Lacombe Karate and Kickboxing is taking students to a whole new kind of classroom.
Running for its second year, Lacombe Karate and Kickboxing is offering a program for Lacombe’s home school students something many parents of local home schoolers are grateful for.
Beckie Carruthers said she put her two boys, aged seven and nine, in the program last year for a number of reasons. She said she thought karate would help her children learn discipline, build confidence and learn some body control.
This year, both her boys are back for those reasons and more.
“My son wanted to come back,” said Carruthers. “My oldest boy really likes it and my youngest boy is starting to enjoy it very much too.”
Lacombe has a large network of home school families within the community.
One parent of home schooled children, already a student at Lacombe Karate and Kickboxing, thought offering a karate class just for home school students would be a neat idea.
Sensei Clint Robison thought the same. He had a dojo that remained empty during the early afternoon and a group of interested students, most of who were done their studies at that time. It seemed like a perfect fit.
Robison went on to say that he enjoys sharing his experience in martial arts with others as a teacher. He said adding more programs is part of what Lacombe Karate and Kickboxing does, making martial arts available to others.
“Everyone has the ability to do martial arts,” said Robison.
He added the home school program does not differ at all from the other children’s programs that run after school. He teaches the same techniques and students progress through belts in the same way.
But many of the home school students enjoy the afternoon program more. It gives them a chance to socialize with each other and be part of their own special group.
“They all enjoy it. They work well as a group,” said Robison.
Many of the parents appreciate the home school program as well. For many of them, the early afternoon classes fit better into their schedules and allow their families to partake in necessary physical activity.
“It gives me way more leniency to do extra things,” said Carruthers. “We do something in the afternoon and our evenings are free to be together as a family.”
Carruthers added that her boys are more alert and active in the early afternoon so they perform better than they might if they enrolled in the after school programs.
Some parents like Carruthers even use the program as part of their children’s schooling. Carruthers said the afternoon workout is good for her boys and she even uses it as part of their physical education requirement.
This program is helpful to Carruthers in teaching her children because she doesn’t have a lot of expertise when it comes to physical education. She said that through Lacombe Karate and Kickboxing, her students learn from experienced instructors, fill their physical education requirements and have fun all at the same time.
“It’s a nice physical education to add to the home schooling.”
Robison is also one promote the value of doing well in school. He often encourages his students to study hard and do their best at everything, whether it be in the dojo or in the classroom.
Carruthers has noticed other benefits from martial arts in her sons’ schooling as well. She said her youngest is reading better and her oldest has taken more initiative in his studies and helping out around the house.
Respect is the biggest benefit Carruthers has seen from the program.
“They show a lot more respect with other people,” she said.
There are a number of benefits any martial art student can experience, said Robison. He said martial arts has many transferable skills that are helpful to students throughout their lives.
Robison said the home school program has grown a little since last year and there is now more than one class. He added the program remains open to any home school students who aren’t already away of it.
“If there are other people that are interested, now is the time because it is the start of the year,” said Robison.