Ava Piluk, 6, squinted her eyes in concentration and thrust her tiny hand forward.
"Hiyah!"
"Good," her instructor, Julie Hebert said. The duo looked to the front of the Tristar Martial Arts classroom, where another teacher, Sensei Leigh Thompson, cheered on Piluk and her 29 peers.
Thompson is one of the top instructors at the Eldersburg-based karate dojo, and was leading the gaggle of children, students at the Eldersburg Goddard School summer program in Tristar's self-described "safety course."
In addition to teaching basic karate techniques, the program means to impart the principals of respect, focus and discipline to younger children, the cornerstones of karate, Thompson said, and give children a taste of the dojo's typical curriculum.
Half of the hour-long class is devoted to a demo by a team of older students, while the other part is a hands-on activity, in which children will engage in basic karate moves but must follow directions to the letter. They reply "yes, sir," to Thompson after every action to ensure their utmost attention.
Tyler Perdue, 8, said he enjoyed the lesson.
"Blocking was my favorite part," he said.
The children, who are often just entering school, also learn "stranger danger" - the steps they should take when a stranger approaches and engages them.
Thompson tells the students never use the their learned techniques, which include blocks and releases, on bullies, but in the event a stranger grabbed them, use all the martial arts skills possible to get away.
"A lot of it is educating what a stranger is," he said. "A lot of school systems say that it's someone they don't know ... but we say it's anyone that's older that they don't have their parents' permission to talk to."
The Carroll County Public School's definition of a stranger is "one who is not a friend, nor an acquaintance," according to Dawn Rathgeber, CCPS' assistant supervisor of health education.
Rathgeber oversees the health curriculum, and said that the county begins comprehensive education regarding "stranger danger" when children reach grade two, not prior, to ensure the content is age appropriate.
Typically, teachers use role-play scenarios to illustrate how to avoid and report strangers, she said.
Thompson has also been invited to teach the course at CCPS locations, typically during the winter break, when children are rowdy and need a dose of discipline, he said. He said he usually averages about 15 sessions in CCPS per school year and also speaks at in-service days, providing hints for health and physical education teachers.
The lesson has also been taught as a part of programs at the Westminster and Mount Airy branches of the Carroll County Public Library and to area Girl Scout troops, according to Tristar's Operating Director Debra McCarron.
The class has been taught successfully to Goddard School students for about six years, said Alex Yeo, the school's owner.
Parents sometimes worry that the children will start kickboxing or throwing punches inside the classroom, Yeo said, but that's something that's never happened.
"I think probably the most notable [benefit] is respect for each others and teachers," Yeo said.
Any child can see some effect after one martial arts lesson, Thompson said.
"For really shy, introverted kids, it gives you some confidence, and for kids like me - I was the poster child for ADD - martial arts helps bring it in," he said.
The course is a stripped version of Tristar's basic starting curriculum. If children are interested in learning martial arts, they should enroll in the dojo's "Little Ninja" program, which teaches the same concepts as the safety course, and caters to ages 4-7. The regular belt program is for children ages 7 and older. Tristar holds open enrollment, meaning there is not a set schedule of the lessons.
Cost varies depending on each individual's plan, and McCarron said Tristar consults with parents to determine a schedule and pricing. Both programs begin with an two-session introductory program that is $19.95 and includes a uniform.
For more information about the dojo and its services, visit
. The center has three locations, in Eldersburg, Mount Airy and Westminster.
