A Point of Difference

Posted on 10/29/11 by Charles

I was reading and came across an old Chinese proverb: "Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand". This proverb sums up one of many distinctions you'll find at Innovative Martial Arts Academy from other martial arts schools and activities. We involve our students in community and character education. And most important, we teach our students the 'why' in our success traits.

We use and integrate the POWerful Words program, developed by Dr. Robyn Silverman. It all starts with a word and definition. As an example; Focus-The ability to concentrate on a task and ignore distractions. Students learn why it's important to have focus and how we can exercise it every day at home with their parents, at school with their teachers, with their peers, and at Innovative Martial Arts Academy. We integrate that word into our carefully designed lesson plans and give the students opportunities to demonstrate the word of the month over and over.

The students have role models and positive peer pressure living up to the character traits their parents have been trying to hammer into them all along, but it doesn't quite sink in until you have someone other than mom and dad demonstrating and telling them the same thing.

Finally, the proof is always in the pudding, or in this case the outcome. Walk into our black belt class, talk to the parents of Innovative Martial Arts Academy that have stuck it out. The parents will tell you what a difference our academy has made. They will tell you that their child is on the honor roll (BTW, I don't have a student in the black belt class that isn't on the honor roll and most of those are straight A's). The students themselves will look you in the eye and shake your hand, address you as Sir or Ma'am, and are living demonstrations of words like honor, integrity, self-discipline and respect.