On a roll

For 35 years the New Glasgow Karate Club has been teaching children and adults the fine points of martial arts.
They've believe that's something to celebrate and will do so Oct. 15 when they invite all former members back with Sensei Roch Lefebvre who is credited with laying the ground work for the club to remain as it has for the last three decades.
The club was actually formed in 1974, says current sensei Cherry Whitaker. But it was Lefebvre who really made it a permanent institution in Pictou County.
He came to the club around 1976. While the club moved locations many times, he stuck with them.
The club has met everywhere from the Acadia bus station to the hockey rink in Thorburn.
Lefebvre left the school in the spring of 1988, but he is still remembered for the impact he made.
"He trained 10 black belts. He held many demonstrations in the community and there are hundreds of students who really, really loved him," Whitaker said.
She says he challenged them and made them perform to the best of their ability. Many of the students competed in a lot of the provincial tournaments and won medals and trophies under his leadership.
"I've already had phone calls and emails from people saying they wish they could come back," Whitaker said. "They're so excited."
"I'll come as long as Roch is there," many have told her.
Lefebvre's work spread out much farther than Pictou County during his time as sensei as he became president of the Nova Scotia Karate Club.
"He did a tremendous amount to promote karate both in this area and in the province while he was sensei here," she said.
The club has been in touch with as many of the black belts who were trained by Lefebvre as possible and hope to have many of them return. They're also inviting back the 12 black belts that trained at the club since Whitaker took over in December of 1993.
Whitaker admits it was quite a controversy at the time that she took over the club. Not only was she just a brown belt at that time, but she was 44 - an "old women" she describes herself as.
But over the last 16 years she has provided a continuous stability to the club. She now has her fourth degree black belt. Her husband has his third and her son has his second, so there is no shortage of qualified teachers.
"We're lucky to have that many black belts work with us and to teach our students," Whittaker said.
During the celebrations the club has also invited other clubs to participate and do demonstrations. As well, Sensei Higashi, who is head of the style of karate the club does will be coming that weekend to do workships at North Nova Education Centre.
For more information about the 35th anniversary celebrations contact Whitaker at whitaker@ns.sympatico.ca.