Chris - My Journey So Far!

My introduction into Karate came by chance, I was visiting one of my clients and as we do, we started talking about our interest.  I mentioned to him that as a 63-year-old I still try to keep active, playing squash and regularly going to the gym.  I also mentioned how boring gym work was, doing the same routines 2-3 times per week.  He mentioned his interest and explained he was a black belt in Karate; I was interested in talking to him about it as I thought it was all about breaking pieces of wood and shouting loudly!  After explaining what is was about I thought that I would be interested in trying it, but still had some concern due to my age and the demands that would be needed to actively participate.  Showing an interest my colleague Googled looking for venues near me and came across Zenshin Dojo.

Having the contact details, I emailed explaining my situation and concerns and had a reply from Rob stating that he thought it would be a good fit for me and that it offered in his opinion, a good blend of exercise for both body and mind. He also said it can be intellectually stimulating as well as physically challenging and presents a really good alternative to traditional “keep fit.”

I decided to give it a go and during a few taster sessions I decided to join the club.  The first couple of sessions seemed straight forward enough just a few stances and blocks, what could be easier.  However, a few weeks on I did start to find it difficult as there appeared to be no connection from my brain to my limbs, why was I going in a different direction to everyone else?  This became a very frustrating time, why could I not do what seemed to be the simplest moves and there was a time during Kihon when I was completely lost and at the end of the session felt very low.  

I guess if everything was easy we would all be doing everything and there would be no challenges, no mountains to climb, no journey to embark on.  I wasn’t finished yet, time to reappraise, could I do what was being asked of me? Of course I could, it just takes a little bit longer and lucky for me I am a patient person.  Time to step things up and although I still attended the gym I needed to mix things a bit more and try other classes and more practice; not just in the Dojo, the gym, living room and even the bedroom where all practice grounds. 

Cotham, sessions with Greg and messing with my head, doing things in reverse, then to Keynsham with Nick’s class, going giddy doing kicks in a circle, then to Warmley with Phil (why such early starts!), trying to exhaust everybody and that’s just the warm up!  Then the Friday morning session started and a good chance to grab two regular sessions a week and although the new class was mainly for beginners it was what I needed as I realised how I had not grasped some of the earlier concepts.  Staple Hill continues to be my regular practice venue as I continue to move on slowly.

I see Karate as being a jigsaw; I don’t know how many pieces there are or the picture I am building.  However, in order to build up a picture I need to first look for the straight edges and corner pieces, these are the blocks, strikes and stances (Kihon), as I start to build the puzzle I look for more matching pieces, these are the Kata’s.  Next, as the pictures builds I hope to add more pieces, the techniques and applications.  I still don’t know where my journey will end or what the picture will be, but when I see the blue edges of the puzzle pieces, I will know that the sky is the limit.

Steel Fist, Silk Glove

Steel fist in a silk glove

I joined Zenshin Dojo around a year and a half ago with no previous martial arts experience. I didn’t really know what to expect, but in my head I imagined that alongside the physical training there would be a lot of nonsensical proverbs delivered by an ancient sensei. Imagine my disappointment then when for the first few months the not so ancient Rob taught Karate in a very practical and understandable way. I was starting to think Hollywood had made up this stereotypical teaching by riddle method until one cold Tuesday evening Rob dropped the following gem on us:

“You want to have a steel fist in a silk glove”

It was just what I had been waiting for. The paradox is clear, and it left a number of us scratching our heads at the time. However the meaning soon became clear after some more explanation and practice. The steel fist is the power behind the technique, but the silk glove took a bit more time to understand, and much more time to implement. It refers to the way we perform a technique, blending our movement with an opponent’s rather than just being a steel fist crashing into them. 

It’s all about finesse and control while remaining relaxed. It explains how a smaller practitioner can throw all 6’3 of me around with ease if I take the Jeremy Clarkson approach of “POWER”!!!

Once I understood this I had a light bulb moment, and realised this is transferable to almost any sport. I immediately saw the parallels with swimming, which I have taught and coached for almost 10 years. You can only go so far with pure power (steel fist) before you plateau. You also need to be able to relax into the stroke (silk glove), placing your hand in the water in the perfect position to deliver the power.

Although I now understand what Rob meant, it will take many more hours of training and practise before I master the skill. Until then I will keep working away, eagerly waiting for the next time Rob shares some of his wisdom in a riddle.

In Conversation with Iain Abernethy

Recently Iain Abernethy led a successful seminar in Bristol hosted by Zenshin dojo.  During a 20 minute break Zenshin member Justin Richards seized an opportunity to ask Iain questions.  In part one of the interview Iain provides an honest and personal  account of his karate journey so far and his thoughts on karate as an Olympic sport.

What do you find more satisfying, teaching or practising and why?
I enjoy both, but in terms of my practice is just for me, whereas my teaching is for others, and obviously others will outlast me, so I would have to say that I probably find teaching more satisfying as in that will have the longest influence, whereas my own personal practice that obviously dies with me, but my teaching hopefully doesn’t.


 What has been your biggest karate challenge so far?

Probably early on getting used to the discipline of regular training, when I wasn’t a child that would do that, but when I realised I can train consistently and get results from that, that was something of a revelation to me, so I would say that it was probably those early days once I got that habit it’s just never stopped and since then things have been pretty easy karate wise because I enjoy it greatly, there’s a few bumps along the road injuries, you have to overcome and stuff, but that would be it originally, disciplining myself to train regularly.

What has been your biggest success (or what are you most proud of)?

Probably my first book, simply because that was my first attempt to communicate the ideas I had with a wider audience, so although I don’t think it was my best book, and it certainly not my most popular book, it was the one I was most proud of because that was the point where I put my head above the parapet and said I think I’ve got something I want to say, so my first book is probably the one I’m most proud of today.

Were you affected by the 2005 or 2016 floods?

Not directly no, my house is on the edge of the town but obviously the town was badly affected and therefore people I either know or my family, my father lost a car in it, Fred who people might know through the books and DVD’s, his house was flooded out, so people we know, were, and obviously the town I live in was, but personally I was very lucky and got away with no damage to my personal property or anything like that.

What are your thoughts regarding Karate as an Olympic sport?

I’m indifferent to it. I’m happy for the athletes because I know how hard they work and the people around them the referees, the political organisations and I know the amount of effort that people have put in to wanting that to happen, so I’m pleased for them. But for me it’s an irrelevance it’s not what I do, it’s not what I practice, I don’t think it will have a big influence on karate generally as well, because at most we’ll be talking about 30 seconds of highlight footage, once every 4 years, so I don’t think, as some people do, that it will have a big influence on the way that karate is perceived, I don’t think it will. We’ll just turn up at the dojo and do what we’ve always done. So I’m pleased for them but it makes no difference to me.

Reaching out to busy parents

Reaching out to busy parents

Today’s busy parents have a lot on their plate, nurse, kids’ taxi service, teacher, playmate, the list of child related commitments and responsibilities is, quite rightly, a long one. Adding to the already congested timetable are the plethora of after school clubs and activities; swimming, gym, music lessons, brownies, football, the list is diverse and endless. To further squash an already tight schedule, the trend for modern schools to encourage parents to spend valuable family time helping their child through a mountain of homework eats into whatever free time there is left before bedtime. 

In this vortex of child centred activity and obligations it’s easy for parents to lose sight of their own goals and aspirations, a need to “park” their own ambitions until the children are older.  Of course, there are plenty of options out there but many take place in the evenings, or at weekends when free time is at a premium or nonexistent even if you do have the energy!

During this past year we have been approached by several mums who, through watching their children in our junior classes, have requested a weekday morning karate class.  Their argument is a good one, it's cheaper than a gym, more fun than running on your own, intellectually stimulating, and socially engaging. As a result we’ve decided to bite the bullet and start such a class aimed primarily at mums and dads, who are only free after the morning school run, but also open to anyone who is available to give it a go.

