at Sony can read this). With many of the major electronics firms based in Montreal (only a hop, skip and jump away from his home in Kanata), the future for Taylor in this industry is quite promising.
Taylor’s view of life revolves around perseverance and overcoming obstacles and barriers to meet desired outcomes. Taylor’s words and use of Red Bull as an analogy for motivation is worthy of him being the next spokesperson for the popular energy drink. According to Taylor, life is like getting punched in the face – you just get up and try again but drinking Red Bull makes it hurt less. With 2011 being his last year competing as a Junior, he will be entering the Adult divisions in the 2012 competition year and will be facing new challenges for him to find ways to soar over. For this editor, Taylor’s future in Karate is like Red Bull – it will give him wings – wings that will take him to great heights in this Sport.
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