24歳の空手指導者が、アンカスターで最も家族を大切にする武道スクールを築くまで
Starring
Diana Valliantは、地元のFacebookグループの投稿をきっかけに17歳でLion's Heartに入り、21歳で黒帯を取得しました。Mersinaとともにカナダ代表として世界選手権に出場し、韓国式部門で2位に入っています。
Mersina Giampapaは空手の黒帯四段で、3歳から練習を始め、13歳から指導しています。24歳のときにオンタリオ州アンカスターでLion's Heart Family Martial Artsを創設し、ニューロダイバーシティに配慮した道場をつくりました。道場はカナダ代表として世界選手権に出場しています。
About the Gym
Lion's Heart Family Martial Arts was founded in February 2019 by Mersina Giampapa, a fourth-degree black belt in karate who has been training since age three and teaching since age 13. The school offers play-based, neurodiversity-friendly martial arts instruction for students of all ages and abilities in Ancaster, Ontario. Programs include Cubs (ages 3-6), kids karate, intermediate/advanced classes, adult training, and an invite-only weapons program covering disciplines beyond the standard curriculum.
The school's teaching philosophy prioritizes community, inclusion, and meeting each student where they are rather than following a rigid traditional model. Lion's Heart has represented Team Canada at the World Championships in Portugal and Buffalo, with multiple students and instructors qualifying through provincial and national competitions.
The school also welcomes students with physical disabilities and hearing impairments, with staff learning sign language to ensure full inclusion. Lion's Heart operates from 1412 Sandhill Drive in Ancaster, sharing a building that allows for a single-floor, accessible training space.
📍 1412 Sandhill Drive, Ancaster, ON L9G 4V5, Canada
📞 905-741-9320
Summary
This is the story of Lion's Heart Family Martial Arts in Ancaster, Ontario, and how founder Mersina Giampapa opened a karate school at age 24 after watching the dojos she grew up in lose their community spirit. The episode features Mersina and head instructor Diana Valliant discussing their play-based teaching philosophy, their journey to representing Team Canada at the World Championships, and the student transformations that define their school.
Lion's Heart welcomes students of all abilities, including a deaf student whose family was told everywhere else that martial arts wasn't possible.
This is a behind-the-scenes look at multiple classes from the Cubs program (ages 3-6) through the invite-only weapons program, showcasing the balance between structure and fun that makes Lion's Heart work for neurodiverse learners. Mersina shares how the school's name came from a solo trip to South Africa, why "Family" is deliberately part of the name, and her philosophy: "Make money to do karate, don't do karate to make money."
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