Karate show will be hard to beat

Dec 12 2008 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

GOODLYBURN Primary School will march to the beat of a different kind of drum next week when it hosts a martial arts extravaganza.

The evening, which will take place next Wednesday (December 17), will see the local Kyokushin karate club showcase their skills.

A traditional soundtrack for the showpiece will be provided by their very own band of Taiko drummers.

Perth man Martin Marlborough, who presides over the 25 members who regularly attend the sessions at Goodlyburn, told the PA that adopting the traditional percussion seemed like a natural progression.

“I first saw a Taiko drummer when I was over in Japan and I thought: ‘I fancy a bit of that’.

“I thought it would be a kind of spin-off from the karate so we made six big drums out of whisky barrels and now we have our own Taiko band. The drums can be worth a bit of money, ours certainly don’t look like whisky barrels anymore!” he said.

The Big County would appear to be Scotland’s Kyokushin capital, with three of the country’s five clubs within the region. Crieff’s community hall holds regular classes, as do Goodlyburn and Kinnoull Primary Schools respectively.

Martin, who drives for a prison-escort service, became the chief Kyokushin instructor for Scotland in 1991. He has also judged and refereed on the international stage.

The demonstration at Goodlyburn starts at 7pm and is free.