Twelve-year-old Kevin Hegarty feels that he’s not as physically imposing as some other kids his age.
"Other guys are big and strong and I wanted to be like them," Hegarty said. "I felt like I needed some training in self-defense."
After all, there are bullies who try to pick on smaller kids everywhere you go.
"I wanted to make sure that those kinds of things never happened to me," Hegarty said.
For the last three years, Hegarty has been one of the 50 or so youngsters who have participated in the Weehawken Recreation’s free karate program, which is held every Friday night in the Roosevelt School gymnasium.
"It’s been so much fun that you can’t even describe it," Hegarty said. "It’s definitely better than what I thought."
For the last four years, Denise Cattaneo has been the karate instructor. A veteran of 24 years participating in karate, teaching it for the last 21 years in her school in Clifton, Cattaneo teaches the youngsters a Japanese style of karate called "koei-kan," which focuses on offensive and defensive moves.
"We’re teaching them discipline and teaching them focus," Cattaneo said. "Besides learning blocks and kicks, we teach them how to protect themselves and how to fall properly, so they won’t get hurt."
Cattaneo teaches two sessions every Friday night from mid-November through mid-March. Boys and girls ages 5 through 7 attend the first session from 6 to 7 p.m. and the older kids, ages eight through 12, attend the second session from 7 to 8 p.m.
"The smaller kids are really cute and they try very hard," Cattaneo said. "They learned to count to 10 in Japanese. They really have a lot of fun."
Added Cattaneo, "Some of the older kids have been there even longer than me. One of the kids, Joe Annese, has been like my helper. He understands what we’re trying to do and helps the other kids."
Cattaneo has also taught the youngsters the form of "kata," which is an invisible form with blocks and kicks.
"It resembles more of a dance move, but the kids can practice at home," Cattaneo said.
At first, the classes were designed to just give the kids the basics. But now, some of the kids have been attending the classes for more than two years, so they will now get tested to see if they have advanced in terms of earning promotional belts.
As a reward for their participation, Recreation Director Chuck Barone recently purchased "gis," the official wardrobe of karate participants. All of the students who have completed more than a year of the classes received a gi.
"Chuck was really gracious in purchasing the uniforms," Cattaneo said. "It’s nice to provide those to the kids."
"We figured that the kids who come on a regular basis deserved to receive some sort of award," Barone said. "It started with the uniforms. If the basketball and football kids get uniforms, then so should the kids who participate in karate. Karate never got anything before. By introducing the gis and patches [for promotions], it makes it more of a credible program and the kids take more pride in it."
"Getting the gi made me feel stronger," Hegarty said. "I never expected that we were getting them."
Barone said that if the kids were taking outside lessons, it could become very costly.
"There’s no cost whatsoever to the participants," Barone said.
Barone is impressed with the way the kids relate to Cattaneo.
"She seems to have a good rapport with the kids," Barone said. "They respect her and they’re good with her."
"The ones that want to learn stay," Cattaneo said. "They’re having a good time and get to blow off some steam."
Cattaneo said that teaching a karate class in a gymnasium has been a different challenge.
"With no acoustics, I usually end the evening with no voice," Cattaneo said. "But it’s still enjoyable. I’m really impressed with the natural talent that a lot of the kids have."
The program has certainly been beneficial to kids like Hegarty.
"Sometimes, the other kids give me respect," Hegarty said. "They still act like they’re the best, but I’m going to keep going and hopefully earn patches and belts. I’ve enjoyed all I’ve learned, like kata and the spring back kicks."
Spring back kick, huh? Sounds like something that would inflict fear.
"I would never use that on anyone else at all," Hegarty said. "Unless I had to."