Martial arts is for everyone Due in part to the typical karate movie stereotypes, the popular concept of martial

arts training tends to involve squaring off in competitions, the winners walking away with trophies and the losers sporting black eyes. The idea makes for entertaining cinema, but many of us leave the theatre thinking, I could never do that! The Concord Self-Defense Academy (CSDA) provides students like me the opportunity to challenge the idea that martial arts is not for them. Offering an alternative perspective on martial arts and self-defense, the CSDA and its instructors focus on personal development and safety rather than on fostering a competitive environment. The CSDA, associated with Emerson Hospital since 2008 and now housed in the hospitals newly-built Integrative Health and Wellness Center, is a part of the International Seirenkai Organization (ISO) as well as a network of other closely-connected ISO dojos throughout the region. The name Seirenkai means association of integrity, and the directors of the ISO as well as the instructors of the CSDA cultivate a culture of integrity in every aspect of training. Not only is there an active development of self-defense techniques to maintain their effectiveness, but integrity is a hallmark of how Seirenkai students are encouraged to treat each other and conduct themselves in their work and personal lives. The CSDA offers both an adult karate class and adult and youth jujitsu classes. The karate class, held Thursday evenings, is instructed by Stephen Lisauskas, Massachusetts highest-ranked black belt in Seirenkai Martial Arts, a member of the ISO Board of Directors, and fourth-degree black belt in both Seirenkai Karate and Seirenkai Jujitsu. Sunday afternoon jujitsu classes are instructed by Len and Johanna Glazer, third-degree black belts in Seirenkai Karate and Jujitsu and the 2010 Seirenkai USA Martial Artists of the Year. Each of the instructors has between 20 to 30 years of experience in martial arts. The karate class, as well as the adult jujitsu class, is open to adults of all backgrounds who are interested in studying self-defense. According to the Glazers, the instructors believe that everybody can and should learn to defend themselves, and they have worked with students of a wide variety of physical abilities from ages 6 to 86. Their experience connecting with children, teens, and adults in a respectful, fun, and disciplined manner is extensive and impressive, Dan Cohen, one of the international directors of the ISO, said of the CSDA instructors. Their focus is teaching the practical self-defense techniques of authentic karate and jujitsu while developing the self-confidence of their students of all ages and backgrounds. When designing the curriculum for his karate class, Lisauskas considers the unique personalities and strengths of each individual student. As instructors, it is our job to reach students where they are, physically and in other ways, he explained. That's why we provide such individualized attention, so people can learn and grow as martial artists and as people. This approach to teaching has earned Lisauskas a great deal of respect in the ISO. Sensei Lisauskas personifies the ideal balance in a martial arts teacher patience and intensity, amiability and

discipline, gentleness and strength, praised Cohen. He is an outstanding communicator with great people skills, very likable and adaptable to the unique learning and development needs of every student. Students at the CSDA are asked simply to do their best and exceed only their own expectations. As a student in both the karate and jujitsu classes, I am grateful for this attitude! I am not someone who picks up physical activities quickly, and it's entirely due to how supportive everyone at the CSDA is that I feel comfortable enough to try each technique. The instructors encourage me to push myself, but allow me to improve at my own pace without worrying about meeting pre-designed, standardized goals. Every student is an individual, said Len Glazer, and we strive to ensure that we are meeting the needs of each student. This process begins before the students first class when introductory contact is made in order to, when possible, understand the students goals, ensure that our class is a good fit, and gather as much information as possible to tailor the students instruction. Johanna Glazer added, We try to encourage students to work to improve on their own skills and compete with themselves to be the best martial artists and the best individuals they can be. The Concord Self-Defense Academy began as a community education and school-based program back in 1998, building on Johanna Glazers relationship with Concord-Carlisle High School, where she has been teaching Social Studies for sixteen years. These roots are still apparent in the CSDAs frequent campus seminars targeted towards teaching independence and safety skills to students who are transitioning into high school or college. The dojos outreach goes beyond the schools with community seminars for the Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and classes on womens self-defense. We were a prominent feature at last years Emerson Hospital Health and Wellness Expo, both educating and entertaining attendees with demonstrations from kids and adults. Local businesses can partner with the CSDA to provide classes for their employees, such as, for example, safety seminars for frequent business travelers. Steve Lee, Global Head of Credit and Research at Cambridge Place Investment Management, Inc., and a fellow student in Lisauskas karate class, summed up how he and others feel about training at the CSDA. I know I will never be a world-class karate champion, he commented, but this class allows me to be better than I was the day before. While the gravity-defying flying kicks are best left on the theatre screen, the Concord SelfDefense Academy offers something far more rewarding: individualized instruction aimed at fostering personal development and safety. You may just find yourself saying, I can do that! Note on photo: Concord resident Brice Penaud breaking five boards at the Emerson Hospital Community Health and Wellness Expo, May 2011.