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Fun Fact: Valentyna Zolotarova is the only Kumite Athlete in British Columbia who participated in the Olympic Qualification Tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Why Hayabusa Karate?
It is not too difficult to find a good traditional karate dojo. It is not too difficult to find a competitive sport karate club that does well in city and national competitions. It is, however, very difficult to find a dojo that teaches the way of life that comes along with the life long practice of karate-do while also delivering a sport kumite and kata curriculum that is in line with the most current tendencies, technical performance, biomechanics and strategy executed at top level competition and in a way that takes into consideration the unique and individual ways in which one learns.
In order to do the above, a karate instructor has to have a solid base in traditional karate, regularly attend international competitions , understand the competition scene from all sides (from the view of the athlete, the coach and the referee) understand the development of children and apply the neuroscience of learning to help adults and youth through mastery of pedagogy and its application to coaching.
In order to achieve the above, a karate instructor has to be willing to sacrifice a lot of profit and personal time in order to achieve something that few will appreciate and value in this day and age.
Only a karate fanatic would set out to do such an impossible task. Since opening Hayabusa Karate in 2010, Valentyna Zolotarova has used her experience as an elite athlete, World Karate Federation Certified Coach and Certified Judge, to create unique programs for children and adults.
Our Specialties and Affiliations
WKF Sport Karate Kumite
Traditional Kihon and Kata
International Shotokan Karate Federation (Style Organization)
Karate BC (Provincial Federation)
Karate Canada (National Federation)
World Karate Federation (Olympic Recognized Sport Governing Body)
About the Founder & Instructor: Valentyna Zolotarova
Senior Jamaican National Team Athlete
Junior Jamaican National Team Coach
Canadian National Team Athlete and National Champion 2003-2008
Pan-american Medallist in Kata and Kumite
Top 50 World Ranking Women’s Kumite -55 kg 2018-2020
Top 10 in Kumite at multiple Premier League Competitions 2018-2020
Top 8 in Kata at WKF World Championships 2005
BC Certified Teacher
World Karate Federation Certified Coach
BC Premier’s Athletic Award Recipient 2003-2008
Bachelor of Education (UBC)
NCCP Coaching Certification
World Karate Federation Certified Judge A
Pan-american Karate Federation Certified Referee A
Advanced Coaching Certification (United States Sports Academy)
Master of Educational Technology (UBC)
International Sports Management and Marketing (University of London & World Academy of Sport)
About the Founder
In her brief time away from competition while becoming a mother of 3 children, Valentyna became a Certified World Karate Federation Judge and officiated at the 2015 and 2016 WKF World Championships. She put refereeing aside to return to sport as an athlete at the beginning of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Cycle in order to model hard work, perseverance and the courage to follow dreams for her children and her students. While on the olympic quest, she conducted international seminars and trained with some of the world’s top athletes and coaches.
At the beginning of the global pandemic, Valentyna Zolotarova was amongst the world’s top karate athletes to be featured in the WKF Karatekas #StayActive: Female Kumite -55kg edition as she developed free online classes to help keep others active during the lockdown. One of Valentyna’s goals as an athlete and coach is to share the work ethic and the dedication that is required to pursue any goal with her students as well as to use karate to make a positive impact in other’s lives beyond sport. When the Olympic Games were postponed, Valentyna organized a Fundraiser for the Women’s Center in Jamaica which is an organization assisting teenage mothers in Jamaica. The fundraiser was in the format of an online karate seminar taught by Valentyna Zolotarova and her teammates on the Jamaican National Team. The event was a success and had participants from many countries joining online and was highlighted in The Gleaner: Jamaican Karate Stars Donate to Women’s Centre.
Valentyna Zolotarova and many of our dojo members are keen to continue contributing to positive initiatives in society and are open to working with other organizations who aim to impact the lives of others in positive ways.
