Although most readers of "Seniors in the Martial Arts" are New Jersey residents, we're always happy to acknowledge the efforts of senior-friendly martial arts schools elsewhere in the U.S. Today the spotlight is on High Kicks Taekwon-Do up in Rochester, New Hampshire. The school is operated by head instructor Gary L. Arkerson, a 3rd-degree black belt certified by the International Taekwon-Do Federation. He aims to have the school accessible to "people of all athletic abilities," and he gets high marks when it comes to accommodating seniors.
First, he offers a seniors-only [55+] class every Tuesday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Here you have two wins: seniors can train in the company of folks who understand that age often brings with it some physical limitations; and the class is held in the morning, a major plus since many senior citizens can't tolerate intense workouts at night. Second, seniors can participate in a Saturday "all adults" morning class that runs from 10:00-11:00. Better still, the Saturday class actually kicks off at 9:30 with a half hour "stretching and balancing" session. And get this: visitors can attend the Saturday stretching and balancing session for free. Talk about friendly.
Even if you don't live in New Hampshire, you should check out this school's website. The training hall is a knockout, as you'll see when you reach the homepage. The website's motto is, "A Black Belt is a White Belt who never quit." The NEVER QUIT idea is one that we wholeheartedly endorse. www.highkickstkd.com
Two thumbs up to Gary L. Arkerson and High Kicks Taekwon-Do in Rochester, N.H. If you know of other senior-friendly schools, please let us know. We'll try to help spread the word.
Thanks for highlighting High Kicks TKD. I myself am an instructor there and enjoy the friendly, family-oriented environment. As a special education teacher, I'd also like to give Mr. Arkerson "kudos" for including students with special needs. It's wonderful to see a kid with disabilities flourish in nurturing environment! It's equally great to see my seniors kick some serious butt! I'd like to note the increase in flexibility and overall fitness of our senior group. Again, thanks Russ for sharing High Kicks on the web.
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