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Vice Chairman IKO Karate Academy of Guyana donates training gear
Professor Mendonca second from left handing over the equipment to Shihan Wong fourth from right.
Kaieteur News – Vice Chairman of the International Karate Organization (IKO) Academy of Guyana, Sensei Aubrey Mendonca, has just made a sizeable donation of martial arts and fitness training equipment to his Karate-do organization in Guyana.
Sensei Mendonça, who resides in the United States and who is a is a Professor at the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University (ISU), visits Guyana several times each year, particularly with the aim of sharing his skill and knowledge with the young Karatekas of IKO Guyana, and on this occasion brought along a number of fitness and martial arts training aids to help with the Academys training programme.
Professor Mendonca who firmly believes that sport has the power to change the world and who has been practicing the martial art of karate-do since his very youthful days in Guyana where he saw the benefits of karate contributing to ending violence, bullying and discrimination against children, young people in school and even women in domestic environments, said he would like to see particular attention paid to fitness training.
He opined that when you are physically active your mind gets a chance to unplug from daily stresses and strains of life. Physical exercise reduces the stress hormones in your body and stimulates the release of endorphins. These endorphins may give you more energy and focus for whatever life has.
In speaking to the young Karatekas who were present at the handing over of the equipment, he stated that the quest to become a karate champion requires a lot of training, grit, cheers, tears, high fives and early morning endurance jogs. He said discipline, diet and countless hours of training are also very important.
He stated that the donation was just the beginning of many more to come as the IKO seeks to take Karate-do training across the length and breadth of Guyana to a new level. He also hosted a special working luncheon at the New Thriving Restaurant where the executive of the organization met and reviewed its achievements and challenges for last year and crafted its work programme for 2022.
The Professor indicated his considerable satisfaction at the development and achievements of the Linden IKO Dojo where the interest shown by residents of the mining town was very strong and the commitment and dedication displayed resulted in an outstanding showing at the recently held grading examinations. He proposed for this year that the academy should consolidate on the gains made there, and a push made to expand the training there to allow for much more enrollment, whilst concurrently attention be also paid on the Berbice, Georgetown and West Demerara dojos.
In thanking the Professor for the timely and much needed donation to the organization, the Chairman of IKO Guyana, Shihan Jeffrey Wong 7th Dan black belt, outlined some of the plans for the new year including hosting a special camp for all of the dojos once there is an abatement of the Covid 19 pandemic in Guyana, the hosting of a major domestic tournament and attendance to at least two international tournaments.
He was high in his praise for his very youthful instructors whom he termed as the next generation of leaders and practitioners who will guide the students to commanding heights both in Guyana and internationally.
He said the equipment received shall be used to increase the flexibility, balance, strength and endurance of all of the Academys Karatekas.
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