Karate class offered at no cost

Published 6:00 am Thursday, September 23, 2010

    Hai!

    The sound of the yell reverberates between the walls of the Temple Theater ballroom as thirty people of all shapes and sizes, and walks of life, stand frozen in time.

    As he walks among the precise lines of bodies, David Taylor glares at his charges like a Marine Corps drill instructor.

    “Form 2!” Taylor barks.

    In unison the red and black clad students begin to snap into intricate poses with every count from Taylor’s mouth. Turning, kicking, jabbing with their fists, the students mark out a stop-motion dance on the ballroom floor. There is a look of intensity on the faces as they concentrate to mimic the moves taught to them by Taylor over the past few months. When this particular exercise is over, the Kata, the students yell, “Hai!” again.

    Welcome to the disciplined world of Shotokan Karate.

    David Taylor and his wife, Mary, and 20-year old son, Ethan, are instructors for Taylor’s Shotokan Karate and Self Defense located at St. Patrick Church in Meridian. It is a non-profit martial arts program. It is free to the general public, which Mary Taylor says makes it unique.

    “We accept youths, young adults and adults,” says Mary Taylor, who is the executive director of the organization. “We have students as young as six and as old as seventy-four.”

    Mary Taylor, who is a brown belt, points out various students as her husband takes them through increasingly difficult Katas.

    The Kata, a formalized sequence of movements, which represent various offensive and defensive postures, is but one of many aspects of the martial art commonly known as Karate. Karate was developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan, after Chinese traders introduced it to the people around 1372. It was the most common form of martial arts and after World War II, many American soldiers became fascinated by Karate. It eventually made its way to the United States and has been taught across the nation for decades along with other forms of martial arts.

    Mary Taylor says this program is offered as a community service. She says some of the students include the impoverished and mentally or physically disabled. She says no one is turned away because Karate can be beneficial to anyone and everyone. She says the discipline, exercise and growth of self respect, are just a few of the advantages of the martial art. Plus, it empowers people to have the confidence to defend themselves if they feel threatened.

    Begun four months ago at St. Patrick’s Church, Mary Taylor said they were growing so fast they needed another day and another venue in order to hold classes for the students, which now numbers almost 200. She says the church, having already given up Mondays and Thursdays, could not free up any more time so she approached Roger Smith of the Temple Theater who agreed to provide the space of the ballroom.

    “It was all about the kids,” said Smith. “They needed a place and I had one so I was happy to do it.”

    The instructors, such as the Taylor trio and other special guest instructors, volunteer their time and expertise. In addition to the Kata, they teach exercises and stretching routines, Karate basics, sparring, self defense, advanced combos, board breaking and participate in tournaments. Diane Pike, the mother of two 15-year-old twin girls, said she loved the fact it was free and that they could learn how to defend themselves.

    “I’ve also seen them exhibit more discipline around the home,” says Pike, as she keeps a close eye on her daughters during their Kata. “Tabetha, who used to put things like her homework off until the last minute, now comes in and gets her school work done. I’ve seen a change in her, definitely.”

    Christina McIlwain says much of the same thing about her 6-year-old son, Alec.

    “He loves this,” McIlwain said of her son who won a trophy at the most recent tournament. “I’ve seen how he pays attention at home and at school. It has made a difference in his school work.”

    Roger Newton of Clarke County represents the oldest student in the class at 74. He said he saw an ad and decided he needed the exercise and conditioning.

    “Besides, you never know when someone might try some funny business with you,” he said with a wry smile.

    Mary Taylor says they are constantly searching for sponsors for students who can’t afford the uniforms. She says they hold fundraisers and while many of the students can purchase uniforms and belts out of their own pocket, there are still some from financially strapped families who can’t.

    “Being a non-profit we depend on the generosity of others to help us meet our simple needs,” says Mary Taylor. “So far we have done well in meeting most of the needs but there is always a shortfall somewhere.”

    Behind Mary Taylor, her husband leads the class through yet another form exercise. The moves are more difficult now and precise in their movement. As one, the students carry on as they are told without thinking. As the exercise suddenly ends, David Taylor gives the class a reaffirming nod and a smile that is ever so slight.