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Karate in Ontario: THE UPHILL BATTLE ‘THE COST OF RAISING A CHAMPION’ is the award-winning documentary feature Directed by Maria Morgunova.

Formats: NTSC DVD and BRD

Running Time: 75 minutes

Location: Ontario, Canada

It's a first and the unique study about karate in Canada. Today, this film is the only available research in this field. There is no centralised opened source of information about Canadian karate or any statistics about different types of events related to karate. Nobody can say how many seminars, camps and tournaments are provided by different karate clubs today. There is no official information about the amount of clubs, coaches and students in Canada. Nobody knows how many children and adults, men and women are involved in karate. Based on the situation in Ontario this film demonstrates the necessity of a serious official study about Canadian karate, since, after all, further professional development of the industry depends on it. The educational angle of the story. The Uphill Battle addresses the subjects of karate and a healthy lifestyle for children with a distinctive Ontarian flavour. It covers historical facts, traditions, styles, and much more. The target audience of this documentary are parents, school teachers, athletes, sports-oriented teenagers, and karate officials at every level.

The Synopsis In 2016 karate was added to the Olympics. Who Will Represent Canada in 2020? This documentary highlights the difficulties experienced in creating champions in Ontario. Today, money talks so loud that a person’s paying capacity can now replace talent, dedication, and perseverance. As the parent of a well-known champion stated: ‘Today, a child’s whole athletic career depends on the pockets of the athlete’s parents – whether they can pay, or not’. With Karate becoming part of the Olympics, this situation must be changed! Today, Karate faces a real challenge, and that is: how do we make the transition from an amateur sport to a professionally organized industry with the appropriate environment for raising true champions? The Uphill Battle attempts to cover this issue in depth. With interviews from leading respected instructors, referees, and judges The Uphill Battle is required viewing for anyone who believes karate in Ontario is ready to move forward.

About participants.

There are 14 experts give interviews in the documentary. Leading respected and well-known instructors, referees, and judges share their experiences and the secrets to their success in this film. All of these people have experienced ‘The Uphill Battle’.

Film Festivals

The Uphill Battle won the ALTFF Best Documentary in Canada in Spring 2017 as well as Documentary Without Borders in the USA in Fall 2017. It is also a finalist in the NOLLYWOOD Festival in Canada and it is preselected by some other Canadian film festivals (2018).

What karate practitioners say about the documentary

Kyoshi Sam Moledzki, Karatedo Shitokai Canada Shihan-WSKF: “This insightful documentary gives the viewer a behind-the-scenes look at Karate in Ontario. Many topics are covered, and anyone interested in Karate will discover something unique and important.”

Sensei Louis Rossi: “Fantastic Documentary. Good choice of dojos presenting the message; all respectable, qualified instructors.”

Oleg Morgunov, Toronto Karate Junior League Tournaments Director: “One can’t underestimate the impact of this film. After "The Uphill Battle" was released on Sep 2016, Karate's situation as a sport in Ontario changed dramatically: the former Provincial Sport Organization lost its governing body status; the higher-ups impeding the development of Karate were dismissed, and the sport gained new momentum!” Paul Dupre, martial arts aficionado and historian: “Tremendous presentation and amazing people taking part!”

Credits. Directed by Maria Morgunova Written by Maria Fletcher Narrated by Kevin Crocker in Japan Music by Ben Sound Graphic Design by Ol Morgan Produced by Independent Vision and Production

2016, Toronto, Canada.

About production company. Independent Vision and Production is a media company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This company produces quality documentaries, B2B marketing videos, short stories, and music videos.

FACEBOOK: [https://www.facebook.com/UphillBattleKarateFilm FaceBook page of the Karate in Ontario: THE UPHILL BATTLE. The Cost Of Raising a Champion.]