Franklin Park firm helps kids kick it to higher level
BY LAURA BOLLIN Contributor February 6, 2012 9:32PM
Franklin Park, 02/04/12--Jenna Stoike reaches out with a high kick during sparring. Jim Wade's Karate for Kids held their testing day on Saturday. | Jon Langham~for Sun-Times Media
Karate for Kids
10125 Grand Ave., Franklin Park
(847) 349-5425 (KICK)
www.karatefranklinpark.com
Monday: 4-8 p.m.
Tuesday: 4-9 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday: 4-9 p.m.
Friday: 4-8 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Closed Sundays
Cost: $99 a month for a six-month course, with two classes per week on a flexible schedule. Parents and children can choose which days to attend classes.
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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:07AM
Former LaGrange Park police officer Jim Wade loved taking tae-kwon do classes with his two young sons so much, he decided to open up his own center where parents could take martial classes with their children.
Enter Karate for Kids, a Franklin Park-based martial arts center that opened in 2005. Jim and his wife, Marcy, both became certified teachers and now run the classes.
“In 2003, I started taking classes with my boys, Daniel and Jimmy,” Jim Wade said. “It was nice that I could take class with my kids.
“I could be in the class with my children, which was different than standing on sidelines and cheering for them. Instead, I was next to them doing the same thing they’re doing.”
Jim said the new job let him explore his passion for teaching.
“I always loved to teach, and I was a substitute teacher in LaGrange Park,” Jim said. “I saw an opportunity to do what I love most, which is helping people and teaching.
“There was a lot less danger involved than being a police officer, and my wife liked the hours better. Now, we both have more than a full-time job that we enjoy.”
Marcy said she likes the impact that the classes make on children.
“We have twice-a-week interactions with them and their family,” Marcy said. “We can be a help force to the parents.
“For some of them, after taking our classes, their son made honor roll for the first time. We have an honor roll wall to celebrate those kids. Or, kids are at a family function, and they are holding the doors open for their grandmas and grandpas – they are learning courtesy outside of the tae-kwon do school. We love to see that.”
Jim said the school teaches classes for children ages 3 and up. Youth 7 years old and above are allowed to take classes with their parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, older siblings, or other family members.
“We create leaders, and teach through positive reinforcement,” Jim said. “We are taking the lessons parents are teaching at home and emphasizing them.
“If we have a child who is very high energy, and another who is very shy, we can put them together and they can learn from one another. The high-energy child can see how respectful the shy child is; and the shy child can learn to be a little more open from the high-energy child.”
Jim said he used martial arts to help his own children learn to be more focused.
“There is a video in the hallway of my son Daniel at 4 years old, rolling around on the floor and not paying attention,” Jim said.
“Now, Daniel is a third-degree black belt who leads classes, and all of the children want to be Daniel’s leader for the day.
“Now, at 14, he is on the honor roll and he plays four instruments. The success from our family is what we want to bring to all of these other families.”
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