Kaizen Karate academy marks busy first year

Sun, 19 Sep 2004

Kaizen Karate academy marks busy first year

The karate academy established in one of the capital’s biggest and oldest Karate clubs is celebrating its first year of successful business operation.

Late last year Seido Karate in Wellington set up the Kaizen Academy at its club headquarters at 223 Thorndon Quay above the Resene Paint Shop.

The academy was set up as a way of meeting demand from groups such as businesses, schools and other institutions wanting to do self defence courses, team-building and for help in reaching fitness goals.

The head of Kaizen and founder of the Wellington Seido Karate club, fifth dan black belt Ben Otang says it’s been an amazing year.

“In our first year of operation, we have held seminars with a number of corporate clients and schools.

“Everyone these days is conscious and aware of growing violence in society and is doing something about it by learning necessary self defence skills.

“And alongside all of this activity, Wellington Seido Karate itself has gone from strength to strength,” he said.

“We’ve had a record number of students grade to black belt this year, including our first young adult black-belts who will grade at the end of the year.

“And we’ve had some great successes in local and international tournaments, bringing home plenty of medals.

“In the next year there will be more gradings and tournaments, including the Seido Karate Tournament which we host in Wellington every three years.

“In 2002 we organised an international tournament in the capital which attracted 300 international competitors and raised $4,000 for Women’s Refuge and Te Whare Rokiroki - the Maori Women’s Refuge.

“We are now in the process of planning for next year’s tournament expected to be held around August 2005. We have had huge success with our tournaments in the past and we are hoping to be even more successful with the next event,” Ben Otang said.

ENDS

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