By Stephan Sookram

STUDENTS of the Guyana Karate College (GKC) were last weekend the recipients of a two-day outdoor training session, aimed at skills building ahead their karate grading examinations set for next month.The two-day camp, which took place at the Splashmins Resort on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, engaged over 50 students and parents.
According to senior instructor and vice-president of the GKC, Sensei Jeffrey Wong, “The sessions we had this weekend were great. We had a good turnout of athletes and parents who supported their children for the two days. Weekend helped the students focus more on their training especially outdoors and has shown them that they can train outside of the dojo.”
“We think that this initiative shows our children, and even the ones out there who are not a part of our club or even our karate family, that there are ways to have fun through sport. We also believe that more initiatives like this can help to curb the crime situation among youngsters,” continued Wong.

He noted that the public perception of the sport being brutal must be dismissed, adding “We have seen some students who have come here with the aim of just learning to fight, that is not what we are about. We, at the GKC, are here to build characters, build better model citizens that will in the whole make Guyana a better place. We want to do that through individual discipline

“Karate, is all about focus and discipline. We have some students doing examinations and the exercise this weekend I think has given them a chance to settle down and build their focus more and we expect them to do well,” continued the Sensei.
The side is also using it as a warm-up and the first in a series of outings for the Caribbean Cup in Jamaica in July.

Apart from Sensei Wong, the other instructors on the retreat were Sensei Guy Low, Sensei Aubrey Bettencourt, Roland Fanfair and Kenrick Cheeks.
The college is preparing for the April 8 grading by head of the International Karate Diagaku Master Frank Woon-a-Tai.
They are also celebrating their 10th Anniversary this year.