Sports

Impact Martial Arts holds demonstration featuring Canadian Olympian

March 16, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

There was a lot of tossing, tumbling, and learning how to fall during Impact Martial Art’s open house at their Industrial Drive location in Shelburne.

It was a chance for the public to come out and see what happens in the Judo Dojo under the direction of Sensei Kyle Fegan and special guest, Olympian Sandra Greaves.

Sensei Fegan, who holds a black belt in karate and Tai Kwon Do and judo, said the dojo, which opened in January, will be focusing on judo to start.

“This is an opportunity to introduce what judo is,” Fegan explained. “We had a couple of black belts here, a couple of orange belts, but aside from that everybody is new. It’s a chance to come out and see what judo is all about and meet a two-time Olympian (Greaves) – someone with a pedigree as long as my arm. She’s accomplished a lot in the sport. She was one of the Sensei’s on the national grading board when I went for my black belt. When I told her I was opening my own Dojo she offered to come down and do a seminar.”

The students learned some basic grappling techniques and had an opportunity to see what judo is all about.

“We have two classes per night and two nights per week,” Fegan said. “Tuesday’s and Thursday’s we have the kids classes for six year-olds up to 12, then at eight o’clock we have the adults. Judo really is a family sport. It’s a non-aggressive martial art. It’s focused on the sport of things. We’re not out there to hurt our opponents – ever. That’s why we focus so much on the break-falls. The translation of judo from Japanese to English is ‘the gentle way.’”

Special guest, Sandra Greaves has a long list of accomplishments in the sport including being a six-time national champion, and competing in the demonstration games at the 1988 Olympic Games and a competitor at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

“I’m here supporting this new venture – giving back,” Greaves explained of her involvement in the event. “There’s a lot of people who have never done judo. We went through some basics. Today we did somethings that were modified so the whole group that could get something out of it.”

The event was attended by people of all ages including some younger kids who came out to see what the sport is all about and give it a try.

         

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