Plum Blossom Martial Arts Academy in full bloom

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/08/2014 (4094 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As her Plum Blossom Martial Arts Academy approaches its first anniversary, the school’s owner and sifu, Peggy McRitchie, prepares to celebrate having transformed an unused second floor storage area into her dream school that’s attracted some of the more vulnerable members of the community.

“We have definitely been getting more girls and women from all different cultures coming to the school and participating in both the kung fu and tai chi programs,” said McRitchie. “When they come through that door and I’m the person that greets them, right away you can almost see that sense of relief.”

Having taught since the early 1980s, McRitchie has begun to see the male-female ratio come close to balancing out for the first time ever, a huge shift from typically 80/20 male-dominated classes.

Pulling kids from their after-dark street hangouts into a positive environment has been another goal she’s started seeing come to fruition. It’s all about earning the trust of the community, especially the mothers.

“They don’t want their kids necessarily involved in MMA: ‘What are you teaching? Is it going to be good for my child? Is it going to be safe for them to be here?’” she said.
She’s welcomed bullied kids and those with developmental issues. The repetitive and disciplined instruction helped one boy with co-ordination issues to run and ride a bike, activities that had previously been beyond his abilities. Unlike typical team sports, in which your own teammates can be your worst enemies when you commit a goof, Plum Blossom offers a supportive group environment.

“You don’t get picked on here, you get pulled up.” she said.

McRitchie retired as a palliative care nurse to pursue her goal of teaching martial arts full-time. When she chose the 3,500-square-foot site at 200-2989 Pembina Hwy., she was in for a long, hot summer of work, including hauling out stoves, fridges and ancient filing cabinets.

Students from her previous kwoons (training halls) gave up their vacations to help her, and they were still putting on the finishing touches the day of last year’s grand opening of Canada’s only chartered school under the Plum Blossom International Federation, which has 300 schools worldwide.

On Tues., Aug. 26, McRitchie will celebrate her baby’s first year with an open house, which will include demonstrations of kids’ and adults’ kung fu and lion dance, tai chi, as well as refreshments.

Richard Kamchen is a community correspondent for Fort Richmond.