This is being done throughout the entire month of October
Karate has had a home at Northern Liberties Rec for over ten years. Sensei Brandon Blake has been guiding both children and adults on Tuesdays and Thursdays in their no frills basement multi-purpose room. In August, Sensei Sul Hakeem, 3rd Dan, added Aikido to the NoLibs martial arts repertoire on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Looking to expand Aikido throughout Philadelphia, Sensei Sul came to the rec after many years at Marion Anderson Rec. And now that Sensei Brandon has completed his second degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu, he decided to share his new found art with others on Tuesday and Thursday evenings after karate class ends.
They will be offering classes in Aikido, Karate and Jiu Jitsu throughout the month. All modalities are available to try as many times as you like in October. Each student (both veteran and new) will receive a class card at the beginning of October. This card will allow students and teachers to track class attendance. As an added bonus, anyone who attends at least 6 classes throughout the month of October will receive 25 percent off their November fees. For anyone who is new to martial arts, it is advised to wear comfortable clothing and to be prepared to practice barefoot.
The class schedule is as follows:
Tues: Karate for ages 3 to 7 @ 5:15 — 6 p.m.
Tues: Karate ages 8 & up @ 6— 7 p.m.
Tues: Jiu Jitsu ages 16 & up @ 7 — 8:30 p.m.
Wed: Aikido ages 12 & up @ 7— 8:30 p.m.
Thur: Karate ages 3 to 7 @ 5:15— 6 p.m.
Thur: Karate ages 8 & up @ 6 — 7 p.m.
Thur: Jiu Jitsu ages 16 & up @ 7 — 8:30 p.m.
Sat: Aikido ages 12 & up @ 7— 2:30 p.m.
These age ranges are strong suggestions. Each instructor knows best.
When asked what he thought about the possibility of too many people showing up for class in October, Sensei Brandon replied, “That makes it all worthwhile. The more students we have in class, the more fun we have. I can’t wait to get more students in the room. It can only get better.” If this promotion helps to draw more people to the martial arts program as it is intended, there is a possibility NoLibs Rec could expand even further with more classes or even more modalities.
