FACE | COMMUNITY MATTERS
Acadiana Karate — Still Kicking After 35 Years "The life lessons that my students learn while training for Black Belt; never quitting spirit, personal commitment, and the trials and sacrifices they have to make to achieve their goals, is what they learn to draw upon later in life when they experience life’s tough challenges and choices." Since 1978, Acadiana Karate has trained over 3,000 students from the ages of 31⁄2 years to adult. Shihan Pablo has taught and produced several world and national karate champions including his wife, Sensei Stacey Knight Mejia, a 10-time National Forms and Weapons Champion, who left the practice of law in 1996 to run the martial arts business with her husband full time. Currently, Acadiana Karate has two locations: 2464 West Congress Street in Lafayette and the second location at 814 Fortune Road in Youngsville, Louisiana. The company’s Inspired by his father at a very young age, Shihan Pablo Mejia began studying martial arts in his native country, Honduras, at the local Boys and Girls Club. His father was very concerned with the growing gang violence in his community so he signed his son up for karate classes to learn how to defend himself. At the age of 12, Shihan Pablo came to America to attend boarding school in Eunice, Louisiana. After graduating high school he continued his training with local martial artists, Wade Bergeron and Sensei Warren Menard. In May of 1978, Sensei Menard, wanting to retire from the martial arts business, asked Shihan Pablo if he would like to take over his dojo. At that time, Shihan Pablo opened his first dojo in an 800 square foot, one bedroom home in Crowley, Louisiana naming it Acadiana Karate Institute. The first dojo began with 15 students. Shortly thereafter Acadiana Karate expanded to additional locations in Rayne, Jennings and Welsh, Louisiana. In 1990, Shihan Pablo retired from the real estate business to begin running his full-time martial arts school in Lafayette, Louisiana on Johnston Street.
10 FACE | APRIL 2013
primary mission statement is to teach its students the lifelong benefits of martial arts including self discipline, self control, leadership, respect and confidence through martial arts