G.I.F.T. Martial Arts

From Beginners at St Matthias' church dojo, whose homework it was to write down why they come to karate classes:

Karate

"I want to learn karate for self esteem, self defence and to become more confident.

My target is to get a black belt. i also want to do karate to focus more in school and good concentration."

A.

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KARATE

Why do I want to learn karate?

1. So I can show my mum

2. So I can count in Japanese

What is my target?

1. To count in Japanese

2. Punch correctly

3. Try to get a black belt

D.

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 KARATE ESSAY

Karate is fun and enjoyable, you learn good self defence and its a good way to relax and focus your mind. Thank you for teaching me.

E.

 Karate essay

I want to go to karate because I would love to know a few self defence moves so that next time I get strangled or punched, I know what to do...Thank you for teaching me 

S.

I want to be good at coraty (karate) to learn how to difend (defend) myself, not to interfere!!!

G. 

Why I go to karate

I go to krute( karate) to learn and how not to mess around

 Unknown

T.

I want to go to karate because it's fun and great exercise. I will learn to be strong, tough and brave. 

MORE TO COME! WATCH THIS SPACE!!!!!! 

 From Archie,karate After School Club

DOJO BEHAVIOUR:

What I should do when I am at karate

To get dressed

Remember to take my socks off

Stand in line

Do not mess around

Do not talk

That is what you should do in Karate

"Thank you Archie, very precise."

From Joseph,karate After School Club

DOJO BEHAVIOUR:

What we have to do in karate to get more fun out of it is to get dressed quickly and learn the training we are supposed to do.That way we can have more fun.

"Very good Joseph. I hope other students can follow your lead".

From Kiera, karate After School Club

DOJO BEHAVIOUR:

What I should do when I am at karate

When I am at karate I should go to the stage and put on my gi. Then go to the register and then stand still in my line quietly and I should stand still.

"Well done Kiera. Keep up the dojo etiquette!

From Claudyne, Karate After School Club

DOJO BEHAVIOUR:

The first thing we do when we start karate is warm up.First,press ups, then we do squats and the sit-ups. Next, we go to our boxes and then we stand still like a statue for a moment with our hands closed into a fist. Then we do our stance position which is to put my hand to my chest and my left hand in front of my chin.

For Sensay!

"Thank you very much Claudyne! But you'll have to remind me which is the last stance you described please? I know I'm getting old and sometimes forget things!

From Victoria Worsley, karate student in our Hornsey Dojo N8 

When my 5 year old daughter came back from school a year ago saying she wanted to go to ‘chinese fighting’ with some of the boys in the class instead of her ballet I was bemused but delighted. (Of course Karate isn’t chinese and its more than fighting). Delighted because in my job as a Feldenkrais Method practitioner for the public and in drama schools I see far too many young women with back pain and hip pain from a history of dance (and young men from over-training) and those with the best, healthiest movement skills tend to come from a martial arts background. I would probably have guided her to a softer martial art like Judo but she was keen for Karate and now I love seeing her learn to use powerful movement like kicks and punches: how great for a girl. And it all involves transmission of force instead of tension and good use of the whole of herself instead of isolated movement/stretches - plus of course it all comes with careful discipline and some good games. Well I couldn’t sit on the sideline for long. It looked too interesting and too much fun. And I am a movement junkie. It’s a challenge to learn new patterns and complicated co-ordination in your 40s (even when its your job!) - but very good for brain, body and whole self. I am having to overcome my girly ‘I might hurt you/you might hurt me’ scruples and handle sparring with a 13 year old boy or a scarey Dad. But hey. After a week of teaching soft movement skills, having the chance to learn some new ones for myself and to move forcefully too is just grand. Come and join in.

SOME OF OUR AFTER SCHOOL CLUB STUDENTS WERE GIVEN HOMEWORK AND HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR ENTRIES...................

What I learned in karate is how to punch, block, do the sumo stance, do the crane and I know how to do them properly.

Rory, St Marys' After School Club Hornsey 23 - 11- 2008

KARATE

In karate we have learnt different stuff like.......................

PUNCH'S: short punch's long punch's, high punch's, low punch's and strong punch's.

KICKS: hard kicks, slow kicks, fast kicks, strong kicks and sometimes we do kicks in stages: for example 1st we lift up our leg and then kick it out and hold it and then come back to our lift up position.

BLOCKS:

Head level blocks, kick blocks and punch blocks.

Thanks For Reading!!!!

Keisha & Bella St Mary's After School CLub, Hornsey 21 - 11 - 2008

MY TENTH LESSON AT KARATE

For my tenth lesson in karate, I was taught to do a number of things. Firstly my teacher taught myself and my class members how to punch, he showed us a demonstration and then asked us to show him exactly what was demonstrated.

He hen taught us how to kick, he told us as you lift your leg, to pivot on the other leg but on the bottom of your foot.

After that we learnt how to block, which he demonstarted again for us to repeat after.

We was then taught how to double punch, this was a move that I enjoyed doing alot as I found it very easy!

Finally we learnt how to double kick which I found was much harder to do than the double punch and that was my experience in my tenth lesson at karate.

Sade, St Mary's After School Club,Hornsey 7 - 11 - 2008