43
Students get a kick out of classes
Instructors want to make the classes fun for the young students.
Young students at St. Patrick School in Hubbard are adding an extra punch — along with a few kicks and jabs — to the educational process.
Twice a week, about a dozen students in kindergarten through fifth grade finish up classes in the afternoon, then don a white cloth uniform and make the short walk across the parking lot to another building for a class in karate.
Principal Rita Gontaruk said representatives of the Graham Family Karate School approached her several years ago with a plan that would include disciplined activities for students and lessons in self-control.
“I thought, you know kids need self-control and activities that are more than just sitting down. We tried it, and the kids who have gotten involved seem to really enjoy it,” she said.
Joe Weidner, 19, an instructor for the after-school program, said part of the goal is to make the classes something the younger kids will look forward to doing and hopefully come back to as they get older.
“We try to make this fun, make the kids enjoy it. We don’t want to work them crazy hard like in traditional martial arts where it can be a lot more serious,” he said.
Each class ends with a game not related to karate, Weidner said.
Katie Fagundes, 10, is not sure if she will continue taking karate in the future. She, in fact, took up the after-school activity as a means of competing with her brother who is also in the class. Fagundes said she is having fun right now and that is al that matters.
Krystal McCormick, 18, another Graham Family Karate instructor, said the goal is to teach the basics and self-defense, allowing the students to gain a love and mastery of the martial arts.
“This is just great for the kids from the school who want to come in and exercise and learn self-discipline. This is not about fighting, but more about learning to defend yourself and self-discipline,” she said. “The first day they came in here they were bouncing off the walls. This has helped them calm down a lot.”
McCormick said the students mostly want to have fun, but begin to take the class more seriously as they get older.
Blake Yendrek, 7, is one of the students intent on continuing his training in the martial arts well into the future. He goes through his training routine with a focused goal in mind.
“I thought it would be a nice experience to learn all of this stuff. I am having fun, and I am probably going to take it until I am a black belt. I am just a white belt with four stripes right now,” he said.
The determination to maximize his skills in the martial arts is what Gontaruk sees as another reason for children to have the after- school karate option.
“This is a good challenge for the kids to learn this,” she said. “Sometimes kids feel like they can’t do some things, but in fact they can. This helps them see that and succeed at something on their own.”
Gontaruk will retire at the end of the year, but she plans to suggest that the incoming principal continue the program. She said it is too good of an instrument for the school to let it go.
jgoodwin@vindy.com