By Katie Vasquez
Every Wednesday and Thursday, students line up in the gym at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Academy, trading recess for roundhouse kicks and quiet focus.
The Catholic school’s growing karate club gives students a chance to practice self-defense techniques, but school leaders say the lessons go far beyond learning how to fight.
“We learn self-defense, and we learn how to block ourselves,” said second grader Dylan Bermeo.
The program is rooted in Catholic values, emphasizing self-control, discipline, and peace over aggression.
“It’s not like, ‘I know karate, I’m going to chop you,’” said Principal Andy Estevez. “It’s really about maintaining calm, focus and control — the things karate and martial arts teach.”
More than 40 students in grades two through eight now participate in the club. For many, the lessons are already shaping how they behave both inside and outside the gym.
“So, like, peace,” said fifth grader Ashley Munoz. “He always tells us the 10 values of karate and the rules everyone has to follow.”
Fifth grader Derek Henriquez said those values help guide his actions. “They teach me how to behave,” he said.
The club is led by Fernando Gonzalez, a first-degree black belt who hopes the skills students learn will carry into their daily lives.
“They promise that whatever they learn here is to do good,” Gonzalez said. “It’s always about helping them understand what’s right and what they should be doing.”
The karate club began with middle school students about two years ago, but its popularity quickly led the school to expand the program to younger grades.
“I really like this class,” Munoz said. “We do a lot of exercises, like pushups and the horse stance.”
Estevez said he has already noticed positive changes in students’ concentration, focus and self-discipline.
“The students are developing a level of focus and self-control that wasn’t there before,” he said.
With strong interest and growing enrollment, the karate club is expected to return next school year.