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Orillia, ON – The announcement by the Orillia YMCA that its doors would be closing permanently came as a shock to its longstanding Karate program participants. First introduced to the Y in 1988, this popular program has welcomed hundreds of students over the years, with classes being held consistently two to three times a week.

Chief instructor Gerry Ramsay started his own Karate training at the Y in 1991. He received his Black Belt in 1999, and took over the dojo from founder John Methot in 2005.

“The Y’s announcement left us in a difficult situation,” says Ramsay. “Our program has always been a part of the Y.  The idea of disbanding the program never really came up – we have a group of enthusiastic students who are keen to continue their training, so we were determined to find ourselves a new home.”

With assistance from Orillia Parks and Recreation, arrangements have been made for the program to continue at Rotary Place on University Ave. in Orillia. The program will also change its name to the Orillia Academy of Karate.

“We’re excited about our move,” adds Ramsay. “Rotary Place provides us with a space big enough to suit our needs. And there’s plenty of free parking, too.”

Orillia Academy of Karate classes will begin on October 14^th, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 pm to 7 pm. The cost for the 10-week session is $140 for residents and $175 for non-residents.  Discounts of 10% for Rec Centre members and 25% for seniors 60+ also apply.

“We offer traditional martial arts with no contact,” Ramsay concludes. “Whether you’re a complete beginner or have trained elsewhere in the past, you’d be more than welcome to join us.”

About the Orillia Academy of Karate

Offering traditional martial arts with zero contact, the Orillia Academy of Karate prides itself on being friendly and family-oriented. Children over the age of ten are welcome.

The program has its roots with the Toronto Academy of Karate, Fitness and Health, and competes in their annual tournament in Toronto every spring. Every July, students again join the Toronto Academy for their annual “summer” training day.

For more information, visit the website at orilliaacademyofkarate.ca.

 

Stats Canada tells us that, shockingly, over one-third of Canadians have been physically or sexually assaulted since the age of 15 – statistics which certainly encourage women in particular to seek out self-defense classes. But although a short term self-defense course may certainly help, enrolling in a Karate class like ours may be a better option for several reasons.

Karate classes will help you develop the ability to defend yourself from a physical attack should you ever need to.  And, equally important, you will also learn a variety of skills to help you gain confidence and awareness of your surroundings, along with the physical ability to fend off an attacker if necessary.

That being said, my advice is always to run away from an attacker if you can. If that’s not possible, you’ll be able to put to use such self-defense techniques as shown in the knife-attack video below.

Karate classes will help you to develop the confidence to handle extraordinary situations calmly, while standing your ground. When you give off an air of confidence, you’re less likely to be seen as an ‘easy target’ and therefore less likely to become the victim of an attack.

The first thing you will learn in this Dojo is how to block attacks. You can learn punches, kicks and other techniques, but without blocking first you won’t get a chance to use them. 

In Karate, THERE IS NO FIRST ATTACK. We never start a violent situation but seek to resolve it in as compassionate a way as we can. 

“A punch should stay like a treasure in the sleeve. It should not be used indiscriminately.’ – Chotoku Kyan (pioneer of Shorin-ryu Karate)

Self defense at the Orillia Academy of Karate: Stacie Theis defending a knife attack by Gerry Ramsay: