Be the Change: Sensei Bernie Kelly

Bernie Kelly didn’t know he liked teaching, but he did know he liked karate. So when, in his 20s, his karate teacher Pat Haley offered him free karate lessons in exchange for teaching younger students, Bernie decided to give it a try. “Pat really opened up a world to me,” Bernie says, reflecting how that teaching experience led him out of carpentry and into teaching middle and high school for 24 years. It also led him to, in 2015, open Kelly’s Martial Arts, his own dojo in Cottonwood. In the past 10 years, the dojo has doubled in space and flourished in student attendance, blossoming into the dojo Bernie had dreamed of.

A powerful combination of knowledge, history, community, skills and experience

The last decade has also refined Bernie’s approach to martial arts instruction. “I thought I was a good teacher when I first started,” Bernie says, “but now I actually know what teaching is all about and I think about it differently.” This different perspective comes from uniting his personal history, his Native American heritage and community, and his degree in health psychology. “It’s all those experiences after 30 years coming together so that I can help people utilize the tool of karate to improve themselves and better their lives,” Bernie says. Grant Watkins and his two children are examples of how Bernie’s skills and experience can indeed better people’s lives. About four years ago, on something of a whim, Grant enrolled his son and daughter, who were then 10 and 8, in Bernie’s karate classes. “They just fell in love with it,” Grant says. He witnessed his children gain self-confidence, which then translated into more social confidence, resulting in both of his children becoming more active with their peers and more comfortable with making new friends. Spending time at the dojo connects the family with a supportive community. At the same time, the individual nature of karate builds “resilience and grit to just keep going, even though it’s hard,” Grant says. Grant doesn’t just speak as a casual observer; his children’s immediate enthusiasm inspired him to enroll in karate lessons at Kelly’s Martial Arts as well. The results, he says, were “life-changing for my kids, but for me as well. I became more confident, more physically fit, more mentally resilient. And it’s because of Bernie.”

Building relationships is key

Rich Hall, who met Bernie while they were both public school teachers, has seen this same type of transformation with many of Bernie’s students. “Bernie can take the quietest kids and they all of a sudden realize they are somebody special and that they are being recognized as somebody special – it’s just something that Bernie has always had the ability to do.” Rich adds that Bernie was an early pioneer of project-based learning. This handson approach to learning gives students tangible examples of how they can do more than they think they can do and is one of Bernie’s tactics for helping draw kids out of their shells. Jeneil Morrentino, who taught seventh grade alongside Bernie, says that he has a gift for being able to “see people for who they are. It’s like he sees their spirit and their intentions all the time. I think that’s why his students love him.” As Jeneil watched Bernie’s teaching approach, it changed her own priorities in teaching. “Working with Bernie helped me become a better teacher because I realized it didn’t have to be so regimented,” she says. “The teaching part will come, but the important part is building relationships with kids.” Jeneil describes Bernie’s sense of humor, unique skill for affirming students and bringing out the best in them and ability to help other teachers find the positives when their work becomes discouraging.

Providing support to overcome life’s struggles

Finding the positive is an intentional choice for Bernie. “The world is a tough place,” he says, “and I think it’s that way by design. We are born in blood, sweat and tears; the first moments of our breath and our coming into this physical realm are harsh. And then we get a good meal and a hug and we’re content. And I think that’s the rule for us being here: face the harshness and learn to find contentment. I want to give all my students plenty of opportunities to struggle with support so they can overcome the struggle.” One of Bernie’s own supporters for life’s struggles is his wife, Kirsten. While Bernie readily admits their 36-year marriage hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing, he describes her with great affection as “one of the most complete humans I know. She’s so humble, she doesn’t recognize her impact. I’m visible in my impact; I’m outgoing and assertive and she’s internal and quiet and introverted. She’s bedrock; you could build schools and companies around her, and she just makes everybody a better player.” Bernie and Kirsten have two adult daughters, Jordan and Paige. In his spare time, Bernie participates in Native American ceremonies, carries a medicine bundle from a South American tradition, and does health and wellness seminars. He has traveled to Japan five times to receive awards and grow in his own karate skills, recognizing there is always room to grow because, as he says, “Karate is a lifestyle.” Thanks to Bernie, the karate lifestyle is more available to kids and families in the North State, building mental strength, physical muscle and community cohesion for all ages and stages of life. g Kelly’s Martial Arts Dojo 20633 Gas Point Rd. Suite H, Cottonwood, CA, 96022 (530) 410-2263 http://www.kellys-martialarts.net