WKSI – Wadokai Karatedo Shin-Gi-Tai Italia side by side with Gianni Maddaloni and his Star Judo Club Napoli, the anti-Camorra dojo in Scampia, which is at risk of closing down due to a lack of funds.

Maddaloni Sensei, who just a few days ago, made a public announcement to encourage people to make an annual registration at the dojo he founded and directs, is clear: “This is a municipal gym and we have really turned it into a common good, a garrison to safeguard legality and social inclusion. But we have run out of money and could be forced to close down because of the empty coffers and too many bills to pay”. The members representing the common good created by Maddaloni are ex-prisoners, children of prisoners, people from poor or disadvantaged families, unaccompanied children. All of them together, living the martial arts and sports as an occasion for social inclusion.

But costs are very high. “We can hardly scrape together half of what we really need from the registration fees” Maddaloni explains. Especially because not so many members can afford these fees and often – like Maddaloni emphasized in a video-interview with Le Iene – the association itself gives money to and not so much receives it from those members who hardly have the necessary means to live.

For this reason, Maddaloni has called onto all those who believe in the social value of sports and martial arts, so that the light of inclusion and legality he has shed in the Scampia area will not fade away.

WKSI answered his calling. In addition to being the Italian official branch of the Japan Karatedo Federation of Wado-kai, we are also a social promotion association and truly find inspiration from the work of Maddaloni and the Star Judo Club Napoli. On April 28th, during the Wadokai Workshop – a Wado-ryu karate seminar held once every month and open to everyone – which will take place from 3 pm to 6 pm at Sporting Roma, in Via Brogi n ° 80, we invite all the participants to subscribe the application form of the Star Judo Club Napoli, a valuable example of legality and humanity, education and civic awareness in an extremely difficult area. A symbolic 20 Euro fee can make the difference for the boys and girls from Scampia.

On the website of the gym you can read “The Star Judo Club Napoli led by Gianni Maddaloni Sensei promotes its activities for the purpose of building on civil society through sports, culture and legality, so that the dreams of the children and families from Scampia can become true.”

Dear WKSI members, relatives, friends, sympathizers, wadokas and karatekas: let’s get committed to keeping that desire of the children and families from Scampia alive, so that it can be an example and inspiration for everyone. Let’s keep the light of legality on. Join us at the Wadokai Workshop on April 28th and let’s subscribe together a long distance sponsorship for the Star Judo Club Napoli.