Every Sunday morning, the Vaitkus' Tsawwassen home is transformed into a training ground where knowledge, new ideas and encouragement are exchanged.
In warm weather, the sessions take place in the family's spacious backyard but on this cool autumn day, the furniture has been placed aside and the living room has become a gym for the next couple of hours.
"For the last four years we have been doing this and we focus on who ever is getting ready for testing," explained Vytas Vaitkus. "It's a lot of fun and we learn from each other."
It was nearly 15 years ago when Vaitkus achieved a first degree black belt in Kung Fu. His sons - 14-year-old Aleck and 10-yearold Logan - would also become proficient in martial arts but haven't exactly followed their father's footsteps.
Aleck joined the Hap Do Sool Academy in Tsawwassen at a young age and by the time he was 12, had achieved a first degree black belt in the mixed martial arts discipline.
The academy is now located in North Delta where Aleck currently trains two times a week and is working towards earning a second degree black belt. He is also a part-time instructor.
When Logan was old enough to pursue martial arts, he wasn't interested in Kung Fu or Hap Do Sool. Instead he wanted to go his own route. He attended a Karate summer program where he liked it enough to join Goju Ru Karate which is based out of the Fishermen's Hall in Ladner.
He joined his dad and brother's black belt status when he became the youngest club member to receive his DAN this past summer
"I started to take Kung Fu when I was 25 and wanted to get my certification before Aleck was born. I did it three months before his birth," said Vytas. "It took me six years and about the same amount of time for the boys to get theirs as well."
"The neat thing now is Aleck is such a size that it's now easy for me to work with him. Part of him working towards his second degree is making up his own form and that's where what myself and Logan have learned helps him."
Vytas said he wasn't interested in his sons getting involved in martial arts for self-defense or combat but rather for the life changing experience it can be.
"These degrees helps create a foundation for life and it's neat to see how it transcends into other things," he said.
"Both of their instructors are awesome. They are very conscious and focus on overall improvement as opposed to fighting. It's all about improving as a person. If their instructors heard they have been fighting, they don't want them back."
