Karate Kids make Beaulieu proud
BEAULIEU – Beaulieu Dojo karateka impress at the recent Gauteng Shotokan Open Championships.
The Beaulieu Dojo karateka (karate) excelled at the Gauteng Shotokan Open Championships.
The dojo’s 12 participants scooped a whopping 24 medals. Their sensei, Elmarie van Zyl said they achieved this through their hard work and determination. “There are those who’ve been practising for a year and the most experienced have been doing karate for six years.”
She said the championship was one of the qualifying tournaments to qualify for the Shotokan-ZA National Championships to be held on 30 July.
“I am very proud of them, as I only started preparing them from mid-April when I started teaching at the Beaulieu dojo.” The sensei said the children learnt more than the physical aspect of karate. “I believe that participating in competitions helps students to build confidence in themselves, their abilities and also helps them to learn how to cope with stress and pressure.
“Facing different opponents also improves their ability to think quickly, adapt to different circumstances and respond with different tactics.”
Van Zyl added that competitions on provincial platforms prepared her students for national and international platforms. “The inclusion of karate in the upcoming 2020 Olympics also serves as very good motivation for the children to practise even harder,’ she said.
Van Zyl also congratulated her student Rebecca Suttie on her win in the Senior Ladies Open Champion trophy at the championships. ‘It was the first time she competed in the Open Senior division, but her ability to control her emotions kept her relaxed throughout the competition,” said Van Zyl.
Details: www.evzkarate.co.za
