Chris Welbon Karate Club

By Victoria Shawgo

For two decades, the Chris Welbon Karate Club has offered classes in karate and selfdefense to the Plant City community. Since opening in 2003, thousands of students, ranging in age from three and half to sixty, have come through their doors. The family friendly dojo specializes in Shotokan karate, a Japanese art of self-defense. They focus on character building skills for youth, fitness for adults, and overall self protection for everyone. The dojo is run by Chris Welbon, who began studying karate at the young age of eight.

“I was kind of a rambunctious kid,” he recalls, “My mom needed to do something with me and karate worked out. I took to it really well…I liked the structure and the discipline.”

As he got older, Welbon entered the competitive arena.

“I did well in competition,” he remarked. “I competed at the State level, and then I started competing at the National level and did really well there and I got chosen for the AAU/U.S. Karate Team.”

Welbon traveled with the U.S. team for three and a half years prior to getting married and starting his family. Now, he instructs his own competitive team. The team competes from January to August, and is currently preparing to travel to Fort Lauderdale for the National Tournament held July 4th weekend. Tournaments are broken down into four different divisions based on years of training: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. These are then divided by age level. Four of the team’s eighteen competitors were recently chosen to join the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) National Team. Mason Green, Terrance Bright, Nathan Gould, and Elijah West are the four advanced candidates who will have the opportunity to represent the USA in Dundee, Scotland at the World Karate Championships held July 13th-16th. These hard-working students are currently accepting sponsors whose 501c3 tax deductible donations will help to offset the cost of their travel expenses to Scotland. If you are interested in sponsoring, more information can be obtained by emailing cwkarate@gmail.com.

In addition to their normal classes, the club will also be offering several summer camps during the months of June and July for children ages 4-13. They offer both full and half day options with discounts for those who sign up for multiple weeks. The themed camps include karate instruction, games, and a field trip. For more information about classes and camps, visit plantcitykarate. com. Offering classes in weapons, self-defense and karate to children and adults of all ages, Chris Welbon Karate Club has something for everyone.