There is no shortage of karate schools in Belize - in fact there are
about 5 just in Belize City. But a new one opened its doors on January 2nd -
it is the House of Shotokan. It is one more dojo which is promising a positive
alternative for children and adults. Our team was there on Saturday for a special
training session.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was training camp inside the House of Shotokan for the 25 students –
ranging in ages from 4 to 13 – who spent their Saturday morning doing
gruelling rounds of sit ups…push-ups…and jumping jacks. But this
wasn’t a fitness class – this was karate.
Tanya Kelly, Sensei - House of Shotokan
“This one has a little of everything, that is why it is called the
Way of the Indomitable Spirit because it has a variety. It is four in one.”
Sensei Tanya Kelly says the most important lesson in the class is discipline.
Tanya Kelly,
“Discipline is really important because we need to install in our
kids from young that they need to be disciplined so that they will be to carry
out throughout their lives and be disciplined in work, in school, to be able
to perform to their ability and beyond.”
And that is why Suzette Tillett first signed up her 13 and now her 5 year old
son.
Suzette Tillett, Mother of Students
“The main reason is the discipline and the other reason is it teaches 
them from a young age to have a healthy lifestyle because they keep active.
They love it. The older one he loves it, he has been in the class now for a
couple of years and the baby he just started so he is excited to come to class.
Actually the baby saw his bigger brother doing it for a couple of years so he
was excited when his age came to do it.”
Kalia and Abraham Teck’s 5 year old daughter Amalia had problems with
her motor skills prior to joining the House of Shotokan.
Kalia Teck, Mother of Student
“I noticed that he was a little bit of problem with her motor skills
and I thought that this would have been a way to enhance it.”
For Maritza Espat who was looking for an extracurricular activity for her 5
year old son Pedro Espat - karate was the obvious choice.
Maritza Espat, Mother of Student
“From he was even smaller, he enjoyed watching those littler cartoons
that were into karate and he said he wanted to do it and I said well if you
are interested we will start and if you don’t like you can easily stop
but see what it is about first. At first he was a little taken aback by the
discipline and training but now he is really into it.
I think it is something that is very beneficial for him to work with people
and children and to get that field of what it is to be a part of a team and
I noticed that at 5 children tend to be a little fidgety and off the center
and need something to focus on and the karate seems to help him focus a little
bit more and he has improved a whole lot in paying attention and finding something
to do as part of that process for a kid.”
The students train under Sensei Tanya Kelly. She is a third degree black belt
with two international championships.
Tanya Kelly,
“The goal of House of Shotokan is to create champions. We have a little 
motto for the kids that we want to write up there, it says, ‘only champions
train here.’ We want to put in their minds that they are champions from
now and with that concept in their minds, they will become successful.”
And successful not just in karate – but in life.
Tanya Kelly,
“Many people see it right now, as young as they are, as a sport, something
to keep them busy. But in the cognitive mind something is happening. The kids
are being developed and when they grow up and start to go to high school and
when they move to college, university, they are developing that determination
to keep on, to achieve, to be successful, and that is what we want to create
in their minds right now.
We are not teaching anybody to fight. We have our principles which are
the last ones that you guys heard. Usually we rehearse them at the end of the
class, our Dojo Code, the principles of our school. The last one is that you
as a karate student do not give the first punch. So with that teaching the principles,
we are preparing them. Yes we are teaching them to defend themselves but we
are not teaching them to go outside and fight or pick a fight.
We are here to develop young minds and to contribute to society. Our main
goal is to go ahead and pursue this so that our kids will become successful
and take them away from the street.”
And the House of Shotokan hopes to do that one class and one student at a time.
The House of Shotokan is located on Princess Margaret Drive.
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