Karate, not bad for children, says secretary supreme Shotokan Club

Olatunji Beckley, the Secretary Supreme Shotokan Karate Club has appealed to parents and guardians to allow their children to take part in the martial art sport of Karate.

Beckley told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Saturday on the side-lines of Karate one-day sensitisation/championship event held at the National Stadium, Lagos, that most parents were doubtful of the sport due to its combative nature.

“Although, the support of parents is becoming better now, but it is not still encouraging. Parents should please allow their children to take part in martial arts.

“Lots of people see Karate as spiritual, as a sport that is rough, that it is all about fighting, which is not true.

“We have different aspects and we are adopting the Kata rules, which are just demonstrative. The karateka demonstrates different moves and we score them,“ he said.

He noted that martial art was good for young children because it developed their minds. “It makes one a better person because it is a disciplined sport.

“It allows you to multi-task in the sense that you can use multiple techniques, ultimately the discipline you learn in Karate help in everyday life,” he said.

Berkley added that Karate was fun especially for children, and stressed that the World Karate Federation (WKF), had the interest of young ones at heart in changing the rules.

The one-day sensitisation/Championship held on Oct.10, had no fewer than 150 children registered for the event.

NAN reports that Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945) in Japan and was developed in 1939.