Many karate clubs, particularly the amateur ones, are not able to have sufficiently flexible instructors able to deliver tuition during the ordinary working day. It's an understandable position to be in, but also an unfortunate one because those clubs are not in a position to tap into a huge reservoir of potential new students.

I firmly believe that karate practice can improve lives, health and spiritual well being, so if you are a club that are lucky enough to offer that facility then you are most likely providing the only opportunity for those busy parents, or shift workers to be challenged physically, pushed mentally and achieve meaningful accomplishment.

Taking that first step can be hard

I look at the number staring back at me in a state of disbelief, the date is January 2^nd 2013 and my bathroom scales are telling me an uncomfortable truth. I’m sure many of you can relate to this feeling after a few weeks of festive excess, but to me this runs deeper than a few extra mince pies. In the preceding two years I’ve gone from an active, slender, fit man to a slovenly, overweight shadow of my former self due to a litany of health issues both physical and mental.

Time for another New Year weight loss initiative - like 2012’s ill-fated decision to join my local gym and pay for a year’s membership upfront, only to give up going in February. I’ve always thought it would be nice to learn a martial art and I loved the Jean-Claude Van Damme films of my childhood, yes that settles it, my fandom of a Belgian movie star has made the choice an easy one - martial arts it is. As for what martial art I decided upon Karate simply because it was the only martial art that I had heard of other than Judo.

Now that I had decided what I wanted to do the next step was finding somewhere to do it. I remember googling ‘Karate beginners lessons Bristol’ and looking through the top few results. Whilst reading through a few of the websites something catches my attention immediately – a short paragraph stating that none of the instructors get paid for teaching and volunteer their services for free. That, as I would come to discover in the coming years defines what Zenshin Dojo is all about – people helping people to better themselves simply because it’s the right thing to do. It sounds idealistic, but in a world too frequently dominated by selfish wants and needs it’s refreshing to come across a community whose ethos is about learning and helping others.

I can still remember the nerves before attempting to attend my first lesson. I say attempting because I never actually made it to my planned first lesson. I had difficulty finding the venue and arrived ten minutes late. This was followed by ten further minutes of sitting in my car procrastinating about whether it was too late to turn up for the lesson before driving home. At that stage of my life I was struggling terribly with anxiety to the point that some days I couldn’t even leave the house, I remember driving home convinced that my martial arts experience was over before it even began. The next day I receive a short e-mail from the founder of the club Rob enquiring as to why I had not attended the lesson. It’s a short message, but there’s an inherent warmness to the tone which convinces me to give it another go.

Sunday, January 20^th 2013 my first ever Karate lesson. It’s funny but I’ve attended hundreds of lessons since that first lesson, but I can remember the details of that first lesson more than any lesson I’ve attended since. To me the hardest part of learning Karate is the first time you step into the dojo, it’s that fear of stepping into the unknown particularly if you have no previous martial arts experience. As soon as I walk through the door the instructor Phil greets me, he has a friendly warmth to him that immediately puts me at ease. I’m introduced to the group and Lorraine(another of the instructors) takes me away from the main group to teach me Fudo Dachi(stance) and Gedan Barai(block). Throughout my first lesson I’m made to feel welcome and that’s something that has stuck with me nearly four years later - the way that new members are embraced and made to feel welcome.

To me one of my most vivid Karate memories is the first time I put my Gi(uniform) on, though I wear a t-shirt underneath it due to my embarrassment at my weight. There’s just something uniquely special about putting that Gi on for the first time.

While I’m enjoying learning Karate, I’m also struggling tremendously with my mental health. Along with anxiety I’ve also battled depression and at the time I was taking some quite powerful anti-depressants, which I’m sure contributed to my weight gain.

