I started Karate in 2nd year along with two other friends of mine, Jamie and Paul,
who started earlier than I did. When I joined I thought it was going to be all back
flips and I mainly started because I like Japanese and Chinese fighting and
culture and great martial artists like Bruce Lee and Jet Lei. Karate is a great
fitness builder which is what I needed at the time as I was a chubby person. And
with all the training I am doing I have lost a lot of weight). It also teaches
self defence at the same time. Just because it is fighting, it doesn't mean a group
of experienced people are going to jump on you if you are a new comer. Mr.
O'Reilly will only teach the basic moves before we go freestyle fighting).
The karate I do in school is run by Mr. O'Reilly who is a black belt Dan 3 which
means he is on black belt level three and the highest so far in Ireland is Dan 7.
My friend Paul started before me and he could have been a green belt by now,
but he took his time and that is what is needed to become a good fighter because
if you are to rush your training you will punch sloppy and end up hurting yourself
more than the other person. As every other karate style a grading is needed to
get a new belt I have been at this about two years and I am a yellow belt but
unfortunally I have no medals or trophies because I didn't enter any tournaments
but I hope to soon.
Tunde Abdulsalam in 6th year has many trophies and also including the
all Ireland championship for three years running. A few weeks ago the club
gave a demonstration for the first years hoping to get new people interseted in
the sport. The tournaments are held on the weekends and there is a choice of
freestyle or kata. (Your kata is what you need to get your next belt. At a grading
they have competition for kata's to get you to train and get it right.)
The style I train in is Shotokan Karate and is used all over Ireland. There are also
tournaments every month and a class is held the school of St. Josephs B.N.S
on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6.45p.m. and is taught by Sense Philip.
My friend Paul has entered a few tournaments. There is another place where
Sense Clarke teaches in St. Mary's near Colinstown. (Sense Clarke is a Dan 7
and has been at it for years.) I am on yellow belt which took two years to get to,
I hope to get to a higer grade belt before I leave school and enter a
few tournaments.
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