INSTRUCTOR

Robert Ackerman has been training at Callahan’s Karate since 2001 and is a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Kenpo. Rising through the ranks from a "Tiny Tiger” at age 3 to becoming an instructor in 2014. Mr. Ackerman is a multi-talented instructor who does classes, camps, private lessons, birthday parties, as well as local community programs. Mr. Ackerman has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s of Education in Special Education from Endicott College in Beverly MA; he implements these skills as a Grade Five Math and Science Teacher at Chenery Upper Elementary School in Belmont MA. He enjoys bringing his enthusiasm to classrooms and karate students at every age and ability level. With additional training under world champion martial artists, Mr. Ackerman uses the skills he learned to also instruct our leadership team in performance-based martial arts. He is most notably known for his skills with the double sword. He has competed at national tournaments since 2015 and enjoys challenging himself alongside the world’s best. His sense of community has also led Callahan’s in the “Breaking Through ALS” Challenge for ALS, raising over $17,000 over five years. Finally, he is often found behind the lens of a camera, using his photography skills to produce professional content for our social media and website.

INSTRUCTOR

Mrs. Hewage (formerly Ms. Callahan) is a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Kenpo and has been teaching kids of all ages for 15 years. She began her karate training as a junior student in 1994 when her parents opened Callahan’s Karate. She worked her way up through the ranks and started helping out in classes as a young teenager on the Leadership Team. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Berklee College of Music while pursuing Music Education, then later went on to teach English as a Second Language in Thailand where she lived for 2 years and did some training in Muay Thai Kick Boxing. After returning to the states in 2018, Mrs. Hewage rejoined the team at Callahan’s. Along with teaching many kids classes, private lessons and introductory lessons, Mrs. Hewage creates Callahan’s Character Development Program, a monthly positive message that students learn about at the end of each class. In 2021, she completed a Graduate certificate program in Applied Behavior Analysis from UMass Lowell, then became a Behavior Change Specialist through NASM and a certified Health and Wellness Coach through AFPA. She continues to contribute her knowledge of behavior change and habit development to her teaching.

INSTRUCTOR/OFFICE MANAGER

Mrs. Jewer, BS Leadership, first started training at Callahan’s Karate in 2013 and received her Third Degree Black Belt in 2023. Shortly after receiving her First Degree Black Belt, Mrs. Jewer joined the Instructor Team in 2018. In early 2019, she accepted a position at Callahan’s Karate where she will be able to alternate time between teaching on the mat and administration/project management to improve processes and elevate our customer’s experience.