We asked Mr Oldroyd, some questions about his Martial Arts journey.
How did you get into Martial Arts?The first martial art I did was Judo. I started when I was about 9 because my dad was worried about me getting bullied. I loved it but when I went to high school, I didn’t have enough time to go any more. As an adult I wanted to get back into it but I couldn’t find a Judo club locally so a friend persuaded me to try Karate instead.
What do you enjoy most about Martial Arts?The thing I enjoy the most is the challenge of learning something new. I love learning new Kata and working out how to use the different skills and apply them. I also love being able to pass my knowledge on through teaching and seeing students develop.
What is your favourite Martial Art?I don’t really have a favorite martial art, my favorite thing about martial arts is seeing how I can use what I have learnt from different styles and bring them together. The good thing about Wado Ryu karate for me is that it incorporates a lot of elements of ju-jitsu like locks and throws to compliment the kicking and punching.
What is your proudest moment in Martial Arts?My proudest moment was seeing one of my students achieve a distinction in her grading. Knowing that she had practiced every day even while on holiday and put in an incredible performance made me so proud to have the privilege of being her instructor.
What do you hope to achieve in Martial Arts in the future?I am working towards my 3rd Dan in karate and I hope to continue teaching. I would also like to find time to train more in Ju-jitsu. If only there were more days in the week.
