Our History

Midwest Karate Kids started in the late 1990s when Sensei Robert Fusaro asked a group of sweaty students who were stretching after class if anyone would be interested in beginning a children’s program at Midwest Karate Association (now SKM). Gina Anderson, a 2nd level brown belt at the time, naively volunteered. Sensei Gina gathered information and advice from black belts and teachers of children and, with great trepidation, began teaching kids on Saturday mornings at Midwest Karate. Her first class had one student, her second class had two and some of her classes had no students at all at in those first few months. As the years went by, however, Sensei Gina (now Gina Wood) gained confidence and students, adding classes one by one as the need demanded. She currently teaches 5-6 classes per week 52 weeks out of the year at the Shotokan Karate Minnesota dojo. For more information on our regular children’s program including pricing and schedule, please visit shotokankaratemn.com.

Our first karate camps at Midwest Karate were held in the early 2000s. They were smaller and more concentrated, with a half day schedule and a dozen children at the most. Our current camp program began in 2013 upon the advice and under the guidance of brown belt Jeff Harrison. Sensei Jeff was a successful chess coach and instructor who ran chess camps all summer and taught chess clubs during the school year. When he suggested week-long, all-day karate summer camps, it sounded like a lot of work; but with his help our first all-day camp was held the last week of August, 2013. Though Sensei Jeff tragically and unexpectedly passed away after our second camp together in 2014, his spirit of service, his love of karate, and his care for all students lives on in every camp that we’ve had since.