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Karate club winds up good year
What started as instruction for children has become popular for Bernice Lavoie

Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Thursday, June 4, 2015

INUVIK
When you're talking to Bernice Lavoie and her students, it would be in your best interests to be polite. Very polite.

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Shane Bleakney, Leesha Setzer and Jacob Israel are all members of the Inuvik Karate Club. They were on hand for the season-ending wrap-up at the Midnight Sun Recreation Centre May 27. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo

Lavoie is the "sensei" of the Inuvik Karate Club, which wound up for the season on May 27 at the Midnight Sun Recreation Centre.

She's been running the club now for "around three years," she said, and interest in the sport has definitely been picking up with 35 members showing up last month for lessons.

"I honestly can't remember whether it's been two-and-half or three years since I've started this," Lavoie said. "It's either January of 2012 or 2013."

Lavoie said she took up the sport after enrolling her children in karate lessons in Alberta many years ago.

While her older children took to the discipline immediately, her three youngest "didn't want to do it unless I did it too," she recalled.

Ten years later, Lavoie was a veteran practitioner with a black belt who had competed nationally and internationally, including Japan.

She modestly declined to talk much about her success, but did admit she had won a few medals.

"I remember winning a gold in Saskatoon," she said. "But I wasn't always successful."

"I trained in the Bonnyville Dojo in Alberta," she said. "My intention was to have my kids learn, but I trained for 10 years.

"I could be more passionate about it if I had more time," she added, "I'm not at the level anymore that I could be but I want to concentrate on offering the kids something.

"As a student, you can concentrate on being focused, but with the students, you have to try to keep them focused and learning something about the philosophy of karate. And when you don't have a teaching background, it's more difficult," Lavoie said. "It takes some adjusting, and I'm learning my way around. I think I'm getting there."

The highest-ranking member currently has an orange belt, Lavoie said, but there are several promising athletes.

"I established the club largely because I wanted to keep practising," she said. "Mind you, it's more difficult when you're teaching. I thought basically just to offer something to the kids in this community," she added.

Lavoie said she knew that some type of marital arts club had been offered in town at some point, possibly a judo club, but she hadn't heard much beyond that.

"I think you just need someone qualified, and someone who wants to stay here for a while," Lavoie said, referring to the transient nature of the community.

"I'm planning to keep offering this as long as I'm in the community."

Club member Shane Bleakney said he's been studying the sport for four years.

He said he was inspired to join by watching Bruce Lee movies.

"He's been my inspiration," he said.

Leesha Setzer is a new member who joined at the urging of a friend. She found she thoroughly enjoys karate.

It comes as no surprise that both students mentioned they were also lured in by the promise of learning how to break boards.

Jacob Israel has also been taking lessons for about three years with the club.

"I thought it was pretty cool to do some athletics that was a bit different. And I like breaking the boards."

All of them said with no hesitation that they would recommend the club to their friends and family.

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