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Local karate students in action at world championships
July has been a pretty big month for Steve and Niki St. Pierre.
The local karate instructors have several students competing at the USAMA (United States Association of Martial Artists) World Championships in Albuquerque, N.M. Their school, All-American Karate Academy, celebrated 20 years in business. And earlier this month, while at another tournament in Pennsylvania, Steve celebrated his 69th birthday.
In Albuqerque, All-American Karate will be represented by Jake Hayden as well as Jesse, Audrey and Alana Carroll in youth competitions, as well as Cassie Carroll, Laura Major and Riley Houghton in adult divisions over the course of this Saturday and Sunday.
“We had kids that actually got out and got their own sponsors to pay their own way, which in this day and age is pretty incredible,” Steve said.
He noted that at 13, Hayden works at a campground, mows yards and does other job.
“He pays for all his own entry fees to the state tournaments,” Steve said. “We took him out to Pennsylvania and he paid for his own seminar, threw in for the hotel. He earns his own money, and that’s pretty impressive.”
Likewise, the Carroll kids are taking on responsibility for their own entry fees.
“The Carroll kids have been doing odd jobs, washing cars. Jesse’s been working out at Chandler’s,” Niki said. “They’ve all been working hard to pay their own way.”
That’s no small task for a family of four. Besides getting to New Mexico, there’s the matter of hotel rooms and tournament entry fees.
“Just within their family, the entry fees are probably $600 or $700,” Steve said. “For us, being able to be a part of it is really something.”
Then again, “really something” might be how the St. Pierres would describe their journey over the last 20 years. Last summer, they moved into their currency location at 141 Martinsville St. in the old Johnson-Nichols health Clinic Building. It’s their third home in 20 years, after six years on Mill Pond Lane and then 13 on Indianapolis Road in one of the storefronts in the old Marsh building.
More than the places, it’s been the people.
“It’s been pretty incredible, the people that we’ve seen come through,” Nike said. “And the ones that have stayed all this time, it’s amazing. Even the ones that are here for a couple of months and then out. To be able to work and touch lives for just a couple months at a time is pretty cool.”
“We can hardly believe this year has been 20 years,” Steve said. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
There have been some lean times, with Steve noting that “Covid put a scare in us,” but they kept the doors open and eventually recovered.
“For the most part, being part of the community has been really good,” the Chicago native said. “I’ve taught a lot of places over the years, and I’m glad to make Greencastle my home.
“I think we live in a great place,” he added. “Eventually, it would be nice to be on the beach of Florida someplace for my last remaining years — once I can’t kick and punch anymore.”
At this point, though, Greencastle remains home, and the students remain family.
“It’s crazy seeing the progression of our students because people that started out with us as teenagers come back and bring their children to us,” Niki said. “We have weddings galore this year. In two of those, we have two students marrying each other. We’re the ‘dojo of love’ or something. We should have a reality show.”
By Steve’s count, the All-American Karate Academy family has grown to something like 3,000 students over the last 20 years.
The academy also finds a way to give back to the community that has supported it. On Aug. 11, that means sponsoring the 911 Slugfest police and fire charity event, which will raise funds for Isaiah 117 House, as well as the effort to send some students to Tokyo for an upcoming international competition.
The event will feature local Putnam County Public safety workers — Todd Hopkins and Riley Houghton of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Wade Warren of the Cloverdale Police Department, Levi App of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, Cassie Carroll and Scott Mayhew of the Cloverdale Township Volunteer Fire Department and Matt Wolff of the Greencastle Fire Department.
Tickets are $45, $35 and $20, and available at eventbrite.com, search “911 Slugfest.”
Through the classes, tournaments and community event, it’s been a dream come true for Steve, who’s had the chance to work professionally as both a karate instructor and guitarist.
“I can remember when I was 18 and I chose to tell my parents I was going to be a karate instructor and a musician,” he said. “And my parents said, ‘What are you going to do when you grow up?’”
Now 69, Steve apparently still hasn’t grown up, and he’s loving every minute of it.