WHAT: Shotokan Karate club began last fall, after club founder Kaden St. Onge ’20 sought out a place to continue training and teaching at Haverford. A black belt since age 14, St. Onge brings experience competing nationally in the sport and 8 years of teaching young learners at a dojo in Minnesota.
“Our class is designed to be a place to learn fundamental martial arts skills specifically through the style of Shotokan karate,” says St. Onge.
WHO: Anyone, regardless of experience level, can join the club and gain physical education credit for their time. “Our classes are primarily geared towards beginner and intermediate students,” says St. Onge.
WHEN: The club meets twice a week in the Douglas B. Gardner ’83 Integrated Athletic Center. “Our classes consist of learning basic blocks, strikes, and stances, as well as practicing ‘kata’ or specific forms,” St. Onge says. “We also do a little bit of sport sparring practice and self defense.”
DID YOU KNOW? Shotokan is the most widely practiced and well-known style of karate, though the discipline has been around since the 12th century!
GET INVOLVED: Shotokan Karate meets Mondays and Thursdays from 7:30-9:30 PM, with the option for students to enroll for P.E. credit at the beginning of each academic quarter.
Photos by Olivia Wong ’22.