Lets face it, being a parent is a tough job. I was so lucky to find Sunshine Coast Karate, who have been the most amazing and supportive coaches for my children and I for 18 years now.

As 5th Dan instructors and world champions of the Chito-Ryu style of karate, Senseis Martin and Sandra, teach karate with great skill, positive encouragement and in an energetic, motivating and fun environment. They are also subtle and influential partners in developing those positive values and real life skills which are fundamental to successfully navigating that transition from teenager to young adult.

Their learning for life philosophy grounded in personal challenge, team participation, physical and spiritual wellbeing, developed innate values of leadership, courage, respect, loyalty and resilience throughout my children’s primary and high school years.

Most notably these qualities were exhibited during those difficult teenage years. My children shared their knowledge and experience respectfully and patiently with older and younger karate students, even with their very nervous white belt mum when I began my karate. They stood up for what they thought was right and to school bullies, both for themselves and others. They proudly represented their state and country in competition, by having the spirit to participate and experience, not win at all costs. And most importantly built the fortitude and resilience to make their way through life's challenges with a healthy serve of self-esteem and independence.

I continue my karate4life journey, knowing my children respect, value and practice the philosophy and skills developed, as part of their membership of the Sunshine Coast Karate family.

If you are looking for something to help manage the stress, uncertainty and frustrations of the modern world for your children, I can certainly testify and recommend Sunshine Coast Karate will make a positive difference to their, and your, health, wellbeing and future.

My two eldest children have been doing karate now for around 12 years. They're now 21 and 22 years old and just last year they earned their teaching qualifications. I've gotta admit it's still a little strange to call them "Sensei".

A bit over 5 years ago they inspired me to get started too after watching from the sidelines for so long. And my youngest daughter now 14 years old has been training for a little over 2 and a half years.

The teenage years can be a tricky and confusing time as they go through so many different changes in their lives. My children have really found karate to be their go-to place for gaining perspective and to reflect on a positive path in life. In challenging times, it has kept them focused and goal oriented and kept them on a straight path towards wellness and success. Not only has karate helped with confidence, fitness, meditation, goal setting, it's also helped them focus on what's good for them.

They have also enjoyed participating in tournaments, social events and karate camps. They have bonded and made long life friends.

I started karate during high school simply as something to do for fun. As the years went on however, I found the training became an integral part of my life and vital to maintaining my health and performance. This was especially true during the last few years as the amount of study and stress related to it increased.

I find that one of the best aspects of using karate to stay healthy is the variety of exercise. Karate training is very thorough in its conditioning, involving strength, endurance and flexibility in all parts of the body. It also has a strong emphasis on cardio, especially for those students interested in competing in tournaments. Every student is expected to achieve certain levels of fitness at each rank and therefore progress is monitored. I find that this type of goal setting always motivates me to improve. When this is combined with the many aspects of karate training, I can be reasonably certain of my physical health long term. I would also attribute my strong physical performance during high school to my Karate training, especially in athletics.

I also found that karate had benefits for my mental state. Apart from the effects of exercise on improving my overall mood I used karate as a kind of sanctuary from the rest of life. While preparing for a class to begin I would do my best to let go of all external thoughts, worries, assignment deadlines etc, that would impact my training. I found in doing this karate became an almost relaxing and refreshing experience, after which I could attack projects and everything else with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

The final point I would like to talk about is competition. Attending tournaments is not an absolute requirement to gain benefit from karate however, there are several benefits to participating in competition. Firstly, there is the ability to deal with being nervous. Many strategies on how to deal with nerves and nervous energy are discussed in class. Everyone discovers through experience what works best for them and this ability is developed constantly as we compete. Furthermore, competition gives a chance to push the limits of what is comfortable and perhaps even face our personal fears, either through sparring by being hit and dealing with aggression or through performance in front of both peers and strangers. I feel that learning how to perform under pressure and better control my emotions are great life skills that have benefited my life.

I believe that my karate journey so far has had a profound positive impact on my life, both physically and mentally. It has fostered a love of exercise and a drive for constant improvement. It has gifted me with a refuge from external influence and a chance to recharge, improving both my mental state and outlook on the world. Finally, it has provided the strategies and mental strength to perform well under pressure. The benefits of karate have had deep lasting effects on my life and can do the same for anyone willing to take the journey.