Inclusive Karate

Inclusive Karate was an initiative launched to promote inclusivity in our sport, it had already been working successfully for many years in various other sports. Even then we already eight inclusive students in the club, two who were very successful athletes in swimming, football and running as well. First let us introduce ourselves, we are Amy and Gráinne.

Hello, my name is Amy and I am an Inclusive instructor in IWKA. Honestly speaking, it is the most rewarding  job I could ever do. Watching your students grow and develop into Karateka is the best feeling I could ever get. I am also a coach on the Irish Inclusive team and both our students and myself have represented Ireland at the I-Karate World Cup, which took place in DCU in 2019. I travelled to Ashbourne on a monthly basis to improve my coaching and learn the various techniques associated with teaching Inclusive Karate.

Hi! I’m Gráinne and I am also an Inclusive instructor in IWKA. I love teaching Inclusive because it is fun and inspirational. I love being able to work with my students because it has taught me to stay calm and patient and I think that is a crucial skill to have in order to teach inclusive students. I also attended the I-Karate World cup alongside Amy and our students. I became part of the Irish Inclusive team in 2019 and I have been enjoying it ever since.

The Benefits of Working With Inclusive Students

• Gaining Confidence
• Coaching opportunities
• Patience
• Calmer Attitude
• Fitness
• Make new friends

We both agree that personally there are many benefits to coaching Inclusive Karate. Speaking to the parents of our Inclusive Karate students, they said inclusive karate has given their children a chance to socialise with people, not only the inclusive students from the Irish squad, but the kids from their own club who cheer them on at national competitions. When we joined the Irish Inclusive squad, our students got a chance to meet other Inclusive athletes and the parents got to meet other parents.

The I-Karate World Cup was an experience that our students and us as coaches will never forget, because we all felt that we were part of a team, competing against athletes from around the world in an amazing friendly enviroment. From a coaching perspective, we gained insights into how an Inclusive competition worked. But the main thing that we took away with us was that it was all about the athletes and ensuring they had the best experience.