Teaching Approach

A Way of Life

We see martial arts as a way of life. People join martial arts for many reasons including a desire to learn self defense, to improve their health and fitness, to engage in competitive sport, to build self-discipline and good character, or even just because they're excited about what they've seen in the movies. Martial arts is all of these things at once, and more. It is a method of self-evaluation, and facilitates our lifelong journey to become the best version of ourselves in mind, body and spirit.

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Open to All

We believe that martial arts is for everyone — all ages, genders, and ability levels are welcome to train with us. Currently, most of our classes are open to all students, which means particularly young children or individuals with specific disabilities may find it difficult to integrate. However, we encourage you to give it a try, because everyone is unique, and if our classes aren't the perfect fit, we may be able to recommend another local school for you to visit.

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As our schools grow, we may offer classes for specific age or rank groups, but we will always include frequent opportunities for everyone to train together. This helps children get comfortable interacting with adults, teaches adults to respect the rank of younger advanced students, gives women a chance to practice self defense with men, and generally fosters a spirit of family and camaraderie. 

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Promotions

One of our sayings is "you are always being tested". It's a metaphor for life, but it's also part of our methodology. We don't have scheduled testing, and you don't have to pay a separate fee to be tested. Your age, class attendance, or time spent at your current rank are not factors in rank advancement, and we do not use a separate ranking system for children. You will be promoted to the next rank when you have met the requirements, based on your instructor's continual evaluation of your progress.