Wellness Hub

Here at Kempo Karate Association, we want to support you to become the best version of yourself. We have many things in common but the one which brings us together is Karate and there is no better vehicle to help develop our minds and bodies. 

We are using the opportunity presented by Mental Health awareness week to focus on how we can support each other to thrive and not just survive. 

Everyone has 'mental health', just as we all have 'physical health'. And like our physical health, there are times when our mental health is better than others. 

We want to help people look after their mental health, prevent more serious problems from developing and help everyone live mentally healthy lives. 

Remember, when you come to the club it’s a safe place – switch off, leave problems outside and focus

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Five Ways to Wellbeing 

Improving your mental health when you're going through a storm can feel like a challenge, especially if your life is busy or stressful. But the 5 ways to wellbeing provide some simple steps which you can do every single day. The idea is that we build the five actions into our day-to-day lives. 

They are: 

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1. Connect: With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or at the karate club! Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day. 

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2. Be active: Come and train at the club! Exercising makes you feel good. 

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3. Take notice: Be curious. Feel a stretch during a warm-up. Recognise how much you have learned and improved when performing a kata. Take notice of how your training partners have improved. Savour the moment. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you. 

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4. Keep learning: Try something new. Do we know we offer other forms of exercise on top of Karate? Why not take part in a boxing session, MMA or BJJ class? Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do. 

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5. Give: Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and will create connections with the people around you.

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Next Steps 

Over the coming months we will be putting in place a structure within the club to help to support the mental health of our members. 

To begin this on Monday 22nd May we have a visit from Manuel from the local charity Get Fit for Mental Wellness. Manuel will be talking about his journey and how his charity can support us all. We hope this will be the start of improved links with with GFFMW. 

Following on from this we will be providing support for our coaches and instructors. There is lots of guidance about how to support positive mental health and the physical well-being of the people we coach but less guidance on how to support the mental health of coaches. This is an area that will take time to develop but will set up apart from other Karate Associations.