We combined fun physical activities, different styles of martial arts, academics, life skills, social skills, and healthy habits (such as eating right) to create a youth program like no other. Our team is committed to not only teaching the students to be good fighters, but also to teaching them to be good people. Taking a fun and rewarding activity mixed martial arts (MMA) and mixing it up with im
portant life lessons and tutoring allows us to keep the kids interested and give them opportunities to improve in many different areas of their lives. Every child is different and our goal is to provide services to fit all of their needs. For example some kids come in, over weight, with health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc… We are able to provide a weight loss program, personalized, for each kid, and his or her specific needs. They are given a food diary, meal plans, healthy recipes, and of course an intense workout 5 days a week. We check their weight weekly, and track their progress on a graph so that they can clearly see their success each week. Another example would be kids with behavior issues such as, aggression, or being defiant to parents or other authority figures. Martial Arts itself is known for teaching discipline and self control, but our program goes beyond that. Some members of our staff are certified behavior management specialists, trained to work with kids with all types of behavior issues. When a problem arises, either in class or in a child’s home, and is brought to our attention, techniques such as IESCAPE are used. (Isolate, Explore point of view, Summarize feelings, Connect behavior to feelings, Alternate behaviors discussed, Practice plan, Enter back into routine) By using these techniques with our students we are able to understand each individual and their needs. Which allows us to help the kids work through issues at home and school, as well as in the gym. We combine all this with the aspects of a reward system, (Negative behavior at home or in school can result in a student not being able to participate in class) and this approach, so far, has been very successful with all types of kids in our program. Some are shy and usually would not interact with other kids. After a few classes we notice these kids opening up and becoming more social. With positive reinforcement we are able to raise the confidence levels in these kids and bring them out of their shell. They learn to make friends in a positive environment and interact with kids as well as adults. They learn positive ways to resolve conflicts with peers, as well as with authority figures. We believe this is an important life skill. Our team also has a great support system of friends, family, team members, and parents. We encourage parents to join and make it a family activity. This allows parents to spend quality time with their kids, and improve their relationships with them. This has proven to be helpful with behavior issues and conflicts within families. By doing this we have created a strong sense of family within our team. Everyone is willing to help out in any way they can in order to keep our doors open. With a support systems like that I personally feel our programs success is inevitable.
