Garrin Williamson has high ambitions for his karate future

The 18-year-old returned to competing for Warrnambool Funakoshi Karate this year after spending 2019 focusing on his VCE studies at Brauer College.

Since coming back to the Australian Karate Federation competition circuit Williamson, who recently scored a victory at the Melbourne Open, knows exactly what level he wants to reach.

"I want to get into the national tournaments and hopefully that will lead me onto the national team and then from there world titles and Olympics," he said.

"I have always wanted to be in the Olympics. That would be a big goal for me."

After taking most of his VCE subjects in year 11 and with just two in 2020, Williamson now has more time to dedicate to chasing his goals.

"In previous years I couldn't fit it all in so I had to quit it," he said. "Technically I am doing doing two year 12s so now I have done more I can do less this year."

Williamson was the first one in his family to take up the sport in his last years at primary school as a way of teaching himself self-discipline and self-defence.

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Now over a decade later he is happy to confess he lives and breathes karate.

"I try to give everything I can to karate at least four days a week," he said.

"I start off with Monday training, Tuesday I train the kids, Thursday I teach again and do some personal training for myself and then Saturday I head up to Melbourne for state squad training."

When away from the dojo his dedication to improving himself doesn't waver either.

"I do a bit of HIIT (High-intensity interval training) just to give my stamina a bit of a boost," he said.

"Endurance wise for my discipline, Kata, you have to have lots of endurance to complete movements so I have to go on runs every now and then. You also have to do a bunch of strength stuff as well."

Williamson's return has brought some welcome lessons he has had to quickly master.

"I stopped doing state training when I was 16 so the testosterone levels have gone up and I have to learn a bit more about strength," he said.

Since getting his first dan black belt after 12 years of learning Williamson has new opportunities within his sport.

"Now that I have finally got it I get to do more instructor-level stuff and I love every bit of it," he said.

"I am hopefully going to get my coaches accreditation so I can coach at state and national seminars and hopefully I can help bring up everyone else's standard in our dojo."

The dedicated athlete, who will compete at the AKF state championships this month, is also finding that coaching is boosting a number of other areas in his art as well.

"It has impacted my karate and it has mainly boosted my confidence as I am a step up," he said.

"It also gives me more confidence in myself with the other students saying 'wow, Garrin is so good and I should probably do some of this stuff as well'."

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