Mary came to Action Karate the same way many parents do: she brought her four-year-old son through the door because he needed help with focus, coordination, and social skills. What she found was far more than a martial arts class.
There were community events, new friendships, and a team of people who genuinely cared. And when a spot opened up on the teaching staff, saying yes felt natural. She has spent nearly two decades as an English language arts teacher, and she brings that same warmth, patience, and love of learning to the mat every single session.
Specialist in early childhood development, with a particular focus on sensory and neurodiverse learners in the Ninja Sharks age group (3–6)
Adapts lessons for children with ADHD, autism spectrum traits, and sensory processing differences
Designs private sessions around each child’s individual strengths and growth areas
Creates a calm, high-energy environment where very young children feel genuinely safe
Builds social and emotional skills alongside physical coordination in every class
Teaching philosophy
Mary’s starting point is simple: no two children are the same, and a good lesson plan has to reflect that. For her youngest students especially, she adjusts everything, including the pace, the language, the physical cues, even the way she celebrates small wins. This is done to suit what that particular child needs on that particular day. She has seen firsthand what happens when a four-year-old who struggles to follow directions suddenly holds a stance with real focus, or when a child who arrived crying at the door runs confidently onto the mat eight weeks later. Those moments matter to her deeply.
Her background in language arts taught her to meet students where they are rather than where you wish they were. That principle carries straight onto the mat. She is not in a hurry, and she does not expect perfection. But she does expect effort, and she knows how to get it out of very small people. And because she has sat on the parent side of the glass herself, she understands what families are hoping for when they walk through the door. Her goal is simply to honour that trust, one class at a time.
