Our Community
The Nelson region has a population of 70,000 people which is not so large in the scheme of things and there are very few people who don’t know someone who trains at Seido karate.
We have a good representation of the wider community training in our dojo. Ages range from four years to several sixty plus students. In the true tradition of family we have multiple generations training with at least two families where the grandparent trains or has trained with their grandchildren and an ever increasing number of parents training with their children.
Seido karate serves the young single set well with many lasting relationships attributable to people training together and wedding bells ring at regular intervals to celebrate the fact. New and lasting friendships with people of all ages are a natural part of training together.
Nelson is internationally acclaimed as a great place for outdoor activity and Seido karate certainly makes the most of the beautiful environment. We hold our annual camp at picturesque Teapot Valley, have at least one beach training session a year on Nelson’s stunning beaches and many a black belt class enjoys the bliss of training in a local park in summer months.
We are privileged in Nelson to have acted as security on two occasions for His Holiness the Dalai Lama which has given many students the honour and privilege to be in close proximity to this amazing human being.
Over the past fifteen years Hanshi has been teacher to several national schemes to enhance the confidence and self esteem of young unemployed people and prepare them for life in the work force. These courses increased the already wide range of people who train at Seido Nelson. Hundreds of students were introduced to Seido karate through the schemes and there are still a number of these students training at senior levels.
There is an awareness at Nelson Shibu of those in the community less fortunate than ourselves and our Benefit Fund continues to help people not only to train at karate but also families totally unconnected to Seido with costs for medical or family emergencies.
Many people are of the opinion that to do karate you have to be super fit and supple. However Seido karate caters to all levels of fitness and co-ordination. It is through the continual practice of this amazing martial art that the mind, body and spirit become stronger and cope better with the ongoing challenges of life.
