Hundreds register for Wellington karate tournament

26 August 2002

Hundreds register for Wellington karate tournament

Nearly 300 karate competitors from New Zealand and around the world have signed up to take part in the Wellington Seido Karate Benefit Tournament next month.

Wellington Seido Club Captain Bronwyn Dalley said entries for the tournament have been received from as far afield as the USA, Australia and Japan.

“These competitors will join local teams from Dunedin, Timaru, Temuka, Christchurch, Mt Cook, Reefton, Blenheim, Nelson, Palmerston North, Te Awamutu, Auckland and Wellington,” she said.

“This year we’re including displays by students from the Wellington Seido club along with a special kata presentation by blind karate students from Sydney and a Kendo demonstration by well known Wellington self-defence instructor and Kendo practitioner Sue Lytollis.

“We are also extremely fortunate to have the founder of Seido Karate, Mr Tadashi Nakamura, attend the tournament from New York.

“We’re expecting at least a thousand people at this year’s tournament both participating and watching – all in all it’s shaping up to be a great event for the Wellington region,” she said.

“Seido is one of the largest styles of marital arts in New Zealand - there are 18 schools in this country alone with around two thousand students. Internationally there are more than 40 thousand Seido students in 16 countries with nearly 100 branches worldwide.

“In the Capital we have around 200 members, of these 40% are women and around 30 of our members are children.

'Seido Karate is about personal growth and opportunity, and it emphasises inner strength rather than physical prowess. With this in mind we’ve decided that the tournament’s proceeds will go to the Wellington Women’s Refuge and Te Whare Rokiroki, the Mâori Women’s Refuge. Like Seido these organisations also stress the value of individuals,” she said.

The 2002 Wellington Seido Karate Benefit Tournament is being held on the 7th and 8th of September at the Hataitai Badminton Club, Ruahine Street, Wellington.

For further information contact: Bronwyn Dalley - ph 04 973 1707 or email: bronwyn.dalley@paradise.net.nz.
Visit the tournament website at www.seidokaratewellington.co.nz, or the Wellington Seido Karate dojo at 223 Thorndon Quay.

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