Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
SUSY Evans does not define herself as a deaf person.
SUSY Evans does not define herself as a deaf person.
But the 40-year-old karate instructor has still had to learn the value of rising above narrow-minded bullies and away from confrontation.
A 4th Dan grade and a level two karate coach, she has just opened Higashi Karate Kai, a new club in Llandybie. And the values she teaches are much the same as the ones she has learnt in her own life.
"Karate is nothing like the Karate Kid films you see on TV with all the fighting," she said.
"It is all about walking away from a fight and how to defend in a fight if need be.
"Usually children who are a bit afraid or shy can sit and watch instead. If they are confident enough then can try it in their own time — but we would never pressure anyone."
Born in Cardigan, Susy now lives in Peniel, near Carmarthen. She is profoundly deaf and communicates by lip- reading. She has worked for the police for 20 years and educates student police officers using role plays in how to deal with people who cannot hear. But her real passion is teaching karate.
"The main benefit of karate is that it brings confidence to children," she said on the eve of opening her new club last Tuesday. "It's amazing watching their progression from shy to boisterous. They also make friends and love the fun and games.
"Some of the children will do future competitions, some will go all the way to black belt and onto teaching their own clubs — who knows, one might be a future world champion."
She is an instructor with 18 years' experience and has taught in Pembroke, Narberth, Crymych and Carmarthen. After a break between 2004 and 2008 when she had two children, now aged 3 and 6, she became an instructor at Peniel School Hall.
Last Tuesday was the first night at her new club.
Asked what made her decide to start teaching in a new area, she said: "A mother in Llandybie told me there was nothing to do there for children aged 6 to 10. And a friend of mine suggested the memorial hall would be a good venue for karate.
"Seeing that there is no other place to open a club, and because I found that there was no karate in the area, I decided to start one there. Now at last there will be something for children to do."
Though profoundly deaf, Susy speaks Japanese as well as English and has no problem teaching the children.
She was named Young British Achiever of the Year in 1998 and went to Buckingham Palace were she met the Queen and Prince Charles.
"There have been times when discrimination hasn't helped," she said. "There is always somebody who has tried put me down.
"The way I see it, they are just bullies and I will not let them win. I will do whatever I want and no one can stop me just because I am deaf."
SUSY Evans does not define herself as a deaf person.
But the 40-year-old karate instructor has still had to learn the value of rising above narrow-minded bullies and away from confrontation.
A 4th Dan grade and a level two karate coach, she has just opened Higashi Karate Kai, a new club in Llandybie. And the values she teaches are much the same as the ones she has learnt in her own life.
"Karate is nothing like the Karate Kid films you see on TV with all the fighting," she said.
"It is all about walking away from a fight and how to defend in a fight if need be.
"Usually children who are a bit afraid or shy can sit and watch instead. If they are confident enough then can try it in their own time — but we would never pressure anyone."
Born in Cardigan, Susy now lives in Peniel, near Carmarthen. She is profoundly deaf and communicates by lip- reading. She has worked for the police for 20 years and educates student police officers using role plays in how to deal with people who cannot hear. But her real passion is teaching karate.
"The main benefit of karate is that it brings confidence to children," she said on the eve of opening her new club last Tuesday. "It's amazing watching their progression from shy to boisterous. They also make friends and love the fun and games.
"Some of the children will do future competitions, some will go all the way to black belt and onto teaching their own clubs — who knows, one might be a future world champion."
She is an instructor with 18 years' experience and has taught in Pembroke, Narberth, Crymych and Carmarthen. After a break between 2004 and 2008 when she had two children, now aged 3 and 6, she became an instructor at Peniel School Hall.
Last Tuesday was the first night at her new club.
Asked what made her decide to start teaching in a new area, she said: "A mother in Llandybie told me there was nothing to do there for children aged 6 to 10. And a friend of mine suggested the memorial hall would be a good venue for karate.
"Seeing that there is no other place to open a club, and because I found that there was no karate in the area, I decided to start one there. Now at last there will be something for children to do."
Though profoundly deaf, Susy speaks Japanese as well as English and has no problem teaching the children.
She was named Young British Achiever of the Year in 1998 and went to Buckingham Palace were she met the Queen and Prince Charles.
"There have been times when discrimination hasn't helped," she said. "There is always somebody who has tried put me down.
"The way I see it, they are just bullies and I will not let them win. I will do whatever I want and no one can stop me just because I am deaf."