House of Shotokan hosted Belt Promotion Ceremony

Students of the Belize City-based House of Shotokan Academy received their belt promotions over the weekend. Pupils as young as four years old participated in training three to four months long and were rewarded for their hard work during a ceremony on Saturday. Karate Master, Shihan Kelly spoke to Love News about the ceremony and program. 

Shihan Kelly, Karate Master, House of Shotokan: “It’s significant because the karate school has its first promotion examination since COVID. Since COVID as well know everything was locked down and now we’re starting a momentum going. The kids have been training three to four months of hard training and this was a moment in time for their recognition and the award ceremony that’s what occurred. They received their Yellow belt, Blue belt, different ranking belts within the House of Shotokan Karate Academy and their parents were there for the first time to celebrate this momentous occasion with their children and also with the adults. We have what is called a Black Belt Club. It’s a leadership club in which we recognize certain students who have leadership capabilities and qualities. Two of our students shared the reason why they wanted to learn Karate and what Karate did for them and obviously confidence echoed, wanting to be a black belt echoed, but again this is a leadership club to help them to form their character in becoming outstanding citizens, successful citizens and those two students in particular those students are high achievers in their academic studies and what I’m saying is like it’s all A students. So it goes to show that within their training itself they were able to take the information and then transfer it into good grades in school, perfect attendance, listening to teacher and subsequently high ambition, high goal beyond the stars.”

Parents were recognized for their participation in community work programs from House of Shotokan Karate.  Parents participated in providing food for the homeless, providing back-to-school supplies and Christmas gifts to children from needy families. The program, which Kelly says shapes young people into responsible global citizens, is a means to help them be their best selves.

Shihan Kelly, Karate Master, House of Shotokan: “Personal development is what we’re all about. We want to use karate to build their character. That’s the first pillar of our karate which is “Seek perfection of character.” Building those young people’s character at the end of the day everyone wants their children to be a success in life. No one wants their children to go off the deep end and all in negative things that are out in our community waiting for them. With any karate training not just necessarily here at House of Shotokan because there are other karate studios in the country. I highly recommend that parents take their children to those karate facilities because again it builds their character and does exactly what you just stated. Karate on a whole gets the young kids off the couch. Many of our young people they’re glued to the TV, glued to social media, glued to their cell phone it gets them off the couch and gives them another form of exercise, it gives them another form of exercising their brain and at the same time physically they’re exercising. At the end of the day it is to build their character.”

The guest speaker was Rosinell Craig, who spoke on how karate training at the house of Shotokan has impacted her personal life in defending herself. House of Shotokan’s annual fitness karate school walk in the month of February 2023.