TWLS Partners with JK Martial Arts

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

 At TWLS, we use a wide variety of therapies to meet our students’ special needs.  We monitor the latest research, and seek out any methods that might help them develop at grade level and prepare them for the challenges of life after school.  In December 2009, we partnered with JK Martial Arts to give our students the opportunity for Friday group karate lessons.  They have been doing great work for many years - three years ago, Head of School Ann Rooney went to watch a class, and was “blown away by the difference it made in [the kids'] self-awareness and self-esteem. “  Ever since then, she hoped to enable TWLS students to work with JK Martial Arts as soon as financially possible. 

That hope became reality in December, when TWLS students began taking karate lessons every Friday.  This year, there will be 22 hours of lessons, culminating in a group end-of-year demonstration for parents.  The structured exercise of karate has already started helping them build muscle strength and coordination.   “[Karate] creates mind/body awareness,” says Katherine Pierren, sensei of JK Martial Arts.  “With each move, they have to be aware of every precise motion.  I’ll ask them ‘Where are your toes?  Where are your hips?’”  By doing so, kids get more of a feel for their body, how it moves, and how to control it.  Ms. Pierren has been an active practitioner of Shorei-Ryu karate for twelve years now, and has been a sensei for three, after buying the school from her teacher.

“I teach in a multi-sensory approach,” she says, “They see me doing it, hear me explaining it, and then they go through the technique with me calling out the steps.”  The techniques are absorbed through all the senses.  In addition, she focuses on creating a routine for the students, so they can feel comfortable in the space and focus on their personal learning.  Shorei-Ryu is a “hard” style, or a very precise and rigid one, so the techniques are practiced the same way every time.  “The kids love it, says Mrs. Rooney, “They do such a good job of building motor memory [through repetition], that even kids who have motor challenges are doing well at it.”

Uniquely, students at JK Martial Arts progress as a class, rather than testing individually for new ranks.  This diminishes the typical martial arts atmosphere of competitiveness and replaces it with one where the students strive together to learn, with extra tutoring or private lessons to keep everyone on pace.  It also keeps the social interaction centered around the same group of people, so our TWLS students are always practicing and learning with each other.  No one has to be suddenly thrown into a new group; they keep their community and keep watching each other improve. 

Working with JK Martial Arts has been a natural outgrowth of our core model: it helps kids develop a lifelong sense of wellbeing, health, and mind-body connection, as well as showing them that they too can excel.  “The best part of teaching karate,” Ms. Pierren says, “is giving the kids self-confidence, self-esteem, and the feeling that they’re great at something, that they can get their black belt [...] and a black belt is something that people have respect for in society.”  We’re delighted to be able to offer this opportunity to our students.

Visit their website at www.jk-martial-arts.com.

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2 Responses to “TWLS Partners with JK Martial Arts”

1. Caroline says:

   April 10, 2010 at 7:23 am

   Great Info !!

   Karate teach the advantages of working to achieve goals, which can be applied in many other areas of life, including school, sports, …Training in martial arts such as karate will improve ones cardiovascular fitness as well as tone the muscular system.
2. admin says:

   August 24, 2010 at 10:21 am

   That’s right; karate can make a big difference in health along with its social and emotional benefits for practitioners.