At the age of 52, J. Sapienza lost 35 pounds and about 10 years of aging!
I wanted to write this letter to show my appreciation for all that you and the USA Karate Organization has done for me and my family.
4 years ago, I joined the USA Karate School in Chanhassen with my daughter Allison and son Steven. Allison earned her Black belt in May, I earned my Black Belt in August, and Steven hopes to earn his by January 2007. The program has made a major impact on our lives and in many different ways.
Karate has become my physical exercise program. Since I have started 4 years ago, I have lost weight (35 lbs), increased my strength and flexibility, and avoided Type 2 diabetes thru exercise and diet. When I started taking karate at the age of 52 there were some concerns of the risks I was taking. After 4 years, the only thing I lost was about 10 years of aging!
Allison has found a sports and exercise program that suits her perfectly. Her allergies and Asthma made it difficult to find a sport she could enjoy. After many attempts at gymnastics, dance, soccer, baseball, etc. she found karate and has embraced it, hopefully for life. It has given her self-confidence and courage to be prepared for growing up in an increasingly difficult world.
Steven has found a place to learn self-discipline, stress release, and managing priorities to accomplish goals. His karate complements his passion for his other sport; soccer.
I thoroughly enjoy taking classes with all the different age groups: watching the younger kids grow in confidence and strength and the teens enjoying their "real" growth in physical skills and strength. I have made friends with many of the adult students, who have found that you can keep fit and have fun at the same time. (No need for Ipods, TV sets, or meditation techniques to keep you interested here!).
In my opinion, there is no maximum age to start karate. Continue to encourage parents to join in with the kids. They will never regret it. If they don't have kids, tell them that karate is a lot more fun than stair climbers and aerobics classes, and teaches them useful skills as well.
J. Sapienza
