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By Steve Morris
 The Stacy Lions Club coffers are fuller thanks to the vision and sense of purpose from one local resident.
Dan Hoffman Sr. operates and runs the East Side Stacy Judo Club out of the Stacy Lions building on Highway 61 and charges each student $30 a month. All proceeds from the membership dues go directly to the Stacy Lions Club general fund, which in turn is invested in the community. To date, Hoffman Sr. said the club has given more than $400 back to community.
Right: Dan Hoffman, Jr., left, with his father Dan Hoffman Sr. lead the bi-weekly class together. Dan Hoffman Sr. opened the Stacy East Side Judo Club in September after spending time in Chisago Lakes.
Hoffman got hooked on Judo in 1974 when his father introduced him to it as a young boy. Hoffman Sr., who grew up in North St. Paul, said Judo helped clean up his troubled youth and gave him a sense of belonging, something he didn’t have before. Over the years, Hoffman Sr. earned an 8th degree black belt in Judo, a 4th degree black belt in Judisto and a 3rd degree black belt in Karate.
What motivates Hoffman Sr. to spend all the time, energy and money is the hope to keep kids off the streets to use Judo as a transformational tool to mold youths minds and hearts.
“I don’t know what they would be doing if they weren’t here. There isn’t a lot for kids to do around here.”
Helping run the club is Hoffman’s son, Dan Hoffman Jr.
After a stint running a similar type of Judo club in Chisago City, Hoffman relocated the club to Stacy where he has been since September.
The 48-year-old spends at least five hours a week on the club, all of which is pro bono.
He plans to take the group to tournaments in the spring and the expenses he will have to cover. On March 29, Hoffman Sr. is taking a group to a tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska, and on April 19 to a tournament in St. Paul. From September through May, he said the club will be at least one tournament a month.
Prior to moving to Stacy, Hoffman Sr. worked with the St. Paul Parks and Recreation Department from 1986 to 2002.
Hoffman Sr. wears many different hats in the Stacy community. He is volunteer fireman and a member of the Stacy Lions Club. For work, he runs his own landscaping business with his son.
“The Lions have been happy to have us here. The money goes right back into the community and it has been a real blessing,” Hoffman Sr. said.
What is Judo?
When asked to explain what Judo is in layman terms, Hoffman Jr. said it’s like high school wrestling with throws and chokes.
“It’s the art of using someones weight,” Hoffman Sr. said.
Judo, which is translated as the “gentle way” teaches the principle of flexibility in the application of technique. Skill, technique and timing, rather than the use of brute strength are the essential ingredients for success in Judo. In Judo classes, people may learn how to give way, rather than use force to overcome a stronger opponent.
“They took the harmful stuff out,” Hoffman Sr. said.
Judo was founded in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kando and is a refinement of the ancient martial art of Judisto. According to the Web site judoinfo.com, Dr. Kano studied these ancient forms and integrated what he considered to be the best of their techniques into what is the modern sport of Judo.
Everyone is welcome
The club is open to kids and adults of any ages four and up.
The East Side Stacy Judo Club meets each Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Each class starts with a warm up and stretching followed by a practice of certain Judo techniques. Prior to the start of class, the Hoffmans lay down padding over the cement slab of the Stacy Lions building for protection.
Guest are welcome to visit anytime and the club is currently looking for new members.
Regardless of how large the club becomes, Hoffman Sr. aims to give local kids a sense of belonging, a different alternative to the streets.
“The drive is to bring up the kids and make them into good adults,” he said. “My biggest thing is watching kids grow.”
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