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Choosing the right martial arts school! ....Grandmaster Jerry Devine |
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“We teach attitudes first.” That is a Pacific Martial Arts motto that we have followed for years. Our mission is excellence and dedication. In order to help you decide is PMA a good school or is some
other school better suited for me, this outline gives some inner details about
us and also other martial groups. To whom will you trust your child’s growth and development in areas such as
The experienced staff of the Pacific Martial Arts has been
teaching the valuable benefits of the martial arts since 1978. The PMA is led by
Grandmaster Jerry Devine, a former outstanding math teacher. He is the director
of the Martial Arts Museum of America, a member of the International Karate Hall
of Fame, a tenth degree black belt, former president of the Amateur Athletic
Union karate southwest division. He has devoted his life to furthering the
development and character values of students through the martial arts. His own
personal aim in karate is to give dignity and worth to each person. Entrust your child’s development and growth to a school
with the experience and positive methods that produce real results. We are
considered the Stanford of karate schools. PMA has many role models of
excellence, our teachers are also leaders in the business, medical, legal,
educational and other professional fields. Students need appropriate challenges
suitable for their ages and skill levels. Karate is achievement centered and
allows a child to pursue and to explore his r her potentials. Karate is not a
feel good therapy activity is the often the case of the chain franchise schools.
These schools care more about appearances and numbers and are not about
producing meaningful results. We use a staff of many lead teachers. We do not use
inflated titles and we stand on our records of authenticity. Many schools boast
about titles, tournament victories, and more to give the impression of quality.
Beware of the many "world champion" titles being flaunted
and claimed by mediocre karate people. Often these terms are placed on trophies
and certificates of local competitions and winner is only to happy to infer it
is a world event, when in fact there might not be more than a few dozen local
students entered. The novice parent has little understanding of the meaning of these titles and
claims. In fact, to mislead the public is disingenuous when dealing with young
people. Merely advertising that a school teaches focus, integrity, commitment
and more is not sufficient. Anyone can borrow the advertising hype and place it
in an ad. There must be an actual process for doing this as opposed to making
promises without substances. PMA has a long track record of over twenty-five years in
developing these teaching skills and proven methods. We invite you to ask us how
we do it and see us in action in the classes. You are entrusting the mental growth and attitudes of your
child to other people whenever you embark on a new activity. Pick your coaches
and mentors with some care and thought for they are going to shape your
child’s behavior. A pleasing personality is nice but not sufficient because
you do want honesty, integrity, commitment to the activity, and a healthy
interest in challenging your child to become a better person. Our staff currently includes front line black belt teachers
who have been training with the PMA for ten or more years! We also have many
different studios and locations so you can mix with more students, visit and
train with these groups, and be part of something larger. We also have programs in San Diego that we operate at Old Town
and Del Mar and City Tree School. Formerly we have operated satellite campus programs at Francis Parker School, La Jolla Country Day School.,
Blessed Sacrament School, and Warren-Walker. Additionally we have
affiliate schools of the PMA at Portland, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City. Here is a brief summary of some of the staff. *Sensei title is an official title awarded after 15
years of dedicated teaching. Unfortunately misused title being used by most
karate groups in the US to indicate a high rank. Ex. Sensei Fred or Sensei Bill
who may not be actual teachers. Michael Brown Sensei, fifth dan in karate, 3rd dan in weapons, has studied karate for 25 years. Co-head of the math department at Mesa College, former tournament competitor. Joe Granja Sensei, 20 years in the martial arts, top level brick breaker, holds third degree in karate and 1st degree in weapons. He is a computer specialist. Michael Kaminski, 16 years in karate, 2nd degree black belt, top tournament competitor and energetic teacher. Yuri Gorokhov, a junior at SDSU, eight years training brings energy and top performance levels in tournaments to the mix as well as an excellent teacher. Andrew Vaughn with 20 years experience and a second degree provides excellent teaching in the junior programs. Peggy Teng with eight years experience is a second degree but also specializes in fitness and cardio kickboxing. Eric Rosado Sensei is a fourth dan in karate and 3rd dan in weapons. He has 33 years in the martial arts and is founding member of the PMA. Becky Black, Sensei title, teacher at Coronado high school, third dan
