“Hooo haaa” – a small child with her hands stretched in front, who is hardly not more than 2 and a half feet, welcomed this reporter to the Mugalivakkam ground. Here, nearly 30 children are taught Karate by their master S Themothy.
The 38-year old, Themothy, is training a number of children for more than 22 years in almost all areas in Porur, Chennai. He says, “Self-defense is very important for everyone irrespective of their gender. For girls, it is even more important,” said the karate master.
“My father is also a Karate master who is the one who started a Karate class for the first time in Manapakkam, Porur, in 1989. Following him, I also learnt Karate professionally. Today, my daughter is also a Karate master and an International gold medalist,” Themothy says with pride.
Currently, he is working with many schools in training their children and also teaching number of students, privately. One of his training sessions takes place in a ground near Mugalivakkam park. He points, “Teaching Karate, that too for children is not an easy task. We have to make them understand about this art and make them love this. Already, the schools are giving them enough burden. So this should not be an added one for them. So, a special communication skill is needed to teach Karate to wards.”
Apart from this, he also teaches the kids about good and bad touch and also asks the students to report if anyone is misbehaving with them. “The feedback from the parents is what boosts me up. Some may have physical problems like wheezing and others may be not be very social with people. Karate serves as the solution for all these problems,” says Themothy.
PARENTS VOLUNTEERING
“The back to back rape cases and sexual molestation against children are really shocking. This drove me here to make my child learn self-defence. Above that, children these days are so obsessed with gadgets. So, this is a best physical exercise for them, says one of the parent who recently joined her child here.”