13yr-old passes tough karate test

Ruapehu Bulletin, 21 December 1993, Page 5

13yr-old passes tough karate test

Ohakune Primary School pupil Sharleszane Mareikura, 13, recently underwent a karate grading he will never forget. Sharleszane was awarded his Shodan 1st degree Black Belt in Ohakune on Sunday 5 December, with Whanake Rangataua Karate Martial Arts Association, Shotokan. Held at the Ruapehu Health and Fitness Centre, the venue was packed out with well-wishers, families friends and many of Sharleszane' s class-mates. Sharleszane, one of two brothers and brother to three sisters, eldest son of Charles and Agnes Mareikura, started karate at five-and-a-half years of age and steadily progressed through the grades. Sharleszane' s eldest sister Raana-Ellen gained her Black Belt three years ago at the tender age of 12. "With all my family involved in karate it makes training much easier,"

Sharleszane said. The youngest family member - Tiare, at six-and-a-half years, puts a concerted effort into training whenever she can. Sharleszane said, "She gets more serious as the months go by". Charles Mareikura 5th dan karate, 1st dan judo, has kept a close eye on Sharleszane over the years and as his father probably pushes him just a little more. "It certainly has paid off, Charles said. "During the grading he was pushed to the extreme edge of endurance and he kept going. His kicks and hand movements are superb and the lightning speed of his kicks quite staggering. "He has always had lightning fast kicks and now they are even quicker and very powerful," said Charles. Sharleszane is very active in sports, a keen rugby player and cyclist with a zest for triathlons in which

he has fared exceptionally well in many outings. After formally greetingin, the class underwent basic punching, kicking and blocking techniques under the watchful eyes of the many black-belts in attendance. Thoroughly warned up Sharleszane pulled-off a perfect score in a three-page Japanese terminology test and a fiirther 100% pass in performing all the required stances. Then followed the 15 compulsory kata (patterns) sni basic and eight advanced including his own portraying various kicking combinations - atrademark of his. "For his age and size his movements are very sharp and powerful", said Charles. "The speed of his techniques makes me glow with pride." With encouragement from the packed house, Sharleszane then had to perform 28 sets of blocks

strikes and kick combinations, proceeded by a further 40 sets of kicking combinations, each set containing six kicks. "Its a lot of kicks", said Charles, "and certainly energy sapping, but Sharleszane loves to kick and is very skilled in this department." Tamishiwari orbreaking seemed to be effortless when Sharleszane lined his aerial kicks up to the blackbelts holding the boards. The successful breaks brought outbreaks of applause from the audience. By now after performing countless blocks, punches and kick combinations it was obvious his energy was slowly being sucked from him and he had to rally himself for the hardest stage of the grading - the 100 man fight. The fights were extremely punishing and the tide of ever-increasing barrage of kicks and punches just never stopped. Every blow "Everyone was feeling

every blow" said Charles, "the vocal encouragement was deafening! "All the other black-belts were adults and their size and power were very punishing. "Not many people ever experience 'hitting the wall' or have the stamina to go past this point. At Whanake Rangataua Karate we endeavour to instil and nurture self-esteem, motivation and the gift we all have but probably has never surfaced, the will to go past that barrier even if it's just sheer instinct," said Charles. "Bringing the quality out of young people is a little harder than adults at karate, but the application is the same." The last test, 'Walking-the-Gauntlet' saw Sharleszane escorted through this torrid ordeal with his uncle Tom Mareikura not three but an excruciating four times. Encouragement and strong vocal support spurred Sharleszane on and he performed admirably and

showed sheer guts to withstand all that was dished out. "It's a credit to his dedication and the long hours he has spent over the last eight years," said Agnes Mareikura. Sharleszane and RaanaEllen, his eldest sister, have both been in the class many years now and the rest of the class all look up to

them," said Agnes. Sharleszane will be attendirig Hato Paora College in Feilding in the New Y ear to the delight of his father who also attended that college. "I will miss his help with karate classes next year but classes will still be of a high standard and lots of fun," said Charles. We all wish him well.