Chris and Paul Swacha Interview Smiling (for web)

About the Swacha Brothers

Paul and Chris Swacha, the two Polish brothers, trained in karate since they were kids. I was adopted into their karate family through my wife who also has a long history with the club. Last year we all took a trip to Tokyo to compete in an international karate competition. Actually, I just filmed; they competed. What has been great training with them is their interest in learning and training hard enough to challenge, but not so hard as to injure.

About the Sport

Renbukai karate is a traditional style of karate-dō that literally translates to “the association to forge the martial way”. Renbukai does not have one single founder in its history. Instead, over time, it developed into an organization of martial artists of varying disciplines. Eventually it evolved into the practice it is today; Renbukai integrates all aspects of karate practice, but is a unique system in that it developed and utilizes bōgu (armor) to allow for a more realistic approach to training and competition. Renbukai is an ideal blend of tradition and practicality in karate-dō.

Sensei Verlin, briefly seen in the sports documentary, trained Paul and Chris. My experience of him is that he is dedicated to teaching and quality training. He is not the type to give out belts just to make people feel good. For those interested in training, more information can be found here: sannan.ca.