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ABOUT US |
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Welcome to the Smith’s Karate family. Gregory L. Smith founded Smith’s Karate in 1980. Mr. Smith was a member of Freestate Karate before opening his first Dojang (training hall or school) on the corner of Lee and South Streets in Hagerstown. Master Smith is currently a 7th Degree (Dan) Black Belt. He later moved the school to the West End of Hagerstown, sharing a building with Cobra Karate and called it Hagerstown Karate Center. Eventually Smith’s Karate satellite schools were opened in Chambersburg, Martinsburg and here at Smithsburg.
As time went on, instructors moved on, and the daunting task of maintaining all of those schools took a phenomenal amount of energy. Eventually Master Smith turned the challenging job of maintaining the integrity of Smith’s Karate over to Master Patrick ( Rick) Kemmerer around the year 1995.
Since then, Smith’s Karate has changed. Yet it has stayed the same. Like life, everything is always changing. Even the rock changes with time, wind and water. Yet I am absolutely positive we have maintained the integrity that Master Smith instilled in all of his students and instructors. From the first white belt that he took under his wing to the day that he bestowed upon Master Kemmerer the honor of running Smith’s Karate.
And now with the new decade , 2010, Smith’s Karate is once again taking on a new and exciting transformation. With a young family and a new career to take up increasingly more and more of his time, Master Kemmerer , realized that he did not have the necessary time left over to continue to run Smith’s Karate , but as time allows, will continue as a Master Instructor .
So…the ball has been passed once again, to myself Master Patricia Hunt ( Sensei Pat ), along with Master Mark Keefer. I think we have been groomed to accept this with pride as we are both “ born and raised “ Freestate Karate and Smith’s Karate respectively. It goes without question that we will continue to maintain the integrity of Smith’s Karate and also, with fresh eyes, hope to make our own positive changes.
What is Smith’s Karate? Our root style is Tae Kwon Do. But we are more than Tae Kwon Do. We have incorporated many styles and the experience of all of our instructors, mentors and students to bring together the total package that we teach. This includes realistic self-defense, tournament and free sparring, weapon defenses, ground fighting, Katas, Ju Jitsu, Eishin Ryu Sword, control techniques, grab releases, basics, weapons and cardio karate.
We also teach the mental aspects of the martial arts and life itself. We strive to instill the virtues that every student should want for himself or herself and every parent should want for their child. These include respect for ones self and others. Self control, integrity, self-discipline, physical and mental discipline are also by-products of our classes. Positive attitudes are the norm for our students and instructors and everyone is taught and encouraged to be a mentor and a teacher. We also instruct on the legal aspects of self-defense.
How do we teach these things? We teach martial arts in a structured, positive environment that combines the traditional and contemporary. This environment is, although very structured, not militaristic and is very family oriented. Positive reinforcement, positive peer pressure, patience, understanding and enthusiasm are all tools of our trade. Our instructors are encouraged to always try to improve themselves and to pass this experience on to our students. We also understand, as Instructors, the things that we say and do (positive and negative) will never be forgotten by our students.
We have both an excellent children’s and adult’s programs. We have a “Kindergarten Program” that teaches kids ages 4 to 6 years of age how to learn, how to know right and left on cue, self control, focus and respect. This is done in an environment that uses games, props and constant motion to encourage learning and participation.
Our “Children’s Program” teaches kids ages 6 to 12 how to, and when it is appropriate to, defend themselves. It also teaches them respect for themselves and others, self-confidence, self control, integrity, self-discipline and helps to keep them fit. Children are required to bring their report cards in every marking period. The instructors reward them with a special belt stripe for doing well and help make a plan to improve if necessary.
Our “Adults Program” is for ages 12 to ?. It combines all the virtues of our other programs but in an adult, more intense setting. It also offers an excellent stress relief for today’s fast paced lives. I hope you find our program inviting and rewarding. Once again, welcome to the Smith’s Karate family.
Master Patricia Hunt aka… Sensei Pat
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SMITH’S KARATE |
