By Sandy Williams | Posted on Monday, March 19, 2012 at 3:30 pm
The Eagle Spirit School recently relocated to a new facility in the Park City area.
The school, which has been in the South Lincoln area for the past three years, has moved north to a larger building.
“We simply outgrew our previous location,” said Sensei (teacher) Terry Mitchell, the owner and head instructor.
“We have steadily grown since we moved here from Hazel Green, Ala. We are extremely excited to be in our new dojo (training hall).”
ESK teaches Trias Karate, which is an Okinawan system developed by “The Father of American Karate”, O’Sensei Robert Trias. The curriculum includes kicks, punches, strikes, blocks, throws and joint locks. Emphasis is placed on the traditional aspects of respect, self-control and discipline that are embodied by the martial arts.
Training includes the practice of kata, point sparring, grappling and street self-defense. Kata are prearranged movements and techniques in a set form. Point sparring or sport karate is instrumental in learning timing and distancing. Grappling or wrestling teaches students how to defend themselves from the ground. And, street self-defense training teaches the student how to recognize, avoid or react to dangerous situations.
“Many of our students have seen positive results from their training. Most of our students’ parents see improvement in their children’s concentration, self-confidence and motor skills. We have several siblings that train together, as well as parents that practice with their children. It is a great family activity with several physical and physiological benefits.”
ESK has five black belt instructors and offers classes for various age groups and belt ranks. Classes are held on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights, depending on the student’s age or rank level.
Sensei Joey Fried holds rank of third degree black belt and has trained in Trias Karate with Sensei Mitchell for over seven years.
“We are very proud of our new dojo,” said Fried. “ESK fosters a family-oriented learning atmosphere. We are pleased to be able to offer a more modern training facility to our current and future students as we continue to grow.”
Eagle Spirit Karate is now located at 1725B Huntsville Highway. The telephone number is 438-2403. ESK’s website is www.eaglespiritkarate.com.