If you’re looking for a way to stay active during the fall season, consider signing up for new martial arts classes at FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness in Rockingham.
Tae Kwon Do classes will be offered twice a week, on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. beginning Nov. 6.
The classes are available to anyone older than 8, and will be led by Instructor Hank Leviner of Laurel Hill.
“We’ve had martial arts here in the past but our instructor actually went to teach in another country,” said FirstHealth Facility Manager Kim Covington. “(Leviner) contacted me and said he was interested in teaching. He’s been learning under a gentleman in Laurinburg and has decided to branch out and have his own classes.”
Leviner said he has been practicing martial arts for more than 14 years.
“I’ve always been fascinated with it,” he said. “I wanted to do martial arts when I was younger, and I finally got to the point where I could actually do it.”
Leviner said the classes are open to those who have practiced martial arts before, but also for anyone interested in learning for the first time.
“Most of all, we’ll be learning discipline,” he said. “What we teach is discipline and self control. We’ll be working on self-defense forms, we will learn how to defend ourselves from punches, we’ll have knife defense, things like that.”
According to Covington, the classes will begin with an adjoined group of children and adults.
“What we’re going to do is combine the kids and adults initially, and once we grow to a certain point, we will separate them and have two classes,” she said.
Leviner said he believes the practice of martial arts is good for many children.
“All children are different,” he said. “Sometimes putting a type of sport on a young child can be a challenge or frustrating, and then you have other children who go right with it. But I think any type of martial arts should be introduced to children at a young age … I really hope this takes off and becomes very successful.”
For more information or to sign up, register at the front desk of the Health and Fitness Center or call 910-410-0123.
— Staff Writer Mallory Brown can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 18, or by email at mallorybrown@heartlandpublications.com.
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