UAE | Leisure

Karate helps self-confidence

Karate is not just about self-defence. Today, it is a sport that helps one develop confidence, improves personal health and fitness levels and also teaches how to protect oneself against dangers.

  • By K.R. Nayar, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 23:42 September 19, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Many who had refused to learn karate in the first place, later turned to this form of martial art on realising its virtues.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News archive

Dubai: Karate is not just about self-defence. Today, it is a sport that helps one develop confidence, improves personal health and fitness levels and also teaches how to protect oneself against dangers.

The increasing popularity of karate has resulted in the emergence of many centres that teach this particular form of martial arts.

There are instructors with more than three decades of experience at some of these centres. Dubai Karate Centre, which is one of the most popular centres in the UAE, has close to 500 members - both men and women - honing their skills in the sport.

Develop virtues

Interestingly, some of them had refused to learn karate in the first place, owing to a wrong conception that it was an aggressive sport that could promote aggression and arrogant behaviour.

However, on the contrary, anyone who familiarises himself or herself with the sport, can actually develop virtues like patience, discipline and respect towards others. In fact, this realisation has attracted many women to the sport.

There is also a general misconception that learning karate means mastering the art to attack an opponent, but the truth is that this form of martial art first teaches one to defend oneself against an enemy. It also helps a person to gain speed and flexibility.

According to sensei Renjith, who had participated in many international karate competitions: "Karate is more than a self-defence technique. It makes one confident to face any situation in life. Many parents who have sent their children to me for training have admitted that there has been a radical transformation in the behaviour of their children after learning karate."

Renjith feels it is most important for children in the UAE to learn karate because most of them live confined within the four walls of their houses and are mostly inactive right through the day.

"Practising karate for just one hour, three days a week, can make them energetic and also help remove all fears from their minds," added Renjith.

The UAE Taekwondo and Karate Federation has also been trying its best to promote the sport. The federation has been promoting the sport by setting up centres in different parts of the country.

There are many centres that conduct competitions and annual championships. Some centres even invite experienced international experts from places like Germany and Japan to provide useful tips.

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