Over 140 clubs are on offer at International Grammar School during lunchtime and after school, and Karate is one of them. Co-curricular and extracurricular activities create opportunities and challenges for our students and contribute to a rounded school life and a sense of community.
Since 2004, Jin Sei Ryu Karate-Do has been offering Karate classes to IGS students from Year 1 to Year 12. Through the years, they’ve taught over 1,100 IGS students.
The class run for 45 minutes and cover several topics each week. Classes begin with etiquette, starting and ending each class with a formal, respectful bow. Then students delve into exercises, where they learn basic movements for improving coordination and overall fitness. In Basics, students learn fundamental stances, kicks, blocks, and strikes essential for mastering martial arts techniques. Kata is another segment where they practice basic patterns to enhance memory and build confidence. Self-defense is a crucial part of the classes, where students learn essential movements for self-protection.
Instructors incorporate Meditation into the sessions, helping students practice breathing techniques, mindfulness, and achieving serenity. Students also have Karate-specific games that focus on listening skills, adding an enjoyable and engaging element to their learning experience.
During each class over a 8-10 week term, Jin Sei Ryu Karate-Do focus on techniques such as building confidence and coordination when performing Basic, as well as improving memory to perform movement patterns and self-defence, learning self-control and mutual respect during shadow-sparring sessions, and practicing breathing and calmness at the start and end of each class session.
The instructors conduct a grading test for students who have improved each term for white to advanced blue belts, every other term for yellow through brown belts and 4-Terms for advanced brown belts.
Below are some impressive student milestones achieved during 19 year of Karate at IGS:
2004 Mollie Beehan and Jack Beehan
First IGS Primary Karate students, Black Belts (2009, 2013 respectively) and International Champions
2015 Oliver Howden and Maddy de Wilde Barr
Black Belts
2021 Donovan LeCours
First IGS High School Program Student (2015), and current Senior 2nd Degree Black Belt (2023)
2023 Niamh Elliott and Cailin Elliott
Current IGS High School Karate Students, Senior Black Belts and Australian Champions
2023 Hanu Tyagi, Issi Langlands, and William Robertson
Current IGS High School Karate Students, Junior Black Belts
2023 Charlie Meehan, Alex Chen, and Frankie Baldwin Toby
Current IGS High School Karate Students
Above Niamh Elliott and Cailin Elliott
Above Charlie Meehan
For information regarding our Clubs you can reach out to David Engelbert Head of Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) or you can learn more about IGS clubs here.