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Chesapeake Martial Arts offers more than karate at new Ocean Pines spot

(Aug. 18, 2016) Parents looking for a different kind of after-school or summer camp for their children should check out Chesapeake Martial Arts in the Ocean Pines Plaza on Cathell Road.
The school has grown from teaching tae kwon do classes to the addition of kickboxing, tai chi, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, basic gymnastics and tumbling classes, summer camps, after-school programs and wrestling.
To celebrate the expansion of Chesapeake Martial Arts and its new location, a grand opening and ribbon cutting extravaganza will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The ribbon cutting will take place at noon.
The public can meet with instructors, tour the new facility, and play carnival games such as a dunk tank, duck pond, ring toss, lollipop tree and guess the number. The rain date for carnival events are Sunday, Aug. 21.
Complimentary pizza and hot dogs will be available while the children play on inflatables such as a moon bounce and an obstacle course.
Free classes will take place all day starting with tae kwon do for kids at 10-10:30 a.m. followed by wrestling for beginners with the Junior Seahawks Club at 11 a.m. and tai chi at the same time.
A women’s self-defense class will begin at 1-1:30 p.m. and kickboxing will round out the classes from 2-2:30 p.m. Those interested in classes can sign up on Facebook or call 410-208-4100.
Demonstrations from the Chesapeake Martial Arts performance team will entertain crowds in between classes as they break boards and use weapons.
The grand opening allows parents and children to see what the school has to offer.
“It’s the coolest summer camp and after-school program in the county,” said owner Jim Heaney, who opened Chesapeake Martial Arts in the Teal Marsh Shopping Center in West Ocean City more than 10 years ago along with his wife, Kim. “It has grown leaps and bounds the last few years. We are transforming into a kids center. We have something for everybody instead of restricting them to just martial arts.”
The after-school program takes place from 3-6 p.m. and Chesapeake Martial Arts will provide transportation from school.
“They come in get a snack, do their homework and then either participate in a martial arts or wrestling class,” Heaney said. “We will also have mat games, including dodgeball or they can learn tae kwon do. It is fun and we have a blast. It is not like going to a babysitter.”
Ending Aug. 20, parents can lock-in the after-school program for $75 per week.
“We designed this building for Maryland regulations in order to have 100 kids comfortably during our after-school camp,” Heaney said.
In addition, Chesapeake Martial Arts offers before school drop-offs and transportation starting at 7 a.m.
On Friday, Sept. 30, Chesapeake Martial Arts will have a Kid’s Night Out presented by Showell Elementary School with dodgeball, a moon bounce, laser tag, pizza and hot dogs from 6-9:30 p.m. It costs $30 per child and parents can register at https://member-site.net/VIP/default.aspx?EV—cMJMP.
“We are very excited and think it will be a fun night,” Heaney said.
At present more than 50 children are enrolled in summer camps that run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.
“It is a structured and fun program for kids to learn and get exercise,” Heaney said. “We leave an hour throughout the day for electronics and they get to hang out with friends. We have kids who do not need a summer camp, but their parents send them anyway. There is a game room with an arcade, pool table and PlayStation.”
The new facility has a movie projection room with surround sound where they show at least one movie a week during camp. A snack bar area has gourmet coffees, snacks, ice cream, pizza and hot dogs.
Throughout the day, children will paint, play games, read books, play with Legos and make art projects.
Trips to Jolly Roger, Planet Maze and Sweet Frog for ice cream take place during camp.
In the future, a playground and basketball hoops will be available outside.
Adult classes are growing in popularity as well, Heaney said. These include tai chi, the kickboxing fitness class and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A 3,000 square-foot matted room will be used by the Junior Seahawks Wrestling Club for practice and tournaments.
Karate and kickboxing classes run simultaneously to allow for parents and children to exercise at the same time.
On Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. parents can drop their kids off to finish chores or run errands.
“There are no other child care options open on Saturday for kids four to 14 years old,” Heaney said. “We want people to start saying let’s go to CMA tonight to hang out.”
The facility has grown from the Heaney’s teaching karate classes to eight full-time instructors and up to 15 in the summer.
“We needed to expand,” Heaney said. “We were getting more and more cramped. We went from 2,800 square feet [at Teal Marsh in West Ocean City] to 12,000 in Ocean Pines.”
It took 11 months to complete the process and a 10-year lease was signed before officially opening July 20 in Ocean Pines.
The facility is licensed through Maryland for child care and summer camp.
For more information, call 410-208-4100, check out cmakarate.com or search “Chesapeake Martial Arts in Ocean Pines, MD” on Facebook.