MICHIGAN KARATE HISTORY: Mr. Cousineau you have one of the most, if not the most well rounded sport karate teams in the history of
DAN COUSINEAU: Really hard... I have a passion for sport karate (all areas) I think that comes across in the performance of my students. All of my students start out learning Tang Soo Do and we offer the Sport Karate program as an option for students if they are interested in competing...
MKH: What inspired you to start in the martial arts?
DC: Bruce Lee inspired me and still does. Not just with his skill but his approach to learning.
MKH: Who are some of your favorite forms and weapons competitors from the past?
DC: (Old Days) Jon Valara, Dave Macomber, Hiro Koda, John Marshal, Brandon Kersey, Matt Mullins, David Douglas
MKH: How about current forms and weapons competitors?
DC: (New School) Mike Welch, Steve Terada, Pete Daypack, Marc C?????zaro (Team Straight Up)
I have a lot of respect for guys that can do all the divisions, Weapons Open & Traditional Forms
DC: Askia Allison - Travis Plowden - Richard and Jayne Stone - Willie Hicks - Zack Burns - Pete Davenport - Jermond Wiggins - Bernard Frost
MKH: How about past
DC: Steve Ectinaw, Augustine Hernandez, Sara Thompson,
MKH: Along with sport karate you also teach jiu-jitsu and hold Mixed Martial Arts class' at Dragon karate in Lapeer mi how are those class' going for you?
DC: My MMA Program is really Busy (everyone wants to train like a UFC fighter) 20-25 guys in each class. We only have 8-10 guys that we let step into the cage. I am not one of these guys that just jumped on the NEW MMA FADE, I kick boxed when I was in the service & have been doing Brazilian Jui Jitsu for almost 13 years. I still compete in BJJ tournaments a couple times per year. I take the MMA the same way as sport karate - We train our athletes to win not just compete. (Second sucks)
MKH: Along with your role in the M.S.K.C Circuit you also are president of the Michigan Fight League (MFL) are you surprised by the large turn out for your shows held at the Birch Run Expo Center?
DC: No I'm not surprised, we work hard to promote the shows and we only let trained fighters in our shows, no TUFF GUY off the street that will make the sport look like crap.
MKH: You have produced many world champion students, one being Marc odle. Marc was absent from the sport karate circuit for a few years and recently competed again November 4th at The Michigan Pro/Am, how does it make you feel when a student of yours can stop for so long and come back out and still look like they never left?
DC: Its great to see Marc back - He and I are so much alike (we hate to lose) I keep in touch with most of my old students to see how life is treating them. I love the positive impact I have had on there life.
Tom Sirovey - US Air Force Mississippi Still trains
Sara Thompson - School Teacher in Indy Still trains
Randy Caugel - US Army Married with Kids still trains
Keith Scheets - Working Construction
James Richardson - In Collage
John Monda - Personal trainer
MKH: What changes would you like to see from the MSKC if any?
DC: I would like to see more teams get involved in competing. I would also like to see some of our top competitors challenge them self’s and compete at a few nationals - I know my team is planning on going to the Bluegrass - Diamonds - WKA in 2008 to show them that they are little fish and not the sharks they think they are LOL
DC: Mike I want to thank you for your continued support of sport karate and MMA here in
Dan Cousineau
