My Passion with Patrick Walton: Karate training can help to give ill-health the chop

Patrick Walton, managing partner of Yorkshire Bank's Leeds Financial Solutions Centre, talks about his passion for Shukokai karate.

Like so many life-changing occurrences, my passion for karate came about almost by chance.

I noticed a sign outside a gymnasium promoting karate and thought it would be a good activity for my six-year-old son, Piers. I decided to attend with him for the first sessions, partly to keep him company, but also to discover what karate is all about. It is hard work and soon Piers said "you've got to be joking" and threw in the towel. But by then I was hooked.

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As with so many elements of Eastern culture, karate has many different forms and disciplines which go back to the seeds of martial arts in Chinese culture in about 2,000BC.

Shukokai karate can be traced back to 1792 as part of the Okinawan culture associated with a group of islands off the southern tip of Japan. Roughly translated, Shukokai means: "many people coming together to train under one roof".

Shukokai combines the circular breathing techniques from Naha-te and the quick linear movements of the Shuri-te styles. Even though Shukokai shares many of the same punches, kicks, and blocks of other karate styles, they have been refined to deliver the greatest impact with the least effort.

Ilkley Karate Club achieves exceptionally high standards and has produced a world Shukokai karate champion for each of the last three years.

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What led me to becoming hooked, was the enjoyment of training which is physically and mentally demanding but a tremendous way to de-stress.

There is a hugely cerebral element to learning karate and, to studying its history, cultural relationship with Eastern religions and Chinese medicine.

Karate promotes the humanitarian in its followers. Because you know what harm could be done to a fellow human being, you simply never want to use it. As with other aspects of Eastern culture, there are medicinal advantages in learning karate which benefit long-term health. As we grow older our ligaments shrivel. Karate training is about stretching the body. As well as helping the general posture, this holds many benefits for our bodies and overall health.

After five years' training, I've now been awarded a black belt as a First Dan and, in two years' time, I can try to become a Second Dan. If I can, I aim to go all the way up to Sixth Dan.

I'm also pleased to say that Piers is now training alongside me as part of a group of younger people taking part.