Kara’ means empty, ‘te’ means hands, and put together, karate means ’empty hands.’
Though its students hands may be empty, karate student’s hearts are full of passion.
Much like the heart of Nesan Naidoo, who come 1 May will take part in an international grading held by World Seido Karate at their headquarters located in New York City, that could see him achieve his sixth dan. It took him more than 10 years to achieve this, and though the time one can attain a dan may vary, the process behind it is not just about kicking and punching.
Naidoo said it was also about acquiring a wealth of knowledge that made one a better member of the community. “A lot of mental work goes into it too, if you are arrogant, you need to learn humility and these aspects all take place before you are able to move up to the next dan,” he explained.
He added that for him, the sport was about looking at oneself, acknowledging both you abilities and disabilities and making the conscious effort to break one’s ego.
His grading has already started and it began with an essay he had to write to explain where he saw himself in karate in the coming years. Had it not been for Covid-19 regulations, he would have flown to New York. Instead, his day of grading will see him interact with others during an eight-hour video conference call that will have others from Australia and New York working to achieve the same goal.
Nesan started at Seido Karate at the tender age of five years old which means he has been taking part in the martial art for 46 years. He trained seven days a week and attained his black belt at 12 years old. This achievement was also met with heartache as this was the same year his father passed away. The dojo instilled in him key values which are love, obedience and respect.
“Karate taught me discipline, it also teaches children hand-eye coordination which a lot of adults battle with,” he said. He added that Seido Karate was family orientated and taught a traditional style of karate.
“Kids who might have certain disabilities could benefit from taking part in the sport as it promotes mind and body focus, and enforces willpower and self-control.”
Nesan concluded that all the values he had gained through karate, he had managed to apply in the workplace and beyond. It had taught him people skills and how to interact with people from different backgrounds.
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