Martial Arts Therapy

02/17/2022

Martial Arts Therapy will be starting it's first in person class on Monday nights from 6:00PM-7:30PM.

The class is for adults 18+ over. There is no cost.
The class is sponsored by UMaise (University Michigan Adaptive & Inclusive Sports Experience.)

The class is located at the 2/42 Community Church
648 S. Wagner Rd
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Currently, masks are required and pertinent social distancing guidelines are in effect.

For more infrmation please leave a message or call Sensei Dave at 517-375-0252.

02/16/2021

Martial Arts Therapy is cancelled tonight.
Enjoy the snow day.
It is the most ironic post. The class is virtual but we are all kids at heart.
If their any former students who have a partner to demonstrate the techniques used in our class and would like to demonstrate on a zoom format for our class, it would greatly help others in our new class format. I would like for you to volunteer for a session.
Sensei Dave

01/05/2020

Martial Arts Therapy classes begin this week.
The schdule for Winter 2020:

Tuesday's University of Michigan Pediatric Rehabilitation Center 5:30 to 6:30 and 6:30-7:30 pm.

Semesters are 6 weeks long and require a $25.00 co-pay
Class sizes are limtied if you are not already enrolled please call for more information (517) 375-0252

Semester 1 January 7,14,21,21 Febuary 4,11
Semester 2 February 18,25 March 3, 10, 17, 24
Semester 3 March 31 April 7,14,21,28 May 5
Semester 4 May 12,19,26 June 2, 9,16

If the Ann Arbor school system is closed for winter weather so will Martial Arts Therapy. Spring break will be determined by area school vacation dates.

Saturday's Ascension Providence Hospital Southfield group 2:00 to 3:00 pm

Semesters are 12 and 10 weeks long and cost $186.00
Class is also studying to present at the 48th Annual National Down Syndrome Conference convention in New Orleans June 27th

Semester 1 January 11,18,25 February 1,8,15,22,29
March 7,14,21,28
Semester 2 April 4,18,25 May 2,9,16,31 June 6,13,20

Classes closed do to inclement weather will be notified that morning.

I hope everyone had a great time off and look forward to seeing you this upcoming year.
Sensei Dave

09/05/2019

Martial Arts Therapy classes resume Tuesday evening September 10th at the University of Michigan pediatric rehabilitation center. Classes are 5:30 to 6:30 and 6:30 to 7:30. Sessions run in 6 week semesters and have a co-pay of $25.00 per 6 week semester.

Martial Arts Therapy classes resume at Ascension Providence Hospital Southfield Saturday September 14th. Class is held 2:00 to 3:00 pm in the Fisher Auditorium. If the auditorium is being used by a different group we will be in a conference room on the 8th floor in the medical building. Parking is behind the glass medical building. The cost is $150.00 for a 12 week semester.

Martial Arts Therapy will also offer private individual or group classes in Sensei Dave's back yard weather permitting in Warren, MI 48091 on Thursday evenings and Saturday/Sunday Afternoon's. The price and times are to be determined when enrolling. I have more equipment in my backyard then I do at the clinics and hospital's.
Please call Sensei Dave at 517.375.0252 for more information.

Our goal this year is to fund raise for our volunteer presentation at the National Down Syndrome Congress annual convention, we have traveled to 6 of the last 7 and to find other local, state or national conventions representing the needs of our students.

07/15/2019

Brians Pictures National Down Syndrome Congress annual convention in Pittsburgh 2019

National Down Syndrome Congress annual convention Pittsburgh 2019

07/15/2019

Brian Craft presented Martial Arts Therapy at the 47th National Down Syndrome Congress annual convention on June 27 in Pittsburgh. He was assisted by MAT volunteers David and Adam Reicher.

Brian did 3 groups of 35-40 participants in 45 minute sessions. Each group also has volunteers to assist in the sessions and their help is greatly appreciated!

Brian has been a student at the Ascension Providence Hospital Southfield Campus program for 20 years. This was his sixth presentation at this conference.

The goal of this presentation is to provide a safe environment for the participants to practice our basic drills and exercises safely.

This year the routine used was
1. Introduction and Stretching
2. Side Stepping
3. Mall Martial Arts or now what we call stepping out of the way of cell phone users
4. Agility weaving course
5. Gentleness Shuttle Run
6. Multi-Plane 3 movement avoidance blocking patterns
7. Questions and Answers

The following pictures show Brian demonstrating, using the equipment and modeling the movement patterns used in a Martial Arts Therapy class.

07/15/2019

National Down Syndrome Congress annual convention Pittsburgh 2019

01/29/2019

Classes are cancelled tonight at the University of Michigan pediatric center. Stay safe and warm. See you next Tuesday night.

01/19/2019

Class is Cancelled today Providence Hospital Southfield

I would like the opportunity to show what this class does. We were scheduled auditorium today, however often we have to use a conference room on the 8th floor. These pictures were from last week January 12, 2019.

The class has two specific program goals

1. Brian is preparing to present at the 47th National Down Syndrome Congress Annual Convention Youth and Adult Conference in Pittsburgh. This will be his 6th presentation. All volunteers at Martial Arts Therapy are very happy that we are east of the Mississippi River. Brian is not pictured here because he is training for the Special Olympics swim team.

2. Samantha is preparing to make a video to show for a large corporation wheelchair self defense expo. Samantha's pictures here unique. She has thrown me down on a steel stage, carpet/wood floor and four different types of floor mats. When we said we could present live the large corporation asked us to have an ambulance ready plus EMT staff and additional concerns about the floor mats. Samantha has been training for 20 years and has probably thrown me down a thousand times. We volunteer to do this not pay for our schooling.

New students are always welcome.

This class warmed up with traditional stepping punch/kick exercises.

Volunteer Instructor Vicky Grabowski teaches the class Toyama Ryu Iaido
Vicky is a student at the Martial Science Center, LLC

Clarence Craft is another volunteer in this class

The class then practices
Falling forwards/backwards
Rolling out on carpet floors
Wrist grabs and escapes
Wrist grabs and falls

This class is scheduled every Saturday 2:00-3:00 in the Fisher Auditorium Providence Hospital Southfield.

07/24/2018

On July 14, 2018 Brian Craft from the Martial Arts Therapy class at Providence Hospital Southfield presented 4 demonstrations at the 46th Annual National Down Syndrome Congress Convention in Dallas Texas.

Volunteers Vicky Graboske, David Reicher and Adam Reicher meet Brian there to assist him.

This year Brian did 3 afternoon 45 minute sessions with each group having 30 participants and 5 host volunteers.

His presentation included 6 area's of focus
1. Stretching and Warming Up
2. Side Step Practice
3. Mall Martial Arts
4. Dynamic Gross Motor Skill Weaving course
5. Fine motor skill shuttle Run
6. Various Gait/Stepping patterns

The following pictures document Brian's success. He was invited to present at next years conference in Pittsburg. A sigh of relief from the volunteers who are happy we are east of the Mississippi.