MOSSEL BAY SPORT NEWS - Mossel Bay Shotokan Karate Academy, a karate school started by Sensei Vernon Petersen, did its bit in October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
It completed the100 Kata Challenge locally. The 100 Kata Challenge is an international event held on Karate Day on Friday, 25 October.
Kata is a Japanese word describing detailed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs, according to Wikipedia.
The seventh annual Worldwide 100 Karate Kata event took place worldwide at multiple dojos and other locations around the world.
Inspired by the classic karate phrase, "Train hard 100 times", tens of thousands of karateka worldwide have completed the 100 Kata Challenge since it started seven years ago. Karateka simply select a kata to perform for 100 repetitions. It is up to them whether they choose an easy or advanced kata.
Sensei Vernon, an experienced school teacher, identified the need for karate development in his community. This challenge was the first for the local karatekas.
The Shotokan South Africa organisation challenged all the affiliated dojos throughout South Africa to participate in the challenge for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The display of 100 Heian Shodan katas in Mossel Bay was performed at New Sunny Side, Tarka's multipurpose track.
The exhibition was also aimed as a project whereby athletes had the opportunity to show their skills in front of an audience to offer them the opportunity to boost their confidence, as the whole school consists of beginners.
The parents of these children, who were part of the audience, were surprised at the ability of the children and responded positively after every round. The katas were performed in repetitions of five.
Shotokan South Africa is united in the common understanding that: "The true purpose of karate is not the winning of fights or tournaments. We commit to practising according to the five basics principles of Shotokan - character, sincerity, effort, etiquette and self control." Shotokan South Africa is affiliated to United World Karate (UWK) through United World Karate South Africa (UWKSA) and to the World Union of Karate-do Organisations.
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