Martial Arts training offers tremendous benefits beyond self-defense and physical training. Notable benefits include improved fitness, discipline, respect, honor and integrity. This is evident by the way a Martial Arts student walks, talks, and acts. A Martial Art student’s behavior is different, they are confident and focused.
As a mother or father, aren’t these the characteristics you want to see in your child?
Martial Arts training can help your child be a better student and likewise can help you be a more confident, focused person. Training as a family offers meaningful time and a rewarding experience for you and your child.
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Not every child is an athlete
As much as we want our children to be active and learn to be team players, some children just don’t want to play organized sports. And instead of having them sit at home playing video games or watching videos, you know they need more physical activity than they get at school. Your child can train privately, in a class setting, or even as part of an After-School program. Training is fun and hard work. Your child can make new friends or train with existing ones.
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Black Belt Character
One way to tell a good school from a not-so-good school is to see if it incorporates the physical and mental benefits of the Martial Arts, this is traditional teaching. Be forewarned, just like in the Karate Kid movies, there are still schools that focus only on fighting and competitions, elevating aggression to the detriment of the Martial Arts.
The combination of physical and mental training in every type of Martial Arts contributes to developing character. UMAC Briarcliff teaches both the physical and mental aspects of Taekwondo and prepares a person to have Black Belt character.
Black Belt Character is based on learning to live by the tenets of the Martial Arts which is gained through the physical training required to achieve Black Belt rank. The five tenets of Taekwondo are: Integrity, Self-Control, Indomitable Spirit, Respect, and Perseverance.
A student becomes a true Black Belt when they integrate these tenets into their everyday life and use the tenets as personal rules to live by. This is not a quick-fix solution but one that requires hard work, perseverance, and focus. And to me, the value is priceless.
Opening My New Facility Required Black Belt Character
I had a goal to build the perfect Martial Arts training facility. In 2008 I rented out three separate spaces within one building, paying three rents, utility bills, and every other business expense. It was very inefficient. But I had my dream.
The first location I wanted, I didn’t get; getting outbid for a cash deal. Then I found a vacant lot which I knew would be perfect. After six complicated months of touch and go negotiations, a deal was struck. Then came a series of obstacles.
The first obstacle: I was $75,000 short. I had already leveraged everything I had. I had three days before the closing on a holiday weekend to come up with the money or lose the deal. Meeting with my wife and program director we struggled for a solution. Ah Ha! We decided to sell lifetime memberships for $10,000; we would ask our students to pay tuition in advance, and we would double the length of membership from six months to a year. In three days we raised $74,989.11! As we were congratulating ourselves, there loomed a second obstacle.
I was told I needed another $75,000 on top of the $75,000 we just raised to pay the down payment before construction could start. The steel for the structure had been delivered and it pained me to see it just lying on the ground. I’d already gone to the well, so now what? Thank goodness for a hefty tax return. This plus the ability to get a loan using future tuition as collateral put us over. Relieved, construction began, but not without yet another challenge.
OIl prices peaked and all the sub-contractors increased their costs over estimate. We were 20% over-budget! Our third financial challenge. My solution was to do all the finishing work myself; drywall and sheetrock, taping, ceilings and walls, painting, everything.
Then a fourth obstacle. I had to delay opening by four months. Instead of opening in September to coincide with the school calendar I wouldn't open until January. This delay cost me 30% of my enrollment. Plus I was paying $200 per day to operate out of a local public school.
There were many more challenges to overcome but my purpose is to show you that when you have a dream, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. My Martial Arts training taught me to think positively, to find solutions, stay focused and persevere. This experience gave me more confidence in my abilities and strengthened my Black Belt character. And Martial Arts training can do this for you too. Black Belt character benefits everyone!
I wrote a book called “It’s Not About the Belt...You Don’t Need a Black Belt to Act Like One” which goes into more detail on living a Black Belt life. I envision a day when entire communities embrace these ideals. Would that be utopia? Maybe.
Look for my weekly blog providing insights on "Living a Black Belt Life". Please share this with your friends and family.
Thank you for this opportunity to serve you.
Master Chris Berlow
UMAC Briarcliff
