By Marlon Munroe
Members of the national karate team preparing for the 11th International Shotokhan Karate Federation (ISKF) Pan American Championships are confident that success will come their way despite pre-tournament jitters.
The tournament gets underway tomorrow at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).
And even for junior Caribbean champion and Pan American silver medallist Kristina Cheeks, third Dan Natalie Gibson, 2008 Shoto Cup gold medallist and Caribbean Championships bronze medallist Eric Hing and Kenny Wong there is still an element of nervousness.
However, at the CASH yesterday before their practice session they all expressed confidence in performing at their best for the country.
Additionally, they also emphasised that their strict training regimen will be the key factor in overcoming the nerve wracking hours before the competition.
“I think that Guyana has a good chance of winning because we have been training hard and we are working towards the gold medals and we have the strength to bring it home. Training has been very tiring but it is okay because I love karate and I am willing to work because I want gold,” second Dan Cheeks declared.
Cheeks will be competing in the kumite, kata and team kata and indicated that she will be helping some of the karatekas, who will be making their national debut and those who are nervous to overcome their challenges.
“The first time is always a nervous time and they will groove into it,” she reckoned.
The 31-year-old Gibson, who is currently nursing an injury, will be participating in the kumite and she posited also that one of her roles will be to assist with alleviating the tension of her teammates and this will also help her. She suffered her injury last year during the Caribbean Championships in St. Lucia.
Kumite means sparring, and it is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. It is that part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata.
Kata on the other hand is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs.
It is also used in many traditional Japanese arts but is most commonly known for its presence in martial arts.
For 16-year-old Eric Hing, who has his sights trained on glory in the individual kumite and kata and team kumite, he thinks Guyana will do extremely well. He acknowledged yesterday that while the competition gets tougher when one gets older, his focus is still on winning that elusive gold medal and gaining more experience.
He believes that in the final analysis the good performance of the team will reflect the amount of work that has been put in prior to the championships.
The team, which is made up of karatekas from the Guyana Karate College (GKC) and the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) dojo, started its preparation 10 months ago. They worked under the tutelage of Senseis Jeffrey Wong and Amir Khouri, Masters Frank Woon-A-Tai and Teruyuki Okazaki.
“Experience is always good. Whether you win or lose the more experience you gain will always be good and this will help you in future competitions,” Hing maintained.
Hing and Wong observed that while all the countries are here to win they have been working with the younger members of the team during sessions at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) dojo.
“We make sure that everything is right because when we were small we had the help of the older ones so we think we should do the same for them.”
Meanwhile, one of the organisers of the championships, which is returning to Guyana after 21 years, Jeffrey Wong, indicated that all systems are in place for the tournament and he expects good results from the juniors.
Guyana had struggled over the years to field a strong senior team and this year the script remained the same.
“The team for Guyana is very strong and we (trainers) have built them up both mentally and physically for this tournament. They are dedicated and this is why I believe they will do well,” fifth Dan Wong emphasised.
Stabroek Sport also spoke with Coach and Deputy Chief Instructor of Jamaica, Gilbert Bellamy yesterday and he noted that while the sport is now catching on in his homeland, this tournament will provide an opportunity for his karatekas to “test their skills in a safe and controlled environment.”
Bellamy said that his 10-man team commenced training 10 months ago but intense work began four months ago.
He pointed out that the sport helps with discipline, and observed that some of his karatekas had come from some unsavoury environments and karate helped.
He also disclosed that some of the karatekas have full-time jobs but practise karate as a hobby.
He pointed out that some 400 persons are practising karate in Jamaica and this will be another in the series of learning experiences for the country’s karatekas.