Goodwill Cup Tournament

In May of 1987, the first Goodwill Cup tournament was held at the University of Washington, marking the beginning of a new Northwest tradition. The intention was to improve the level of jiyu kumite in the Northwest by hosting a tournament where SKA members the opportunity to face a wide variety of opponents. The tournament is named for a perpetual trophy called the Goodwill Cup in honor of the friendships and camraderie that members share in practice. People come from theWashington and BC dojos as well as from Idaho and Oregon. Many times seniors have been invited in order to lead practices and to provide suggestions for jiyu kumite. Guests have included Tom Muzila, Jim Sagawa, Don Depree, and Sadaharu Honda. Northwest senior members who visit such as Ron Thom, Norman Welch and Don Gee share drills and instruction in the spirit of the earlier Bainbridge Island exchange practices.

In the last 9 years, the University of Washington and the University of British Columbia have taken turns hosting the event. The Goodwill Cup goes to the winner of the UBC-UW team competition, but there is also an individual competition for both seniors and juniors. Now, several years since the event's inception, we see the participants who once fought in the tournaments begin to take on their role as judges. The exchange practice and Goodwill Tournament remains an excellent way for us to practice our kumite and to learn from one another.

"We must get to a point that we see clearly, at all times, what the enemy sees. We all need the same enemy inside us to find our weaknesses."
Don Depree