Kenpo Freestyle Kicking and Sparring
Tyvian’s Statement
I like Karate because it is really fun and I love going on the weekend to see all my friends and Sensei’s. I like all of the Sensei’s because they always help me, if I do something wrong they help me do it right, I want to do what they do one day, I really like when they do black belt demonstrations it looks really cool.
Karate makes me feel safe because I don’t worry about bullies at school because I know they can’t really hurt me.
My favourite thing is sparring because I get to see how what we learn really works, and I learn things from other people too, I especially like sparring with black belts because I want to have a go.
Statement from Tyvian’s father, Robert Macfarlane
When Tyvian was 5 years old I wanted to enrol him in a martial art of some sort. I wanted a martial arts school that embraced the traditional essence of martial arts but also was effective without being rigid in form; and which taught discipline while practicing a positive reinforcement approach to teaching.
Well in this school I got all those things and more! Tyvian first learnt the fun side of karate and the basic discipline of showing up each week on time, being focussed and so on. As time went on his focus continually increased. Now he has reached the point where he now just goes into the garage and spends time kicking the bag, or practicing something that he saw one of the black belts do at grading demonstration, or something that he has seen on TV.
He also has learned how to handle losing. Initially he only thought of winning when he sparred or did Sumo and he would be upset if he didn’t ‘win’. Now his aim is to ‘compete’ and he focuses on techniques such as footwork, feints, angles, distance and so on. Whereas previously sparring against a bigger opponent was a deterrent, he now he actually prefers it!
The confidence karate has given Tyvian is amazing. He is takes pride in himself and he has matured. The focus, confidence and discipline he has gained through karate has transferred to other areas of his life such as educational tasks, looking after younger children both in and out of his family and demonstrating empathy for others. I think much of his positive attitude has come from the example set by Sinem, Adem, Ben, Adam, Matt and even other students in the school.
Statement from Sensei Sinem Kileci, Tyvian’s instructor
Tyvian has been my student at North Ryde for three years and over this time I have watched him develop his self-confidence and coordination and I am proud to say he is developing into a fine martial artist. Tyvian always had a tremendous thirst for knowledge, continuously asking for my feedback on a quest to further develop his skills. He is always practicing outside of class which is reflected in his training every week as his progress is measured in leaps and bounds due to his hard work and dedication. Well done Tyvian!