Mature karate kids in Trim

It remains one of the most enduring, complex and effective forms of fitness and personal security and despite the economic doom and gloom, karate is still as popular as ever. Through all the hard times and many changes of both location and personnel, Trim Kenpo Karate Academy has taught the art of to students of all ages for over 26 years. The Academy has gone through a number of changes in this time, but one thing still remains and that is the passion for teaching and learning this art. Kenpo Karate was developed in the 1960s by the late Grandmaster Edmund K Parker. One of his students, Eddie Downey set up an Academy in Celbridge where Trim brothers Matt and Mick Molloy studied. Kenpo Karate started in Trim in 1984 under the direction of Gerry Shanahan and the club was affiliated to the Irish Kenpo Karate Union (IKKU). Shanahan was a green belt at that time and ran the club for a year until injury curtailed his involvement. One of Shanahan's students, Tom O'Gorman, took control of the club for the next three years and it was during this time that Matt Molloy, Jimmy Bennett, Sean Fox and Christy Flynn all started their journey in Kenpo Karate. A number of changes over the next few years resulted in Bennett and Fox moving to train with Downey in Celbridge and in 1996 Fox and Bennett formed the Trim Kenpo Karate Academy in Trim. In 1999 the academy moved from Bodytrim to the local town hall where it remained for nine years. In 2000 Bennett moved to California to pursue his acting career leaving Fox in charge. Two years later Matt Molloy achieved his first degree black belt and over the next two years gradually took over the running of the Academy. Molloy continued to teach in the town hall until opening a full-time dedicated studio at Mill Street where he operates a hugely successful club and runs classes that are open to all. Classes at the Academy are run in a disciplined, but fun environment and the social aspect is very important to members. Matt Molloy is now a second degree black belt with over 16 years martial arts experience and he has spent 10 years teaching Kenpo Karate. He holds a level two national coaching qualification under the Irish Martial Arts Commission and has various systems of teaching developed for all age groups. "The teachings of Kenpo Karate in the Academy can be divided into three main areas of basics and conditioning, self-defence techniques and sparring or fighting tactics," said Molloy. "Students are graded in a belt grading system from yellow to black to measure progress and advancement. "The basics and condition section of the syllabus covers how to punch and kick properly to avoid injury and how to condition the body to be able to do this if the need arises. "The self-defence aspects of each grade give students a number of specific scenarios that may be common attacks and teach how to avoid or escape from these scenarios. "Fighting tactics focus on both competition rules for anyone who is interested in competing and also on freestyle if ever needed for self-defence. "Health and safety are paramount and controlled focus is an essential part of training. We also want to make it as much fun as possible because we cater for children from as young as three-years old," concluded the Trim instructor. Instructors and students from the Trim academy have won various honours from regional titles to international titles at competitions throughout the world. The most recent honours and a major achievement came at the Karate Kid Challenge organised by Sony Pictures Ireland to mark the release of the new Karate Kid movie. This event required Molloy and student Jonathan Hilley to develop a short martial arts demonstration choreographed to music and to perform on an open air stage at Dundrum Shopping Centre. Molloy and Hilley won the top prize of a trip to China to the set of the film. Molloy is also a keen fundraiser for the Friends of St Luke's Hospital in Dublin and this year embarked on an ambitious three-race challenge. The race involves the Connemara Adventure Challenge, the Virginia Triathlon and the Gaelforce West Adventure. For more details contact Matt at (086) 7900599, e-mail matt@trimkenpo.com or visit www.trimkenpo.com