Taekwondo becomes a real family affair
CENTER TWP — William Walker is a dentist in Butler during the day and a fourth degree black belt in taekwondo at night.
Walker began taking courses at the ATA Taekwondo Center on Sunset Drive in the 1990s with his two children.
“My son was in elementary school and into the Ninja Turtles at the time,” he said, adding his daughter was in junior high. “I did it along with them and enjoyed the exercise. I've been going ever since.”
Walker is traveling to Little Rock, Ark., this week for the American Taekwondo Association World Championships to test for his fifth degree black belt.
There Walker will have to complete form testing which includes 83 specific moves, two rounds of sparring against an opponent, and breaking four plastic boards, which are equivalent in strength to two one-inch thick oak boards stacked together.
Leeann Cramer, the manager and an instructor at the ATA Taekwondo Center, said Walker is one of three of the center's students going to the world event.
But you don't need to be a black belt to enjoy the center, which has participants as young as 4 years old through some in their 60s.
The Tiny Tigers classes, for 4 to 6 year olds, are half an hour long. Other children train for 45 minutes, while the teen and adult classes are an hour long.
“It's a lot of fun and it doesn't feel like exercise,” Cramer said. “And that's the best kind of exercise.”
Classes consist of cardio warmups, stretching, learning different moves, and even sparring.
“But it's not full contact,” Cramer said.
Students often practice against padded shields and blockers.
The younger children often use swimming pool noodles as targets.
“They like to watch them fly up in the air,” Cramer said.
The Taekwondo classes aim to teach children valuable lessons, discipline, and self-defense techniques.
A big emphasis is on explaining to the children that the moves should only be done for self-defense.
“We explain they can only use the moves if someone is trying to take them away,” she said. “They can't use the moves on other kids at school. We want to provide leaders, not bullies.”Instructing children in the Korean martial art takes some patience.“Children are not just mini adults,” Cramer said. “You have to explain things differently. You have to be animated and keep things exciting, or else you'll lose their attention.”Walker said he was glad his two children took the classes.“It gave them confidence,” he said.Cramer said the young students have a theme each month.This month's theme is building better relationships with their friends.“We teach major life skills,” Cramer said.The class also is valuable for adults.“It's great for building muscle and endurance,” Cramer said.Various groups have requested instruction for self-defense purposes. Cramer said a group of real estate agents wanted to be able to protect themselves while showing houses alone.She also instructed classes at the Butler Blind Association.“They were great students,” she said.Cramer said many of the adults are looking for a way to relax.“It's good stress relief,” she said. “A lot of people come to me and tell me they need to hit something. We can help with that.”Classes run year-round at the school. For information, call 724-283-5999.