As the weeks and months pass not only do I lose some weight which was my primary goal, but I also begin to feel less anxious not just at Karate but in all aspects of my life. The depression begins to lift and I slowly begin to cut back on the anti-depressants until by the middle of 2014 I’m off them completely. I’m sure anyone who was a member of the club when I joined will attest that I was very quiet for the first year I was there. I have absolutely no doubt that Karate played a huge role in my mental health improving.

It’s not been all smooth sailing for me at Zenshin Dojo as I can be hard work at times and I’ve certainly had my moments of self-doubt over the last four years, but the patience and understanding of the instructors at the club truly is second to none. That also applies to the other members of the club and if an instructor is busy then there are always other people more than willing to take time out from their own practice to help you.

As someone who has always prided myself on my athletic ability I feel like I’m back to the person I used to be and at the age of 39 I feel the best physically since my twenties. On a deeper level I will always be grateful for Karate and more specifically the supportive environment at Zenshin Dojo for helping me to overcome the worst of my mental health difficulties. I still have my bad days, but they are few and far between nowadays.

Oh and I no longer have to wear a t-shirt under my Gi!

Alternative Karate: A new country, new path?

Alternative Karate: A new country, new path?: Zoe was a young teenager when she first walked into our dojo and discovered karate. It soon became her passion and she excelled, both as a ...

A new country, new path?

Zoe was a young teenager when she first walked into our dojo and discovered karate. It soon became her passion and she excelled, both as a student and teacher. Her profound understanding, powerful physical prowess, playful nature and gentle femininity was an awesome mix. Not surprisingly she became a highly sought after instructor and role model to other young women in our club.

In 2012 love of a good man took her to Calgary, Canada where she now lives with her husband and baby daughter.

Despite being so far from her home and karate family, she has continued her martial arts journey encountering a range of difficulties along the way.

She has kindly agreed to share her thoughts in this candid and honest interview.

When did you start practising karate and why?

Funakoshi's grave.

I was 17 years old, so that's, 1997 I think! Growing up as a teenager in Bristol made me realize that as a woman I needed to protect myself. I would often go down town with my friends, we would see fighting and the male attention was sometimes quite intimidating. Little did I know that Shotokai Karate would become so much more than a system of self defense.

Describe your karate journey so far. What have been the highs & lows?

I've seen associations split, egos clash and Karate reveal people for who they really are good and bad.

But mostly I have had a marvellous time meeting some of the most incredible and inspirational people in different countries around the world.

Highlights being -  practicing with the Japanese Masters (The Yutenkai) in Japan and in Pisa, Italy. Also practicing with the warm and exuberant Italians on the hot sand in Pisa. Sharing great friendships. Watching people grow and seeing them progress is the most satisfying and amazing thing.

Low point: Is probably right now actually. Trying to find my way in North America and find people who understand what I am trying to teach. Trying to get past the people who want instant gratification of just punching and kicking. Its a long journey with many twists and turns. Sometimes you want to just give up but something always calls me in my heart just to keep going.

Has karate informed your private life? If so, in what way?

Its made me the person I am today. I seek to be a better person because of it. It turned my life around as a teenager and has constantly kept the demons in my head that say 'you are not good enough' at bay. It's a constant test of resilience and determination, this helps relationships and goals in all areas of life. It has kept me humble, patient and generous.

How did having a family and moving away from Bristol affect your karate aspirations?

Its tough, I miss helping dedicated people learn Shotokai Karate. It will come. As I said above its another twist in my journey that is testing my commitment. I have explored other martial arts and enjoyed what they have to offer but I am always drawn back to passing on my experience. I love to teach and I need to do what I love. I know that I have to have huge patience to build a club and balance that with finding something new that fits with my beliefs. Also having a child means she will always come first, she is my first priority and any parent will know that it takes some time to adapt to this new role and responsibility.

What qualities do you hope to find in a karate instructor?

HUMILITY!! Kindness and a genuine spirit for wanting to help people become their best. An understanding of connection, long term progression and the art of martial arts.

What would be your ideal practice environment? In other words, what do you look for when assessing whether or not to visit / join, a new club?

