The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

NORMALLY when they’re successful, a parent - particularly a father - prefer to see his son carry on his legacy. Not the case with powerlifter Kevin ‘One Ton’ Woodside and Nathaniel Woodside.

Woodside accepted the fact that his son, a 12-year-old Kingsway Academy sixth grader, niched his own pathway through the sport of karate where he became the first to be awarded his junior 1st degree black belt back in February as a member of the New Providence Martial Arts Centre.

“It’s pretty good. I worked very hard for it,” said a modest Woodside in an interview with The Tribune on Tuesday at a practice at the centre. “My father pushed me very hard, so did my sensei. So I’m very pleased with my accomplishments.”

Since the age of five, Woodside has been participating in the martial arts. He got interested after he went to his father’s practice at Better Bodies.

“All I wanted to do was karate and after he signed me up, I did very well,” the younger Woodside stated.

His examination was conducted by Chief International Instructor Kujoshi Yamazaki from California, a 9th Dan, Shindo Jinen-Ryu Karate-Jutsu and 8th Dan, Japan Karate Federation.

“It was hard. I wanted to stop, but I didn’t,” the younger Woodside reflected. “I had to wait a long time to do an exam, so I really didn’t want to stop.”

Having achieved the ultimate goal as a junior competitor, Woodside said he’s overwhelmed by his success.

“I will be rough, but I’m not looking forward to making any friends. I already have too much,” said the younger Woodside in terms of passing on his knowledge to his younger competitors. “So I’m just going to go out there and continue to push as hard as I can.”

Woodside said his goal is to eventually get his black 10th degree, Grand Master, which will require him to have practiced martial aets for more than 40 years.

Sensei Nardo, who has watched Woodside’s progress from the time he started training at the centre, said he’s very proud of his accomplishment.

“He’s an excellent student. He’s been a part of our programme from the age of five and he’s very consistent and eager to learn about the techniques in the sport,” his teacher confused. “When it comes to learning stuff, he’s hyper on everything. The minute you show him something, he grab a whole of it and there’s no stopping.

“I push him very hard to the point where I know he wanted to stop, but he kept on going. It’s getting him out there with other fighters that will only make him better.”

Through his dedication and hard work, Sensei Nardo said Woodside has been able to prevail with his black 1st degree belt.

“He will have to wait for another year to move from the first dan,” Sensei Nardo stressed. “As a black belt, you have to wait for another year before you move on to the second dan (black 2nd degree). But right now, he’s a junior dan. He’s going to be doing a lot of basics, fighting drills until his next exam.

“With martial arts, you continue to do the same technique over, but we mix it up a bit, more like street level. So we’re just going through a lot of basic technical drills.”

From his introduction to the sport, Woodside has gone from the white, yellow, orange, green, blue, purple, red, first stripe brown and second stripe brown to 1st degree black belt.

Reflecting on the path that his son has decided to pursue, former world powerlifting champion Woodside, who at one time held all of the Bahamian national powerlifting records, said there were a number of persons who assisted in his achievement like Sensei George Brennen and Sensei Nardo, whom he owe a debt of gratitude too.

“One day, I was at the gym training and he saw the karate and he said he wanted to try it,” the older Woodside pointed out. “I was glad that he decided to do martial arts because there is not as much injury that you go through as powerlifting. Karate also helps you to keep your weight down and it disciplines you, so I’m happy that he’s taken up the sport.”

So far, Woodside said he has no regrets because he’s noticed how disciplined and well mannered his son has become since getting involved in the sport. He only put in two days a week for about two hours each, but the time has been well spent because his son can now wear a black belt around his waist.