ARPD celebrates one year of youth judo
As a way of celebrating the one-year anniversary of Almanor Recreation and Park District offered youth judo and adult jujitsu classes in Chester, the “Dojo” is expanding its Thursday evening courses by adding a pee wee judo class for children ages 5 to 7 years.
Sensei Harry Burleson, who opened The Dojo in Greenville in 2016, teaches all classes.
The peewee class will teach rolls, falls and motor control skills along with discipline.
All classes are offered on Thursday evenings at the Almanor Recreation Center located on Meadowbrook Loop.
The new peewee class will be held 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., with the classes for youth judo following from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Adult jujitsu is then taught from 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Students enrolled in the Chester program are also eligible to attend other Judo classes in Westwood and Greenville at no additional charge.
The Dojo teaches youth sport judo, boxing and adult jujitsu.
Students have the opportunity to compete in local, regional and national tournaments.
The local tournaments help get and keep students in competition form and The Dojo does host a number of local developmental tournaments. These tournaments are designed to instruct the beginner on the rules and process of competing.
The next local tournament, which will include both judo and sumo, is scheduled this Saturday, Nov. 2, in Greenville at the Indian Valley Recreation Center located at 209 Crescent St.
The tournament weigh-in begins at 9 a.m. The tournament begins at 10 a.m.
The public is welcome to attend and there will be a BBQ afterwards.
Sensei Burleson offers a variety of promotional opportunities: Families with two or more students pay $40/month per student and students can receive significant discounts by paying for multiple months.
ARPD does have limited scholarships available for students demonstrating financial need.
The scholarship pays for 80 percent of the total cost of the classes for a three-month period.
Susan Espana from ARPD noted, “As we head into the winter lull between soccer and baseball, it is a great time to introduce kids to judo.”
For more information, contact Burleson at [email protected] or call 624-2428.
About Harry Burleson
Harry Burleson began his martial arts training when he was 10 years old at the Chico Judo Academy.
There he studied youth judo and learned rolls, falls, grappling and throwing arts.
While in high school he studied boxing, and karate and after graduation from high school, he began his judo style of jujitsu training under the direction of Professor Lamar Fisher, Judan at the Nibukikan Martial Arts academy.
After many years teaching jujitsu, he went back to his roots and studied kodokan judo, achieving the rank of shodan, (1st—degree black belt).
In 2016, he moved to Greenville where he opened The Dojo and began teaching youth sport kodokan judo and DanZanRyu jujitsu.
