Karate school holds martial arts event as it takes part in Portsmouth and Gosport’s History Week

PKSO Karate, in Havant, had been planning the event, which was on August 7 between 1pm and 3pm, since January to ensure that it was a hit.

The day saw four generations of karate students come together where they bore witness to the unveiling of Portsmouth’s first ever Shotokan Karateka history display.

The free event, which was organised by NOZOMI foundation and the PKSO Karate Southern England, was held at the Havant Leisure Centre.

The event was organised by Samantha Lewington and Michael Fletcher, Chief instructor of the PSKO, who were both extremely impressed with the turnout of the event.

Mick Oxley, who used to train with Michael, attended the event and he said that the work the club does is a ‘breath of fresh air.’

Mick said: ‘Being around Karate for the 30 years I’ve been so impressed by the dedication and generosity of all involved with this club to their students ranging from starter packs to student of the month awards.’

Medals were on offer for people that took part in the exercises that were taking place and there were a number of children and parents getting involved in the activities that were on offer.

Alongside the history display, there was also an opportunity for people to hold one of two Katana swords as well as two presentations which took place.

The first presentation was an awards ceremony where five trophies were given out to students that had received ‘Top Marks’ after grading day.

This is the most amount of trophies that have ever been given out after a grading day and one of the five students, Claire Shannon, even received a Double Grade.

They also offered a timeline of where karate had come from and the relevance it has to Portsmouth.

Bob Caruana Sensei was at the event and the organisers gave him a special gift of a framed photograph of him with his Katana to thank him for his work within karate and helping shape the club.

The event was a hit and the organisers say they are looking forward to getting involved with the history week again.