Chop, chop: Give karate a go – online
At 11 years old, Rocky already has seven years of karate training under his belt, but now he’s working toward a belt of a different colour.
On March 21, Rocky Gaeta should have been attempting his black belt in Marudao Karate, but the plans were kicked aside when the country went into lockdown.
The grading would have involved up to four hours of intensive physical and mental testing, and finish with 40 non-stop fights again fresh opponents.
Rocky is still training hard, ready to grade as soon as the alert level rules allowed.
His father, Shihan Tony Gaeta, has had 40 years of martial arts training, and is the head of the World Organisation of Marudao karate style, a hybrid of traditional Japanese karate and Chinese kung fu, which he created himself.
The dojo is a non-profit organisation and charity, and Gaeta said it had given away $180,000 over the years to groups such as Wellington Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House, and Mary Potter Hospice.
‘‘Marudao Karate is not only about kicks and punches but more about family and supporting each other,’’ Gaeta said.
Rocky’s training involved a lot of cardio, long and short distance running, some weight training, and rigorous practise of moves, patterns, and self-defence.
When he had access to a sparring partner, there was a lot of fight training too – right now, it was his dad.
‘‘Having family members next to me is just magic,’’ Gaeta said.
Kids started as young as 4, learning the basic kicks, blocks, and punches.
‘‘It doesn’t matter what your level is,’’ he said. ‘‘We’ve got a huge range of different ages, gender, culture, ability, techniques.’’
As a result, students were more focused, more easily able to concentrate, and more confident at school.
The dojo now offered virtual classes online, not only for existing members, but for anyone who wished to give karate a go.
Classes for beginners were on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 10am.
‘‘We’re just trying to keep everyone connected, positive, and keep the dojo alive,’’ Gaeta said. ‘‘We’ll get through it, we’re a tough bunch.’’
To find out more about joining a class, email admin@marudao.nz or visit www.marudao.nz for information.