Archive: Around Town

Last Saturday about 30 karate students and their families descended on Myers Park for water training and a dish to pass lunch.  Lined up in their white gis, the traditional karate outfit, students of all levels came for the event.  This was a special session of the Lansing Recreation Department's Karate class that included five black belts, many white belts and all the levels in between.  "It's a lot of fun," says Sensei (teacher) Gail Lejoie.  "It's a good community builder, and gives people a chance to know each other in a different setting."


The day started with exercises on the lawn after the class formally greeted Lejoie and Sensei Robin McColley.  The exercises began in three lines, arranged roughly by age, and then the entire group formed a circle for kicking exercises.  Eventually the group migrated to the beach where they slowly entered the water in lines, performing various stances and exercises as they moved forward.  Finally they formed two lines facing each other for kicking exercises, great fun as the kicks splashed those in the other line.


"It's a lot of fun," says Lejoie.  "It's a good community builder, and gives people a chance to know each other in a different setting.  We don't normally hold hands in a circle for the kicking.  That's the teamwork part and the fun part.  Being in the water requires more balance."  The two senseis recently attended another water training session at their headquarters dojo (karate training school) in New York City.  Lejoie says that many dojos use the exercise.

The Rec department program has three levels that normally meet twice a week.  One class is for kids aged 6-8, another for kids 9-15 and adults, and an advanced adults class.  The three met together for water training, along with guests from the Buffalo dojos.  Black Belt Sensei Seth Weisel brought two of his students from the Binghamton dojo.  Weisel is a former student of McColley and Lejoie who studied in New york City, then began teaching in Binghamton.


This is the fourth time the program has been offered since January 23rd, when the Recreation Department offered it as an experiment.  The idea was to offer a program that would attract kids who might not be interested in traditional sports or programs.  At that time Colt said he expected about 15 kids to sign up, but was pleasantly surprised when 30 wanted to participate.  

It has continued to be a success story, growing to its current 40 student size.  "We've been so fortunate," McColley says.  "The community is so amazing in their support.  We've been so fortunate that Steve Colt and the Recreation Department has been supportive of this program.  And fortunate that the community has really taken to it and expressed an interest.  We want to keep providing it, because we love it so much and we hope that people also love it as much."


The current program runs through October 12, and a fifth session is already planned.  "The goal is to make it year 'round, because martial arts isn't something you try once and say, 'Oh I'm a martial artist,'" McColley exlplains.  "It's something that takes practice."

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