Karate students of all ages are ready for another season of training and competition.
Chris Taneda of Taneda said the program last year had 12 to 15 students in the five- and six-year-old category and 25 older students.
He said some of the Summerland students have done well in the sport.
At present Claire Boothe is competing internationally. Others have also gone on to international competitions in past years.
“We’ve got a really good group in Summerland,” Taneda said. “We’ve had some really good success stories.”
While karate is good for fitness, Taneda said it also includes mental discipline.
“We use the exercises to strengthen the mind,” he said.
As a result, he said the participants achieve personal growth, not just excellence in the sport.
“I’ve had many people say it’s shaped the direction of where they went in their lives,” he said.
Karate has been offered in Summerland since 1981, when students from Summerland and Naramata asked for instruction closer to home. Previously, they had been travelling to Kelowna several times a week for training.
“These were pretty dedicated students to be doing that,” Taneda recalled.
The karate season will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at Giant’s Head School with classes for the youngest participants at 4:30 p.m. Adult instruction is offered in the evening.