New term kicks off Wicklow Kenpo Karate Club thriving
at Rathnew Hall
WICKLOW KENPO KARATE’S new term kicked off last week in Rathnew Community Hall, with a good turnout of beginners as well as returning young enthusiastic Karate Kids.
The Club has pioneered the art of Ed Parker’s American Kenpo in the Garden County for the past 25 years.
The club was set up by and is currently under the tutelage of it’s chief instructor Alan Ellis.
Over the years literally hundreds of adults and children have attended classes and developed confidence, self esteem and of course self defence skills.
European and World champions in self defence, kata and sparring have been produced along with three qualified black belts; the emphasis being on quality rather than quantity .
The club has played host to many martial arts celebrities and highly ranked experts.
This tradition continues with the ongoing visits of Mr Richard ‘Huk’ Planas, who is without doubt the most knowledgeable instructor in the system and the only remaining student of Ed Parker still teaching his system.
The club provides a platform for aspiring martial artists of all ages to learn from a fully qualified instructor.
This is most important as one must start as one means to go on and poor quality instruction can take years to correct.
Head instructor Alan Ellis has been involved in Kenpo Karate since the mid seventies. He has worked with many of the world’s top instructors . He currently trains with Mr Martin Carey, his fellow Parker/Planas lineage instructor. Along with Mr Carey, he is the only instructor in Ireland to have trained extensively under Mr Planas. When one considers that Mr Planas co-wrote the Kenpo training manuals and was a regular at the training college of the legendary Bruce Lee and a bodyguard to Elvis Presely, it puts things into perspective.
All Wicklow Kenpo students have the opportunity to train with Mr Planas and it’s a great coup for a local club in a small town to have achieved this.
Alan Ellis also teaches Tai Chi having studied under the late Erle Montaigue.
The club is always delighted to welcome new and returning members. There’s no need to be fit or have had any experience. There is a junior and senior section and, in fact, many families train together, with parents having seen the benefits that their children get from karate and then deciding to try it for themselves!
If you have an interest in trying Karate, please contact the club with any questions or why not try a free class. Contact: Alan Ellis 089 4567533 or Devin Ford 087 2590699.