17 November 2007

There was action all the way last Saturday (17 November) in Carnalea Methodist Centre. The most recent Family Open Day this year was a little different from previous years. This year it was tough, dynamic, energetic and very amusing and that was only the warm-up.

Coach David Brashaw introduced the groups of students and explained the benefits of karate; not just the confidence that students build, but also the team-building, the basic motor-skills, respect for each other, balance, fitness, longevity in sports participation and of course martial arts techniques.

First to demonstrate their skills were the yellow belts. They performed a range of punches and kicks, some moving and sparring techniques and a few evasion manoeuvres. Parents were intrigued to see that students actually tried to hit each other, so they could learn to get out of the way.

Next up were the orange to purple belts. They demonstrated a range of disengagements including single hand grabs, double hand grabs, waist grabs and head-locks. The audience loved it. One of the parents also then agreed to come up and hold a punch pad for a few of the students to punch. After which he agreed that they had developed quite a bit of power in their punches.

The older students then took to the floor and showed how blocks and moves in kata have often been misunderstood by many, and how the techniques can be devastating in a self-defence situation. They also showed a range of competition sparring both on focus pads and on the punch bag.

All in all the Family Day was a great success that and enjoyed by all. This year it gave a much more detailed insight into the reality of how karate actually works to a wider audience.