My son took interest in learning martial arts when he was four and was doing cartwheels and flying kicks off our couch while watching Power Rangers. I'd done a little research, but nothing seemed to fit us at that time. Flash forward to 2023, and my eight-year-old son had a few instructors from Championship Martial Arts visit his school for a short week-long program. Naturally, a demonstration from the blackbelts and a few impressive kicks and flips from Mr. Eric spoke directly to my little ninja's soul. Talk about having a new idol!
A little over a year later, and I can't express my gratitude for the community we have found within Championship Martial Arts. They aren't just teaching physical conditioning and marital arts, they work every day in small ways to teach confidence and good character. Within two weeks of working with Ms. Bianca, I heard the first Yes, Ma'am uttered at home when he was asked to help out. It wasn't prompted; the respect was just muscle memory.
I've watched my son fail and succeed in this past year. I've watched him learn how to handle disappointment and come out stronger and more determined. The instructors truly care about the kids they teach. They take the time to get to know them, ask them how they are, and create a safe space for them. At first, my son could hardly make eye contact with an adult when they spoke directly to him, but he's made so much progress in learning how to communicate in only a year.
We recently participated in a boot camp program over the summer for sparring, and I watched Mr. David sit them down and begin teaching them how to give and accept criticism, to not be defensive about our faults but to use the feedback for growth, and it was impressive. Being coachable is a hard trait to teach, but every CMA instructor seems to know the secret sauce when it comes to this.
Going into the dojo and signing a contract was intimidating. I wasn't sure if my kid was going to burn out or lose interest. I didn't want to be the mom who forced her kid to go. But some days, you will have to force them to go. I've had to give the commitment and accountability speech more than a few times, but when he leaves training, he's always so glad he went.
I didn't realize just how expensive martial arts would be going into this when your kid wants to do everything from camps to competitions, but it's become a price we've tried to make room for because the experience has been exactly what my kiddo needed.
The clubs your child can work through as they train feel like a trophy to them, and when they get the call to Master's Club and reach for that crisp black and red uniform, just understand you live there now---but hey, there's always coffee!
After accepting our place in Master's Club and chatting with Ms. Toni to get things set up and sorted out, the drive home was very quiet. My son had his new uniform in his lap and was just smiling like a goof. Then he said, "I feel so lucky to have picked to train here because Ms. Toni sees me, she notices me." And if that isn't enough to sign your painfully shy child up at CMA, I don't know what is!
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Posted 2 years ago
