Chris Welbon trains kids to develop skills and strength through karate.
If you’ve never seen the movie “The Karate Kid,” you can experience it in real life at Chris Welbon Karate Clubs, located at 204 N Mobley Street in Plant City. Here, you will find people training for martial arts through Kumite fighting, weapons Kata, bo staff, nun chucks, and more. Chris Welbon is the owner and man behind it all, encouraging his students to increase their skills and strength through karate training.Sensei Chris Welbon is a 5th degree blackbelt in Shotokan and a 1st degree blackbelt in Taekwondo.
Not only is karate a fun hobby, but it also teaches self-defense, respect, discipline, focus, self-control, strength, and much more, all while having fun. Welbon started teaching at the young age of 15. Teaching karate as a profession began when he turned 23, and just recently, he turned 50. Through his many years of practice, he has helped students find a love for the craft and participate in various events.
The Amateur Athlete Union (AAU) is the largest amateur sports organization in the United States. Students can compete in Tournament AAU, a nonprofit sports organization of which karate is a major part. The students compete in kata (forms), kobudō (weapons form-bo staff, eku, nun chucks), and kumite (sparring). To compete in AAU, students must be ages 8-36. So far, Chris Welbon Karate Clubs has won a total of 117 medals — 29 gold, 32 silver, and 56 bronze.
From January to May, the students have an opportunity to participate in five tournaments, one tournament each month. There are two qualifiers. If the students qualify, they get to move on. This past year, the AAU National Tournament was held in Fort Lauderdale and 15 athletes competed. Nathan Gould, Katie Maddox, Brendan McMurphy and Elijah West served as team coaches for the athletes in the competition. Gould and West also competed in the national tournament, where Gould received the 2024 AAU National Scholarship.
In July, Welbon had six students attend the Junior Olympics in Greensborough, North Carolina. Also, two of his students, Elijah West and TJ Bright, had the opportunity to go to Monterrey, Mexico for the World Union of Karate- Do Federations (WUKF) World Championships. At only 12-years-old, TJ Bright won gold in both weapon divisions for Kobudō. There are two Kobudō divisions—long and short. In long Kobudō, he did the bo staff and in short, he did nunchaku. Elijah West was also very close to medaling at nationals with three fourth place awards. Congratulations to all of Sensei Welbon’s students and keep up the great work!
“Martial Arts is for everyone,” Welbon said. He wants others to know that you can be any age for karate, it is a great family activity, and it teaches you a variety of life lessons. Chris Welbon Karate Clubs is also part of the Christian Karate Association, giving military and family discounts. No matter who you are or your age, Welbon is sure to provide an amazing opportunity to anyone willing to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out at 813-752-9800.
