In celebration of over 50 years teaching Karate to the Guyanese population, 9th Dan Shuseki Shihan Frank Woon-A-Tai will host the Woon-A-Tai Cup this Sunday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
Impressed with the excellent turn out the sport had gathered over the years the veteran fighter has decided to continue his stellar work in the sport.
However, it was not a sport when he started.
“When I began teaching Karate over 50 years ago I did it as self defence,” Woon-A-Tai said adding…”In those days it was choke-and-rob, you know, guys didn’t have guns and so, so you had to defend yourself and with me living not far from Astor Cinema I would fend off these guys and I started teaching.”
Master Woon-A-Tai said that the tournament is expected to focus on the young Karatekas starting from four years up but not limited to 35 years old which will give them experience of tournaments from an early age.
A lot of the gyms have already come forward for Sunday’s event which is open to clubs from the entire country including Linden and Berbice.
Woon-A-Tai said that the sport has been one of the leading sports in terms of discipline and with a lot of the students coming from negative backgrounds, some have turned out quite well after practicing the sport.
Woon-A-Tai, who controls over 50 regions in the field of Karate, pointed out that Guyana is one of the leading countries in the Caribbean in the sport having placed second to Ontario (Canada) and Trinidad at the two previous championships. He said that he is hoping that when the sport goes to Barbados this year, his home country will prevail.
