Think of some of your favorite memories as a child. You might remember things you experienced by yourself, or with a friend or two…but chances are, your most favorite memories are tied to experiences you have shared with your closest family members. Whether it was a particular vacation, or going fishing with your father, making cookies with your mother, playing outside by the favorite tree with your sibling, weekends at your grandparents house..
When you think about your life, what would you like to share with those that mean the most to you? What kind of memories would you like to leave behind?
Sharing gifts of a material nature could be considered a happy experience, but usually a short-lived one, and pales in comparison to the joy of quality time spent with those we love the most, and to the memories that are born from it.
How about spending time together while working towards something that you want to achieve, and sharing the excitement of conquering every step along the way? How about having fun together? How about engaging in a combination of a sport and an art form, right along with your child, grandchild, spouse or your entire closest family, and learning skills that will become a part of you for the rest of your lives? How about showing your child how to never give up until you reach your goal, and sharing the immense pride of the moment when you receive your black belts together?
Over the past few decades, we have repeatedly seen the sparkle in the eye of a grandparent when watching the fun and the progress that his/her grandchild is experiencing in our martial arts classes. We have noticed the excitement that radiates from a mom’s face when invited to join her son on our floor, during a special event, and the pride on a dad’s face, while watching his daughter advance – wondering if this is something that he could also be learning and role modeling for her. We’ve observed the special bonding moments among siblings who begin displaying leadership qualities by helping each other enjoy the process of learning together. All these glimpses opened our eyes to the need to provide family martial arts classes to the Topeka community, and since then we have helped families grow together, bond, and learn about each other along the way. We feel privileged and grateful to the families who have chosen us to be a part of their lives through these priceless moments.
If you feel that you and your family could benefit from: learning useful self-defense/karate techniques while becoming physically, mentally and emotionally stronger; learning how to focus the mind while enhancing self-discipline, self-confidence and self-esteem; if you know that your family, like any other family, could use some help with setting better boundaries, improving communication, working together as a team, etc.; and if you feel that becoming martial artists together is an experience you would like to share with your loved ones, your family belongs in our dojo, and we welcome you with open arms.