Gerry Ramsay has been one of the most recognizable faces in the karate community since he joined Orillia YMCA Karate back in 1991. He has served the Orillia Academy of Karate as the black belt chief instructor since 2004.
The Park Street Collegiate Institute graduate followed his son and ex-wife who joined the program first.
“I was a member of the YMCA, and when I was on the track running, I would see the class and it looked pretty interesting to me. At first, I was a little hesitant, but once I saw the program I thought yeah, this is something I want to try,” Ramsay said.
It didn’t take the 66-year-old much time to get hooked in by karate.
“The discipline of it and the friendliness of the dojo was what got me really into it. At our dojo we have no contact, meaning we don’t hit each other, but we have to get close. I enjoyed going and knowing I wasn’t going to get injured,” Ramsay said.
“I started working toward my black belt right away. I moved up from white to yellow, and my focus went to the next belt, and then the next belt. You never stop learning new techniques, kicks, punches, in karate, and then you start teaching, and I just kept progressing," he explained.
Ramsay is a well-liked karate teacher at the Orillia Academy of Karate; his passion for teaching is easy to see for his students.
“You see it in the student's eyes that they get what you are teaching, and it’s a good feeling when you teach someone something they now know how to do. Promotion night is always a great night; I enjoy seeing the look on their face when they get their new belt,” he said.
While Ramsay continues to age, he doesn’t have any plans on retiring from karate.
“I love it too much, I love to teach, I love practising,” he said.
Ramsay encourages all Orillians who have interest in karate to join the program.
“It improves attention span, it improves confidence, self-esteem, politeness, enrichment, and discipline,” he said.
“A lot of people send their kids to the dojo, and they end up doing better in school because their attention span is better, politeness is better, and I always tell students to stand still, look at people, and pay attention when they are talking, because you might learn something," he explained.
Outside of karate, the retired wood pattern maker spends time with his wife, son, daughter, stepdaughter, and three grandkids.
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