From 22nd July to 2nd August, Tom went to Japan as part of the JKS England Team for the 6th JKS Karate World Championships.The PTC kindly made a donation to Tom, to help towards the costs of travelling.Originally Tom was meant to compete in the championships, however a broken leg in April, prevented him from competing. Instead he went along as part of the coaching team.
"Despite not being what I wanted to be doing in Japan, it was great to still be there with the team and contribute in some form. It has helped in my recovery, the mental stimulation of being part of a collective is something that isn’t always appreciated. With some injuries the isolation of ‘resting’ at home can be underestimated.The championships was very successful for the English team, returning with multiple medals. The highlights were the gold medal for the Junior Female team, who fought well in a close final against Scotland. As well as the Senior Male team who made the final against hosts Japan, unfortunately losing 2-1 but still taking a win which no one else had done all day.
I was very proud to be the coach on the mat for two bronze medals, Senior Female individual and the Cadet Female team. Both unfortunately lost to Japan in the Semi-Final. From the coaches perspective they executed our plans perfectly and listened to the instructions I gave, but on the day the host nation were just better.
I helped with coaching others throughout the competition and it was really nice to hear the positive feedback they gave me. A lot of the athletes had said I helped ease their nerves and gave them confidence to perform on the mat. On reflection this is often how it feels at the PTC, as a member of the gym team we aim to install confidence in the patients to return to daily activities, their job role and/or exercise.
I also did a bit of travelling whilst in Japan, I would highly recommend it as a holiday destination. The country is incredible and Japanese culture is amazing and extremely respectful, there is no litter or dirt in the streets! I had the opportunity to see the modern sights of Tokyo but also the more traditional city of Kyoto and the redeveloped Hiroshima. They were all different but still had the essence of Japanese culture."- Tom Little, PTC PT
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