Watching TV will no longer be a sit-down activity for a group of karate students if they heed the advice former world champion Luis Plumacher gave them during a Sunday seminar.
The 34-year-old from Venezuela was brought in for the weekend by the Nechako Karate Club to oversee the Northern Open tournament on Saturday and offer his expertise in group lessons, one of which was geared to kids.
Plumacher kept the group of 21 young athletes on their toes in an exhausting 75-minute session at the College of New Caledonia gym. Near the end of the session, after he had explained the correct fighting stance and body positioning, he got the kids jumping in advancing lines, balancing on one foot over the length of the gym. If any of them got too far ahead of the group they were ordered down on their bellies to do 10 push ups
"Practice your kicks while you're watching TV," Plumacher told the group. "Lean against the wall or a table and keep your knee in a set position all the time."
The kids were all ears, knowing that when it comes to karate, few people in the world have achieved what Plumacher has. In 10 years competing for the Venezuelan national team from 2000-2010,the 34-year-old from Maracaibo, Venezuela captured many international titles, including a gold medal at the 2004 world championships and a world championship silver medal in 2006.
"I love training with kids, it's too much fun, when you are kicking or training with them the expression on their faces is really good," said Plumacher, a third dan in Shotokan karate who first took up the sport when he was four.
"I've trained in karate for 30 years and I'm trying to do my best to teach my techniques, my strategies and my exercises. I never had the opportunity to train with a world champion when I was a kid but I think this is a really good experience for them."
The eight-time Pan American champion ended his career in 2012 on top of the podium at an international tournament in New York. He now lives in Calgary and spends much of his time working with kids and high-level athletes at the Osuna Karate Club.
"Karate is my passion, karate is my life, and I'm trying to do the best for them," said Plumacher.
"I was lucky because my dad was my sensei, my teacher. He was a high-level competitor and trained us on the national team for a couple years and he would say, 'If you want to watch TV, keep your knee up. My big dream was to be the best in the world and I trained hard, I trained with my heart and I did it," he said. "If you are training karate, if you are playing some (musical) instrument, or if you're playing soccer, whatever you want to do, just do it in your heart and believe in yourself and have big dreams and that is the secret."
About 70 athletes entered the one-day event at CNC. Nine-year-old Anika Hollybow won her age group in the kata and kumite competitions Saturday. She also had the chance to train with Plumacher and was feeling the burn after a hard workout.
"It was a lot of jumping, it was really hard," said nine-year-old Anika Hollybow, now in her third year of karate. "He said to practice as much as you can if you want to be better... and to keep your knee up high."
Brayden Cruz, 10, was a double-bronze medalist in his age category and he was tired after his training session Sunday but it was worth it to the four-year Nechako Karate Club member, knowing he had a chance to work with one of the best in the world.
"It's awesome, I absolutely loved meeting him, he's a really nice guy," said Cruz. "Practice makes perfect and he taught us to practice hard. We were definitely working hard. (Plumacher taught him) to keep more balance when your leg's up higher and (have) more control with your kicks."
Brayden is following in the footsteps of his father Jon, who used to compete in the sport in Prince George with the Ending Burg School of Karate. Watching his son work with Plumacher brought back memories for Jon from when he had the chance to work with a world champion in Victoria.
"Any time you can bring somebody like Luis here, it doesn't matter what calibre you are, you've got to take the opportunity to do it," said Jon Cruz. "I know a couple times he pulled my son aside (during the tournament) and showed him what to do and how to do the techniques and that was excellent."
Plumacher put Nechako club head instructor Warren Grafton through the paces, working out with him one-on-one in his basement after the tournament. Grafton, a B.C. provincial team member, was also was part of a three-hour training session that followed the kids' workout.
"He kicks me in the face and there's nothing I can do about it," said Grafton.
"He'll leave that knee up there and just switch. He has the ability to come up high and come down (with his kick) and I think I'm smart and block both sides and boom."
Grafton, who is part of a group of seven club members competing at the national open in June in Vancouver.
