House of Shotokan Karate Children Win Big in Quintana Roo

With the advent of gadgets and electronic devices, most people play video games, but for those who revel in the thrill of the actual contact sport, there are always karate classes that one can attend. This past weekend, thirteen students who have taken up karate classes put aside their gadgets to take on children like themselves in Chetumal. They did so in Tae Kwon Do, a technique that is not the main one taught at the House of Shotokan Academy, but not only did the children survive, they won! News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Thirteen students from the House of Shotokan Academy in Belize City received awards for winning Tae Kwon Do competitions in various categories in Mexico.

Shihan Kelly

Shihan Kelly, Grandmaster, House of Shotokan Academy

“All of them came winning first, second place medals. All of them won in that category that they were in. We had from children five years old, all the way up to adult females divisions and all the divisions that our student entered, we were able to fight well. It was a fighting competition and all of them, as I said, came back winning the category.”

Pulling off the feat was easier said than done, since the House of Shotokan teaches a martial arts technique that is entirely different from what the competition featured. Grandmaster Shihan Kelly and eleven-year-old Gordon Feinstein explained.

Gordon Feinstein

Gordon Feinstein, Medalist, House of Shotokan Academy

“The fighting style was completely unexpected, but in the end I won. It was a challenge. It was difficult because I’m a bit more stiff than normal, but you just have to kick. I just kicked high and I ended up winning.”

Marion Ali

“Okay, so you had to spend maybe a few more days or weeks just using your legs for practice, or doing more exercise with your legs?”

Gordon Feinstein

“With more exercise, I could get better with my legs, yes.”

Shihan Kelly

“We are not a Taekwondo practitioner’s school. Our style is Shotokan. It’s a Japanese-based school – Japanese art. However, the Taekwondo is a Korean art, and in that type of competition, majority of techniques is used is kicking techniques. In our karate, it’s hands and feet. So the scoring in the taekwondo event is exclusively with foot. So our school had to make adjustments, the students had to make adjustments, but that is something that I teach within our style here.”

The contact sport is seen as a hobby for many students; nonetheless, it can also be used in self-defense. Shihan Kelly says that it teaches discipline in order to excel in any other field in life.

Shihan Kelly

“There’s a sports side to karate, but there’s another side to karate, as you mentioned, for personal self defense. That is one that I love to do. I love to take an individual who knows nothing about defending themselves and equip them that if they go into a situation, they will have the confidence to utilize those tactical skills to protect themselves and maybe protect somebody else. The part of karate goes inside of one’s self and builds one’s self up to the level to where whatever challenges comes in life, you will overcome it because you have that mindset that you have developed from the karate from the House of Shotokan training. It have developed you to overcome those challenges and subsequently where you put your mind on, you will attain it no matter what those objectives are.”

And if you have the urge to take karate lessons but are afraid of suffering injuries, Gordon Feinstein says it’s nothing to worry about.

Gordon Feinsten

“I would say definitely give it a shot.”

Marion Ali

“You won’t have a broken bone.”

Gordon Feinstein

“No, you won’t.”

Marion Ali for News Five.