The Survival Karate Partnership Project (TAKEN) is a dynamic 16-month initiative that ran from May 2022 to August 2023. Financed under the KA2 Small-scale Partnerships in the field of sport by the Erasmus+ Programme, this project brought together three organizations from two neighboring Balkan countries: Bulgaria and North Macedonia. These organizations, each with their own unique expertise in sports, coaching, pedagogy, social innovation, curriculum development, and training design, collaborated to create a powerful tool for social change through karate.
The TAKEN project recognized karate as more than just a martial art; it’s a vehicle for social integration, especially for young people from ethnic minorities. The partnership—comprising Karate Club Samurai in Dobrich, Bulgaria (the project coordinator), the Modern Education Foundation in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Karate Club Metalurg in Skopje, North Macedonia—leveraged the sport’s potential to address discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin and to foster inclusion and intercultural dialogue.
In a region marked by its diverse ethnic landscape, the TAKEN project embraced the belief that sustainable integration of ethnic minorities is essential for a peaceful society. By promoting karate as a means to develop personal and social skills, as well as values like tolerance, solidarity, and inclusion, the project aimed to empower youngsters aged 8 to 16 from these communities to become recognized and respected members of society.
A key output of the TAKEN project is the Manual for Karate Coaches, a comprehensive guide designed to enhance the role of coaches in fostering an inclusive karate community. This manual serves as an easily accessible resource, offering insights into the challenges of discrimination in sports, specifically within karate, and providing thorough training materials on inclusive coaching practices.
The Manual equips karate coaches with a range of essential competencies:
– Enhanced ability to integrate ethnic minorities into the sport
– Modern coaching skills tailored to working with young people facing socio-economic challenges
– Increased confidence in coaching athletes from diverse ethnic backgrounds
– Strategies for motivating athletes from ethnic minorities to engage in karate
– Overall competences in promoting social inclusion through sports
This Manual is not just a guide but a commitment to building a karate community where every young athlete has the opportunity to thrive in a welcoming and safe environment. By empowering coaches, the TAKEN project contributes to the broader fight against discrimination and the promotion of equality in sports, ensuring that the values of inclusion and diversity are at the heart of the karate community.
