Holistic Karate has just passed another significant milestone. Charlotte, aged thirteen, and Joe, aged ten, have become the school’s first two juniors to pass their Junior First Dan Black Belt.
Chief Instructor, Charlie Wildish, said: “I’m absolutely delighted. The two of them have been training hard and regular for nearly six years, and have attended extra training sessions as the grading got closer. They were both very nervous on the day, as it was just the two of them before a panel of three senior instructors, which would have been daunting for an adult, never mind juniors. I’m very proud of them both!”
Holistic Karate embrace modern training methods to make training more fun, so as to get the best from students, and new tactics and street psychology to make it more effective for self-defence. However, they still teach the traditional values of the martial arts and maintain high traditional standards, rather than conceding to commercial interests.
Joe and Charlotte had to demonstrate their basic movements, kata (pattern of movements), kumite (pre-arranged sparring to demonstrate their techniques against a live opponent) and bunkai (applications for the kata).
Charlie added: “As well as being great students, they’re also really nice kids. They work hard, put a lot into it, yet still have a good sense of fun. It has been a real pleasure to teach them and see them grow and develop in confidence. They’ll be an inspiration to the other kids.”
Anybody interested in trying martial arts for health, confidence or self-defence can book two free classes at: www.holistickarate.com