Martial arts academy makes return after 25 years

THE RETURN of Shijo Saiko Martial Arts Academy on Saturday has come with a sense of nostalgia for Montegonians who will have first-class access to karate training 25 years after the institution’s original closure.

The academy’s grand reopening and official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at the Blue Diamond Shopping Centre in Ironshore, St James.

Terrence Thomas, director of Shijo Saiko Martial Arts Academy, a karate expert with more than four decades of experience, said that the academy’s trademark will be the bully-proof programme, which teaches a mix of self-defence and self-confidence.

“Every single student that comes through this door, we will implement self-confidence. This way they won’t be intimidated easily. You can’t go to school and be afraid, they will be bully-proof,” Thomas said.

The academy will teach Kata, Pinan Shodan, Wansu, and Chinto. Additionally, music and dancing will also be in the programme.

“It is an after-school programme generally. We will have a dancing instructor and music instruments which will be a comprehensive programme not only for children, but adults as well,” said Thomas.

“There are a few schools that have reached out to us. The ones we can’t go to, we will have free transportation for those schools and bring them to the academy for training,” he added

The academy will have six senseis at the academy which was initially opened in 1992.

Introduced to karate at age seven, an 18-year-old Thomas and his team originally opened the academy, calling it the Montego Bay School of Karate at the now-defunct Montego Bay Dragon Gym.

In 1999, it closed down and reopened in 2004 in Miramar, Florida, in the United States.

“Our aim is to reach out to the inner-city communities right across the board. We came back to Jamaica and implemented a programme in the Flankers Primary School four months ago to keep violence out of school. It was published and since then it attracted a lot of interest from people who are familiar with our work. This is the reason we decided to reopen here,” Thomas said.

According to Thomas, persons with disabilities can also do karate but must ensure to find a legitimate instructor who understands and knows what they are doing.

“Once you have life in your body you can do karate. It is a way of life; you have to adjust yourself accordingly. Karate is not just about endurance because not everyone can endure,” Thomas said.

“You have to tailor whatever movements there are to fit that person. Each of us might have shortcomings in some way. The instructor should understand psychology also because that is most important, our academy in the US had a young lady without arms and a blind student did it,” Thomas told The Gleaner.

The academy opens from Monday to Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Cost to enrol is $15,000 per month.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon said that additional options like karate for youngsters to engage, is good for the city. It will help them to deal with things like strain and stress which are contributors to crime.

“I am happy that they are back to open the doors to youngsters. Martial arts are an outlet for our youngsters to express themselves, practise control and develop discipline. It helps to deal with trauma, stress, strain which is responsible for retaliation and retribution. I am looking forward to it getting as much support from schools and communities as possible,” said Vernon.