black belt, 1st degree in weapons study, 20 years training Jason Knight, graduate clinical psychology at Long Beach, second dan level,20 years training, currently teaching karate in Los Angeles area. Karen Underwood is a 2nd degree black belt who is the head instructor of the Portland Oregon dojo. The Underwood family currently has three black belts in training! Michael Kapiloff, MD and also PhD (UCSD) medical research,
former head teacher Portland school, 20 years training Dan Alger with 20 years training heads up the Salt Lake City program. Pacific Martial Arts over the years develops its teachers through seminars, practical teaching, assistantships, and includes in its materials approved methods in coaching, refereeing and sparring skills, age differential methods, positive reinforcements and much more. Some commonly asked questions about schools. Finances and Fees: these vary dramatically but often it is true you only get what you pay for. Recreational martial programs are often rent subsidized at community centers and school gyms. This can result in lower fees. On the negative side, times of classes may not be very good because the karate group has to share facilities with other athletic groups. Generally there is only a hobbyist (part time instructor) so if he is absent the classes are usually cancelled. Also most of the recreational karate programs are in modules of 6 or 8 weeks, twice a week. There is often a break between sessions (no continuity) and often the instructor may just stop teaching. Established schools generally charge fees that are much higher because of the quality of the program. There is usually a high rent involved in commercial rental space, the instructors are full time in many cases and need to earn a living too, and the overhead of the school will involve better and more extensive equipment that can include special floor surfaces, mirrors, punching bags and much more. Janitorial service is provided. Common rates in 2011 found the bigger and/or better schools that offer extensive programs having fees that range from $90 to $180monthly. The current San Diego average seemed to be over $150per month. Recreational programs are generally in the $45 to $70 rent or are based on a course cost. In fact there is very little difference in the hourly rates of instruction when you consider total possible hours a student can train and divide that into the fee. In such cases you find the San Diego average will be from $9 to $15 for hourly instruction no matter which program, recreational or professional. Why do most commercial schools not divulge rates in their ads or during phone inquiries? It is a proven sales technique (same as for car sales, furniture sales, etc.) The school needs you to come in to see their product, their facilities, their teachers, so that you can make an educated decision. PMA will give some fees out such as the cardio and mini-ninja fees because those are course fees and are set. The major programs are more expensive and often we do creative plans with students and parents that will work for their budget. However we want them first to make a decision that karate is the activity they first want to do. Hidden fees! These will also vary from school to school. Often their are belt testing fees, sales of sparring equipment, private lesson fees for those that like extra care, field trips, etc. PMA offers many extracurricular activities that have small or no costs to the student in areas such as beach classes, movie nights, scholarship parties, festive parties, tea ceremonies, and more. Most schools do not offer these extra options and you should inquire about them. Contracts or not is always a big question. Some schools do offer monthly contracts but it is a minimal commitment and allows both you and the school to decide on continuation every month. It makes it too easy to quit when there are challenges in your personal life. Also many prospective students will often use this a trial to see if they like the activity without ever making the serious commitment (ex. health clubs!) School is a serious commitment whether it is college, karate, high school, etc. Decide on some reasonable time that will allow you to develop proficiency in the karate. Learn commitment and perseverance along with the karate. Will I get injured? No one likes to go to school or work the next day with a black eye or broken nose from someone's carelessness. Ask the instructor of the school how much contact they allow, if any, and ascertain the safety care the school takes. Contrary to what you might think, law suits for getting injured in sports are not very winnable. You can also suffer athletic injuries common to sports. Approach your karate carefully and do not overuse your body by doing weightlifting and running on the same day as your karate class. Check out the floors... is the workout area relatively free of obstacles? is the floor an athletic floor? How much should I train? If the classes are
solidly taught, usually one hour each, you can make adequate progress on twice a
week. You should strive to do a little self practice at home or cross train by
running, weights, other sports. This applies to kids and adults. Some students
practice karate 4 or 5 times weekly. I hope that this article helps you in understanding some of the operations of martial arts schools.
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