In many translations, karate means ‘the way of the empty hand’.
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But members of the Bega, Candelo and Eden Kokoro Kai Goju karate dojos were far from empty-handed with a swag of 33 medals from the recent Australian Martial Arts Championships recently.
Held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, nine competitors from the dojos showed off their wares across discipline, kata and competitive sparring showcases to sweep the pool of trophies.
Fifth Dan instructor Shihan Robert Graham said he was blown away by the performance of his students, about half of whom hadn’t contested tournaments.
“I thought it was an outstanding effort for those kids,” Shihan Graham beamed. “[being a mixed martial art event] it was good for them to go out and test themselves and see where they stand in katas and matching opponents in other types of fighting.”
Shihan Graham hosts extra classes for those heading in to competition, but the instructor said he never expected such a haul of trophies and medals from a prestigious event.
It’s now given the students even more gumption to keep up their training ahead of further competitions like the All Styles Nationals in May or the Australian Karate Federation (AKF) championships.
Shihan Graham said the results were telling of the effort and ability of students at the small regional dojos.
“To prove the point, they went into their own divisions, but there weren’t enough numbers so they had to go up against people who were much higher graded,” he said.
“It just makes them very hungry to have another go, their eyes have been opened to the competitions and they’re ready to go back now.”
But like many sports, the co-founder of the Kokoro Kai Goju style said there was a second battle; that of defeating your own nerves.
“They didn’t just battle in the ring, but they had to beat their nerves,” he said.
“It’s a serious thing to beat yourself and drown out that mental block, I’m very proud of them – they all stepped up especially considering many have never been before.”
He said the medal haul was just reward for the students and parents who made the trip to Canberra in darkness around 5am.
“Realistically you’re getting up there and starting tired,” Shihan Graham says. “So it’s even sweeter for everyone to do so well and bring home those medals.”
If anyone is interested in learning karate or competing in tournaments you can contact Shihan Robert Graham on 0427 945 930.
There are dojos in Bega, Candelo and Eden with weekly training schedules.