You stir, eyes open, your toes touching the ground, as your hands reach up and outwards as far as they can go. You take a deep breath, close your eyes, and give the new day a symbolic bow – you are ready.

This has been the essence of the time spent in karate over the past few years: Always ready – in kindness, in respect, in discipline, in balance, and in service to the pursuit of becoming better people.

For parents with two teenagers, making martial arts a central part of our family lifestyle has been a game changer. Pursuing this way of life together has brought my kids and I closer as peers, beyond just the typical parent-child relationship.

No matter how long our karate journey lasts or how far we go, we are first and foremost eternal students. As individuals, we strive to improve our focus, balance, and mental and physical capabilities. Along the way, we make progress and experience setbacks, achieve goals and fall short, celebrate successes and dig deep to persevere. It is an ongoing process of growth and learning.

As a 40-year-old karate student alongside my kids, I have been impressed by the effort, dedication, and resilience they have shown in their individual journeys. We are all naturally competitive and love to win (which we do sometimes ) but karate has taught us that intent, behaviour, attitude, and effort are more crucial than just winning. I’ve noticed that my kids focus on putting in the right effort rather than just focusing on the outcome, which permeates through their schoolwork, friendships, and overall growth.

Our karate journey is fully supported by our coach, our team manager, our biggest fan, and also our constructive critic. That person is my wife and a mom, who dedicates an enormous amount of time driving our children to and from their lessons. The logistical effort, time commitment, and sacrifices she makes are the strongest endorsement I can think of for the immense value that this kind of learning offers to anyone who pursues it.

Karate is much more than just a sport or self-defence technique for our family. It has become a journey of personal growth towards becoming better individuals. While each of us experiences this journey in our own way, it has brought us closer together, fostering greater connection, support, and understanding than ever before. Karate is an awesome family activity and for us, a perfect family lifestyle.

Kevin Govender | 5th Kyu | Blue Belt