BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer
CHRIS KELLY staff Sensei John Eevensen, third-degree black belt, tells a group of students a story at the Tiger Schulmann Karate school, Middletown. MIDDLETOWN — Before “The Karate Kid” trilogy, martial arts was known as a form of fighting and a way to defend oneself.
By the end of Ralph Macchio’s run playing Daniel LaRusso, the world had finally learned that, while both of these things are true, there was much more to this ancient art form.
“Mr. Miyagi [played by Pat Morita] showed how martial arts can impact a person’s life in a very positive way,” said Sensei Jason Hoffman of Tiger Schulmann Karate. “You can tell he cared about Ralph Macchio’s character and vice versa. They had a great relationship.”
PHOTOSBYCHRIS KELLY staff Hoffman, a sensei at the Middletown location of the school, says that more often than not, parents send their kids to learn how to handle themselves in life.
“Parents want their kids to learn self-discipline and to have them increase their attention span as well,” Hoffman said. “This is a very structured environment and we feel like kids can achieve great things and build confidence as well.”
Sempai Cathy Bopp holds a target pad so Natalie Mirenda, 6, MIddletown, can deliver a punch, during a kickboxing class. Many of the students at the school started as young as age 4 and have worked there way up through the ranks, starting at a white belt and advancing all the way to a black belt. One student who had the discipline to get to the top of the ladder is only 8 years old.
“I really like learning about how to defend myself and it’s good exercise,” Alec Bijou, 8, said. “It also teaches us how to achieve our goals.”
Hoffman also discussed other things that kids, and adults, can get out of the martial arts program at the school.
“Getting involved in martial arts can help people have a lot more structure in their daily lives,” Hoffman said. “They’re also much more confident in everything that they do. We teach a very regimented program here and it helps all of our students.”
Hoffman himself can relate to what the kids go through when they first walk through the door.
“I’ve been doing this now for 17 years,
and I remember when I started out how anxious and excited I was about the whole experience,” said Hoffman, a fourth-degree black belt. “I thought it was such a thrill to be able to move along and get all the way up to receiving my black belt.”
In the time that Hoffman has been involved with the martial arts, he has seen many changes.
“It was very traditional back when I first started,” Hoffman said. “Now, it has become more hybrid, though. It’s not just karate. It’s now turned into karate, along with aikido and jiu jitsu and kickboxing among other things.”
One stereotype that Hoffman wanted to dispel was that people who have black belts must be very strong, physically.
“Having a black belt has nothing to do with strength,” Hoffman explained. “It’s more about having self-discipline and the spirit to attain a high level of proficiency. It’s not easy to do, but it certainly is impressive.”
As for the kids themselves, some of them can’t get enough of the classes they participate in. Donald Hughes, 7, said at one point he was training up to 50 hours per week while trying to earn his black belt.
“I want to go to more classes than I already do,” Hughes said. “It’s fun to go and learn more things.”
As for what the kids think they can do against Hoffman, Bijou thinks there is no doubt who the better martial artist is.
“We’re better than sensei is,” Bijou said.
When pressed on it, Hughes agreed with his fellow black belt.
“We’re better because we practice so much,” Hughes said. “We go to classes all the time and so we know what to do.”
Hoffman did not take it personally, but rather as a sense that his students are learning more than just the physical aspect of the martial arts.
“When kids are bold enough to think they can do better than the people who taught them, some may see it as cockiness,” Hoffman said. “To me, it says that they’re confident in what they have learned and they feel like they have gained the motivation and self-discipline that we try to instill in them.”
Catherine Mary Labarbera, 12, Hazlet, holds a target pad so Donald Hughes, 7, Tinton Falls, can deliver a low kick, during a kickboxing class at the Tiger Schulmann Karate school, Middletown.