Ingram's Karate has become known for not only a traditional Isshinryu Karate curriculum but also for outstanding acheivements in the competitive arena. For decades, Ingram's Karate has been entrenched in the AAU Karate competitive circuit and bringing generation after generation of athletes up in the way of competitive karate.
What Is Competitive Karate?
Karate by nature is meant to teach peace over conflict. This can be seen in the image of the Isshinryu patch in which the woman (Mizu Gami) holds her open hand as a symbol of the peace which she prefers. However, her other hand is held in a fist, signifying that should trouble persist she is ready and able to defend herself. We should also live by this honorable example of preferring peace over conflict, which is why students at Ingram's are trusted to respect their art and not engage in senseless acts of aggression or violence.
It might seem that the idea of competitive karate runs in direct conflict with the previous statement, however, when we take a closer look at the lessons learned from competitive karate in traditional karate tournament circuits, we find that the respect and honor that run deep in the dojo are brought into the competitive arena. That very honor and respect is not only expected, it's a requirement that applies to athletes, coaches, and referees.
The sport helps martial artists learn to hone their skills, work toward increased strength and precision, and gives those who enter the competitions a chance to challenge themselves and test their abilities against others who also value and respect the tradition of their art.
Athletes are expected to show "Budo" which can be described as the 'martial way' which teaches that one should always demonstrate self control, even in the face of challenges.
Team Ingram's has been a contender in the AAU Karate circuit since the 1990s and began 2023 with the first competition of the year in January and has entered in contests (shiais) each month leading up to the National Championships which will be held in Ft. Lauderdale this July. With each new event, the athletes had to overcome challenges, find their weakness and work toward strengthening it, and continue their
training in the dojo. Now, with the AAU National Championships looming in the near future, competitors are beginning to step up their game to prepare.
We can't wait to see how our amazing athletes will fare this year, and we'll update you along the way.
If you're interested in becoming a competitive athlete, we will have open registration for our competitive team in October. This team is only available to active members at our dojo, so if you haven't begun your training yet....now is a great time to begin. There are divisions and events for all ages and abilities so why not take that next step?
We'll see you on the mats!
~Sensei Jen Davenport
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