Karate’s success attributed to Youtube video lessons

The Solomon Islands’ Karate team’s medal rush on Thursday night has won admiration from the public but little that they know that the success was based on skills and techniques the fighters learnt from Youtube lessons.

After several attempts failed to secure funding for a technical coach from abroad to prepare the team for the Pacific Games, the athletes turned to Youtube lessons as a solution.

“Realizing we would not get the technical expert I told one of the athletes to download videos from Youtube for us to learn from,” the President of SI Karate Federation, Rex Kenihiria, told SBMOnline today after his athletes won two gold, four silver and five bronze medals.

He said all the katas they practiced from Youtube were used in their individual competition last night that earned the medals. Besides the katas, few medals were collected in the individual fights.

The local fighters also turned to the Youtube learned katas in the team events on Friday night.

According to Kenihiria, the katas were downloaded from recognized World Kara Association Youtube videos.

He recalled that during their training sessions they would turn on the videos and practiced according to the demonstrations or instructions on a screen.

“I am happy that what we had learned from Youtube had earned us the medals,” said the former Pacific Games bronze medallist.

Kinihiria believed that his boys could have earned more medals – especially gold—if they had a technical expert helping them in the past year.

However, he said the good thing is the Pacific Games has provided them with the opportunity to meet and discuss with other regional experts who have already offered to support them.

He said they would seize the opportunities and endeavor to develop karate to new heights for future competitions.

Meanwhile, Kinihiria also commended SINIS for supporting Karate. He said their backing was helpful especially in helping to bring in a technical official in November here to help them sharpen the skills they learnt from the Youtube videos.

News@SBMOnline2023