​Parents in particular have a hard time making class sometimes. As a new parent, I understand now why making it to class can be difficult when you have little ones. I own a dojo and I've had to miss training because Asher needed me! But, I think I've got some strategies for making it to class when you've got kiddos.

Bring Em!

We are very kid friendly. There are things at the dojo that most kids can't resist, like foam swords, punching bags, a pull up bar, and kick shields. I've seen kids entertain themselves for an entire adult class - and still not want to leave - by playing with those objects alone. Our dojo is one big open space, so you can keep an eye on them while training. Water breaks, class breaks, and partner rotations all give you a chance to check in as well. We also have a desk where kids can work on homework or read while you're training.

Get them Involved

We have a family class that is free for members to attend every Saturday. Kids can practice with their parents and get an idea of what martial arts are all about. We have later kids classes that happen right before adult classes start up. One of our instructors brings his son to the kids class and then stays for the adult one while he watches. It's a great way for the whole family to get involved.

Timing is Everything

There's only so much you can do to time out naps and other activities for little ones. If Asher happens to tire himself out around five thirty, I know I'll make the Basic Jiu-Jitsu class. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. But I do everything I can to get the timing. It isn't a science, but getting him to sleep, or planning other kid activities to allow yourself time to train is possible. We have another student who drops his daughter off at her guitar lessons while he trains.

Managing kiddos and training isn't always easy. We've tried to make it easier with our scheduling and relaxed, kid friendly environment!

I know finding a martial arts school can be very difficult. While I'm partial to Rochester Phoenix Martial Arts, I realize we aren't right for everyone. Still, I wanted to do some posts on things to look for. I've been training in the martial arts for a LONG time, and I can usually spot good schools pretty quick. This post is on openness. It's a quality I think is important and that separates good schools from bad ones.



Real modern martial arts training should not be clouded in mystery. We don't meet for secret magic training sessions with secret magic scrolls to enhance our secret magic skills. Sorry if I ruined the martial arts for anyone just now.



Can You Watch Classes?

We encourage potential students to watch classes. We encourage parents to watch their kids in classes. We encourage significant others to come watch their loved one in classes. There are no secret magic skills an instructor is teaching to your eight year old that you can't be allowed to see. If a school discourages viewing... RED FLAG! As a parent myself, I'd run from a school that wouldn't allow me to watch the class.



What Are the Parent Organizations?

That weirdo in the Wal-Mart parking lot can go ahead and open up a martial arts school in his basement if he was so inclined. There are no regulations for operating a dojo. Unfortunately, there are frauds out there. One way to avoid fraudulent instructors is to look into the parent organizations associated with the school. These keep up quality control, provide ranking guidelines, and instructors normally need to be certified through them. If there are no parent organizations, at least question and research the instructor's credentials.



How Easy is it to Contact the Owners?

Brennan and I live in an apartment. We have cell phones. We don't live on some mountain top fortress in the middle of nowhere. When students or parents want to talk to us, we're there! I always try to respond to texts, emails, and phone calls right away. We also try to check in with students and parents on a regular basis. If the head instructor/school owner is never at the dojo and doesn't respond when you try contacting him/her, probably a bad sign.  
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Finding a good school isn't easy. There are still a lot of outdated notions about martial arts and training. Hopefully this series of posts will help clear some of that up. Even if you aren't from the Rochester NY area, the same points apply.  

​Should your training begin and end with your own school? For many people, coming to class and training in their own school is enough. However, extra training can be extremely beneficial for so many reasons.

Additional training can take many forms. Seminars, open rolls, and tournaments are just a few examples. Why are these events so important to your training?

They Keep Things Fresh

As you train and start working with others, you start figuring things out about your training partners. We all have habits, and the more you work with familiar people, the more you can anticipate just how he or she will react. By training with new people, you can better tell if your techniques are working properly. A technique will work differently on someone who has no idea it's coming.

They Put Things Into Perspective

Maybe you're the biggest guy in class. Maybe you're the smallest. Maybe you're the oldest. Maybe you're the youngest. By traveling to another school, you can seek out others with similar or different body types than you're used to. I'm used to working with people a lot bigger than me in our classes. At first I was getting a little discouraged because it seemed like everyone was better-- Until I went to another school that had several women my size. I held my own! Suddenly I didn't seem to be doing nearly as badly as I had been thinking I was.

They Prevent "Martial Inbreeding"

This is a term I use for when people substitute anticipation/expectations for technique. In other words, is something working because it's legit? Or because Sensei says it will work and it's working for everyone else? Other instructors and high ranking individuals may have new ways of looking at things or interpreting techniques. By going out and experiencing new ideas - even if you don't agree with them - you keep adding tidbits of understanding and knowledge to your belt. This keeps your martial world growing, expanding, and evolving.

There are so many more reasons to venture outside your school walls. I'll tackle more in another post. 

This is pretty old news at this point, but things have been crazy and busy this last year!

​We moved from our old location on Monroe Ave to 107 Norris Drive. We are actually still very close, only about a mile or so away from the old dojo. This new location is right by Cobbs Hill Park. Now that the weather is getting better, you can count on some pretty sweet outdoor training sessions!

​The place we are in now used to be an embroidery shop. They had these giant industrial sized sewing machines in there. It was somewhat difficult to picture it as a dojo.

​Since moving in we've given the walls and the floors a new paint job. Our mirrors were hung, along with a white board for training notes. We spruced up the changing rooms, matted the training floor, and hung up our punching bags. We also added a pull up bar to our bag hanging apparatus.

​Future improvements: we will be adding to our mat space, providing additional pull up bars, adding a markiwara area, and giving some TLC to the outside of our facility. We also want to make some sweet wooden screens and create a beautiful kamiza.

The Dojo will be closed December 24th - 26th, but will reopen Saturday the 27th.
We will also be closed December 31st - January 2nd, classes will resume on Saturday, January 3rd.

Some instructors might be holding small classes while the dojo is closed, if you want extra training ask your specific instructors.  

Have a happy Holiday!!!!

For the past few months Brennan and I have been playing the role of construction workers more than martial arts students. We are thrilled to finally put our hardhats away and tie our belts back on! It has been a long journey to get here, and we have overcome burst water pipes, exploding toilets, stacks upon stacks of carpeting, and the exciting world of Certificate of Occupancy inspections. We've also learned a lot. I now know how to tile floors, build walls, and the difference between an impact driver and a drill! :) :D 

 I want to thank everyone for their support through this process! We could never have done it without the help and encouragement from our fellow training partners, friends, and family. 

Classes have finally started! All our active martial arts programs are accepting new students. Karate, Aikido, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu are steadily growing. We are also working with some truly awesome kids in our Karate, Aikido, BJJ, and Sword Kids Programs.  

Here are some pictures of our progress. The dojo still isn't exactly where we want it to be, but each day we get a little closer to our final vision for Rochester Phoenix Martial Arts.