We held our first summer camp this past week. On the final day, we worked on this short film. The students embraced the entire project. We came up with the script together. They found/created props. They worked out scene locations. They choreographed the fight scenes. (One of the students, looking at the raw footage, exclaimed that “It looks like we’re really fighting!”) They encouraged and helped each other. It brought an immediate meaning to our martial arts moves and highl

In our program, testing is an opportunity to demonstrate what we’ve learned. We must show a certain level of proficiency before moving on to new curriculum. It motivates us to practice and do better at school and home. Family members, friends and teachers are encouraged to provide feedback and be a part of the process. Students don’t test until ready and failure to maintain behavioral standards in class, at school or home can result in a reduction of rank. Testing is a challe