Denise O'Toole's karate students at the Farmers Market, June 20. Photo by Jaen Black
By Jaen Black
Denise O’Toole is like many island teachers: diverse. She teaches and tutors math and an Okinawan style of karate called Goju Ryu. A four-generation native of San Francisco, Denise received her Bachelor’s degree in Education in the 1980s, which is when she began teaching karate to children.
She felt traditional karate training was incongruent with a child’s needs and developmental stages, and so she focused on Goju Ryu because the emphasis was on discipline, character development, physical speed and strength.
Instead of toughness training, spirit breaking, or repeating a move 100 times, in Denise’s classes, physical conditioning, spirit strengthening through encouragement are emphasized. Children perform katas (choreographed sequences), sparring with an emphasis on control, and they also learn Japanese terminology.
The class executed an impressive demonstration at the Saturday Market on June 20. Some of the children were quite young, yet they were all very focused, really tried hard to use good technique, and above all exhibited exceptional teamwork as a group. Ms. O’Toole had a great rapport with the students, and her smooth confidence was the catalyst for a very cohesive group.
The students featured were Keith Light, Lee Pollard, Cedar Pavitt, Jake Bottner, Ben Pollard, Joanne Mietzner, Aiden Eastman, Henry Mille, and Enzo Thixton.
O’Toole holds a black belt in Goju Ryu, and teaches classes at the Odd Fellows Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:40 p.m. to children eight years old and up.
During August she will be on vacation, but classes will be ongoing until August and will resume this schedule in September. The cost is $60 per month. She may be contacted at 376-2461.
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