HUMILITY!! Kindness and a genuine spirit for wanting to help people become their best!  Not trying to suffocate my previous experience. Openness and respect. FUN people, who don't take themselves too seriously and who want to help others.

What has been your biggest martial arts challenge to date?

Canada!

What advice would you give to someone starting out on their karate journey?

Persevere, stay open and try to leave your baggage at the door of the dojo at each practice. Enjoy the journey, don't rush, be very patient and kind to yourself and others.

Have you ever studied any other martial art apart from karate and, if so, how do they compare?

Aikido, Kickboxing, Wing Chun Kung Fu. Each style has great things to offer. Aikido for it flow and lack of violence toward your partner (neutralize the attack). Kickboxing for its fast pace, great kicks, learning to get in do the damage and then get out. Wing Chun for its fast compact techniques that constantly stick to their attacker, a great system for street self defence and as I like to call it, Telephone box fighting. Wing chun is a great influence right now to me as it was designed by a small woman and understands how to use the energy of a large male against them. I see a lot of similarities between Wing Chun and Shotokai Karate.

What would you have written on your karate headstone?

Stay Humble. Be kind. Keep an open heart.

Karate Belts - More than keeping your trousers up?

"It is not what you wear ..... its what you do" - Master Chen

 When the white belt becomes dirty and discoloured by years of hard training it turns to black, then after more years of dedicated practice, the “dirty” belt becomes frayed. The white cotton stitching is revealed thus returning the black belt to white symbolising that however great the master, there is always more to learn. It’s a popular and romantic view but opinions about the value of karate belts are mixed.

I have had the great pleasure to practice with a truly authentic Grandmaster, Chen Xiaowang. Although not specifically referring to karate belts, Master Chen made the point that your value as a martial artist was not determined by the colour of a piece of cloth around your waist.

The need to have a visual signpost illustrating the student’s current point along their karate path seems to have had its roots in the early 1930’s. Many believe that Gichin Funakoshi, one of the founders of modern karate, was instructed to adopt the judo approach to rank if he wanted karate to be accepted as a main stream Japanese martial art. Funakoshi agreed, and the coloured karate belt system was introduced.

Today there are as many coloured belts as there are colours in the rainbow. Our dojo adopts a basic primary colour system. However manufacturing improvements have resulted in not just bold, primary coloured belt designs, but also multi coloured striped belts, chequered belts and two tone belts being widely used and available.

There appear to be two main schools of thought.

The first believes that the novice student should wear a white belt until they are considered good enough to wear the coveted black belt. Variations on this approach have resulted in some groups adopting a single intermediary grade of brown belt, before black.

The other, arguably more widespread view, accepts that there is at least some value in having a coloured belt grading system. The precise colours of the belt vary from group to group, but generally begin with white, moving through to a black belt, via six or seven other colours.

What are the benefits?

Personally, I subscribe to Master Chens’ view, but recognise there is value in an overt ranking structure. Recently, a mature student successfully completed a basic assessment and as a result was awarded a new karate belt. She remarked it was the first time since leaving school, that she had been publicly recognised for any type of achievement. She went onto explain that this recognition had raised her sense of self worth, and had profoundly impacted on her long standing acceptance that she would never achieve anything.

This may sound extreme, but this type of acknowledgment resonates on some level with many ordinary people. When I talk about ordinary people, I don’t mean to sound disparaging but I refer to the type of person who is never going to be an Olympic athlete, or “Champion.” It’s the silent majority who have to put age, infirmity, family, or work first before embarking on any physical challenge.

The setting of achievable goals or objectives is important for many people. These sign posts along the path to karate mastery can be a powerful motivator for the student.

Of course like most things there is a darker side. Jealousy and desire linked to ambition and the acquisition of power can unfortunately result in a misuse of the belt ranking system. Also the use of coloured belt awards as rewards is open to abuse by some instructors whose income depends on student numbers. I have seen such instructors unfortunately influenced by the prospect of a student leaving if not awarded their new belt. For those leaders, the temptation to reward, and therefore retain the student, must be a constant challenge.

Instructors, group leaders and those with this responsibility, should also be alive to the impact promotion of a student to a new rank can have on the micro culture found in karate clubs. On balance

if managed correctly, with integrity and appropriate value, the coloured karate belt system provides many students with a sense of context, and the opportunity to set meaningful goals; such a system also allows instructors and leaders to plan lessons more effectively, providing appropriate practices in line with the students experience and ability.

Keeping this perspective helps encourage achievement with challenge, and healthy competition, but at the end of the day, a belt is just something to keep you trousers up!

Karate and Mental Health

‘Ding’ - you know the sound. The lightbulb moment when you understand or do something which you didn’t or couldn’t before. It's a great sound and an even better feeling - for the person and also the instructor. As a teacher I hear and see these moments more than most and it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.

At Zenshin Dojo we enjoy these moments pretty regularly and it’s great to see. Unfortunately we also see and feel something else much more often. It’s teacher's’ worst nightmare. It stops learning, its stops happiness, it stops progression. It damages self esteem, slows down physical healing and affects mental health.

Lack of growth mindset, negative mindset, low self esteem - or as I like to call it ‘I’m rubbish’ thinking.

I know what your thinking - ‘over react much!’ but unfortunately it is not an over reaction, it is something which can really negatively affect a person. For some people this is not so much of a worry. You get along fine, meeting challenges, staying positive and being successful. But I think it is still important to be aware of the negative mindset, because it can take you by surprise. It can be as easy as thinking ‘I’m rubbish’ after only trying something once. For a classic over thinker like me however, it can often be a daily struggle to stay in the growth mindset and not get sucked into a negative one or worse depression.

I work with pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. I also have suffered with and taken medication for depression in the past. I, along with plenty of other people, experience stress from work and personal responsibilities. Others in the club may have more personal experience of other types mental health illnesses. Mental health is important for everyone to acknowledge, talk about and defend against as it can damage relationships, ruin lives and kill people.

‘karate is not just self defence from others, it can also be defence from the self’

Words of wisdom from Rob Jones at the 2016 Zenshin Dojo Summer School. Rob joked about defending against ‘lethargy’ and ‘drinking too much’. My first thought was ‘defending against the effect of eating too much cake’. All these things are important to defend against individually. But look a bit deeper into these habits to defend against and you might find the ‘I’m rubbish’ demon lurking behind all of them.

‘Another drink won’t hurt’ (I’m not social or funny enough without a few drinks)

‘I’m too tired’ (my energy should be spent on others - work/children/house - not myself)

‘that was rubbish’ (anything less than perfect is a failure)

Karate is a martial art, a physical self defence sport and a mental defence from the self. At Zenshin Dojo there are many aspects which positively affect the physical and mental health of its members. But I would like to focus on the mental.

The social events and friendly atmosphere is an important part of our club’s ethos. It is acknowledged, practiced, celebrated and easy to measure, through the growth in numbers, the smiles and the strong, international links with other clubs. Humans are social creatures and being part of a group can be a powerful tool in the defence against mental health. A new member at Zenshin Dojo feels welcomed, at ease, not judged for making mistakes and is given special attention and support, making them feel safe and therefore come back. People with injuries or who are less fit or have other health setbacks are included and encouraged. Higher grades are given responsibility and are asked to pass on knowledge. All members are valued and respected which encourages value and respect for ourselves.

I often find my head full from a busy day with a ‘to do’ list as long as my arm, grumpy, stressed or just in a negative mindset. A good practice in the dojo changes that. I have found that by focusing on the physical shapes and movement allows me to quiet my mind and forget about everything else. This has the added benefit of putting problems and negative thoughts in perspective. After practice when you can return to ‘real life’ the small stuff has been filtered out, real problems are now ‘challenges’ and the overwhelmed feeling is replaced by ‘bring it on’. This effect is well documented, all sport and exercise allows endorphins to be released in the brain which has been proved to improve mental health and self esteem. But there is something about Karate, possibly the repetition, the physical contact or the risk of getting hit, that satisfies the cave-dwelling brain in all of us.

