Martial Arts Academy Training Peterborough Chess Minds

Training the mind is just as important as training the body for Ninja Academy as they will host an all-ages summer chess tournament announced on Friday.

Georges David-Gnahoui (top) teaches a chess lesson to a young student. The Ninja Academy was formed in 2015 by founding Sensei Paul Teleki and operates in partnership with the Peterborough Sport and Wellness Centre. Photo Courtesy of Ninja Academy.

Their first tournament will be held during the week of August 30th to September 3rd. Coaching will be provided for participating learners.

Ninja Academy students and parents requested the tournament with coaching from Georges David-Gnahoui.

“Students have been working diligently to test their chess skills and I am happy to see their competitive attitude,” he said.

Students are now eager to expand their skills beyond their peers into the wider community and the tournament is spread out over the week to accommodate safe competitive spaces according to the release.

The Academy has 140+ students, 5 youth Ninja Leaders and apprentices. Photo Courtesy of Ninja Academy.

Depending on the weather, matches may be held at local parks or covered spaces. The academy is providing tutoring opportunities to people who register for the tournament.

Awards will be given to the winners while all competitors will earn a certificate of participation. Every match will be video recorded for review purposes, without the faces of participants and to allow families to watch the match remotely.

“During the lockdowns, chess has become a growing opportunity for our students and this will also help them to compete and grow in other areas as well,” says David-Gnahoui.

The Ninja Academy coaches students towards competitive Judo podiums. They said chess will sharpen the minds of students to support their competitive martial arts.

Registrants will be grouped into their age brackets and competitors will be selected at random to compete.

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