Seeking level playing field for all
A Timaru karate group wants to enhance the recognition of people with disabilities participating in the martial art nationally, and on the world stage.
Japanese Karate Shotokan (JKS) Timaru sensei Gerry Pienaar said he has always had a passion for helping people with disabilities, and one of the ways he does it is by teaching them karate.
‘‘JKS are the international leaders in teaching karate to people with disabilities. I joined the dojo to see what I could teach them.’’
Shotokan Karate is one of the few styles which also offers wheelchair and disability karate. Pienaar said students he taught included those in wheelchairs and with hearing impairments, as well as students with autism and Down Syndrome.
A service co-ordinator at CCS Disability Action, Pienaar joined the dojo in 2020 wanting to do more to help people with disabilities.
Through the pandemic, on social media, in a home or work environment and in all other aspects, Pienaar says the disabled community is quite overlooked.
‘‘At JKS it doesn’t matter where you come from, what you do or what your abilities are. Everyone will be treated equally.
‘‘When a person with disabilities achieves something at the dojo, like getting a new karate belt or learning something new, it’s a small achievement for them, but it’s a massive achievement for all of us here. They are part of everyday training, and are included with everyone else.’’
He said the club’s main focus would be sending students to represent New Zealand in the 2026 Commonwealth Games adaptive division, a division recently adapted by Karate New Zealand for people with disabilities and every other registered tournament in New Zealand.
Pienaar said disabilities could make a person feel like their entire life has come to a standstill or make them feel like their world has come to an end.
‘‘The best way to move forward and not be stressed about the disabilities is to find a purpose and here we help them find that purpose.
‘‘They find a purpose to move forward and find a way to live a normal life and tell themselves ‘I am still somebody’.’’
He said his ‘‘positive challenge’’ at the dojo is to find a way to teach karate to a range of children and adults with different disabilities.
‘‘It’s a journey we go on together. I meet with them, talk to them and understand their disabilities and then the challenge is to figure out what I can do to help them.’’
Pienaar said with the support of Christchurch-based head of JKS New Zealand Trevor Foster, they want to enhance the recognition of people with disabilities in karate nationally, and internationally.
‘‘He has been an amazing support to the cause,’’ Pienaar said.
JKS recently won 13 medals (five gold, four silver and four bronze) in the Canterbury Cup.
Pienaar said students from all around New Zealand participated in the ‘‘Olympic standard competition’’ and for the club to walk away with 13 medals was a great achievement.
‘‘For about 85% of the students from Timaru, it was their first time participating in the competition.
‘‘It’s not always about the medals, but it’s more about the experience and the participation. We are a close team and a close family and as a sensei and coach it was a great win for us.’’