Rob often talks about the karate ‘journey’ - the recognition that everyone is on the same path, but at different points. The journey is the important part - not the destination. The journey should be measured in the distance you have travelled not where you have started from or the time it has taken. All these aspects of the analogy support the the theory of growth mindset. There is always something to improve on whatever grade, what ever age. When you are able to accept that and continually use it, in karate and daily life, you will also be able accept, overcome and move on from challenges in life whether they are personal, work related, physical or mental.

Zenshin Dojo has has helped me get more physically and mentally fit. It has helped me overcome challenges, including unemployment and questioning whether or not I should continue teaching. It helps me deal with stress at work and enables me to keep calm and defend myself when dealing with challenging pupils. These are personal experiences which some people may not relate to, but if you reflect I think you will find the mental health benefits of Karate in your own life. So however you’re feeling, put on your gi, get a sweat on, choose a positive mindset and embrace the ‘ding’

Karate in Nepal, a local view.

We have had the pleasure of interviewing Sanjeev, a Karate instructor based in Nepal. Sanjeev has been kind enough to answer our questions. We hope you find his answers as interesting as we did.

How long have you been practising karate and why did you start in the first place?

It's been 15 year's

How many students are in your club?

I have 50 students. Most of the students are from local area. 5 to 20 years old. We have morning and evening classes, 6 days a week. My club is in Biratnagar the second largest city of NEPAL and is the industrial capital of NEPAL.

Why is your club called Manakamana karate dojo?

It is named after Manakamana temple.

I am not alone in my karate my sensei helps me a lot to run my club he have never arrived in my club but he is always there when I need any help.

Describe the environment where you practice? Always outside? Or do you have an indoor space?

We have indoor but we practice mostly outside. I have to pay for indoor but from this session we are facing some problems. Actually I was having indoor class with aerobic teacher he used to teach aerobics and I was teaching karate but now the owner of that place wants to use that place for some other business purpose so we are outside now.

What do other local people, and the parents of your students say to you about karate?

For most of the parents they know the value of martial arts they think it's very good for kids in their overall development. Some parents send their children just because their children wants to learn otherwise they think it's dangerous sports. It is very difficult to convince those types of parents.

What do you find more satisfying, teaching or practising and why?

Practicing and teaching karate has become part of my day to day life. One day without karate it's very difficult to stay without karate.

Have you experienced any problems with the running of your club? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

Yes I did face problem while running my club. When I started my karate club there is already one club which was situated over there but it was not running regularly so I started my club and when I started my club the coach of another club who is also a senior master called me and tried to convince me not to open new club but u look after club (both club as one) as  an assistant coach but  we couldn't work together for long time so I decided to work alone but it became very difficult because he was a well established coach (government coach) and I am volunteer coach but trying my labour hard to bring best out of me and my students.

What has been your biggest challenge so far and what has been your biggest success (or what are you most proud of)?

For me success is not when my children get medals I find success when I teach them something and they do it better than me ,I find success when a new student who is not capable of kicking high or stretch full but try his/her 100% to learn , I find success in the smile of small children from their heart

Have you ever studied any other martial art apart from karate and, if so, how do they compare?

Yes I did try to learn other kinds of martial arts but I don't compare any martial arts with each other because for me each type of martial arts gives us opportunity to learn something new.

What are you most looking forward to over the coming months?

For upcoming month there are so many competition going to be held especially junior karate competition so I'm focused on that.

If you had any one piece of advice for a person starting out on their karate journey, what would it be?

For those who are going to start their journey of karate I want to tell them that every champion was beginner when he/she started their journey. No matter how many times u fell down always keep learning. Don't set your goal for winning medal rather than set your goal for learning and developing your skill.

Thank you Sanjeev for such an interesting interview. We wish you and all students at the Manakamana karate dojo, the very best of luck and good fortune in all that you do.