Why Karate?

Karate is a Japanese martial art where one learns to be capable of defending oneself without weapons; the word KARA meaning ‘empty’ and TE meaning ‘hand’; therefore ‘empty hand’.

Instructor, Coach, Mentor: Sensei Ron Porath

“Training in karate teaches us not only self-defense, but to respect others as well as ourselves. We train our body to be strong, and our mind and spirit to be patient, in order to become the best human beings we can be. Karate is a spiritual endeavor; a way to develop a person as an individual. Everything we learn in the dojo, or training hall, should be applied to everyday life. Karate training is not always easy. Often times it can be very difficult and demanding. This is also true of life. If we can overcome obstacles in our training, it enables us to have strong character to do the same in our everyday lives.“
- Sensei Ron Porath

What is Karate-do?

Karate by itself is a specialized form of fighting while karate-do is a way of life incorporating karate training to improve oneself. Karate-do is one of the many Japanese cultures that originated from bushi-do. It is training to improve oneself and its aim is to seek perfection of character. It disciplines you to observe and respect the rules of daily life such as: loyalty, courage, faith, courtesy, affection and simplicity. It is not merely to seek a victory in a tournament.

Benefits

Self-defence

• Karate is a martial art that focuses on teaching how to protect oneself

Physical conditioning

• Everyone works to their own level
• Exercises will help strengthen and increase speed, flexibility and endurance

Mental benefits

• Perseverance is part of the class structure and students are expected to “try their best”
• Improved discipline and focus
• The hard work of class is a great stress release and the new abilities one develops gives the student the best benefit – “confidence”

Social benefits

• Class structure focuses on respect and controlling emotions
• The sempai (senior)/ kohai (junior) relationship in class encourages helping one another
• Fun: We hold social activities for adults and the whole family – BBQ’s, theme parties, etc.