MASuccess Magazine

by Melissa Torres, MAIA Division Manager

Eighteen months ago, MAIA launched a done-for-you curriculum created by child-development expert Melody Johnson. This program, called PreSKILLZ, was designed to give any instructor the know-how needed to teach children ages 3-6. PreSKILLZ leads you through the eight essential skills children should develop and provides warm-ups, mat chats, games and skill-building drills to be used in class.

PreSKILLZ was the first curriculum MAIA launched after I became the division manager, and I have tremendously enjoyed being a part of it. (It’s also not a bad gig to get to visit Johnson in St. Petersburg, Florida, twice a year to film new content — right on the beach!)

Over the course of the past year and a half, we have heard dozens and dozens of success stories and seen the excitement from our schools that have implemented PreSKILLZ. When Johnson takes the stage at the Martial Arts SuperShow and speaks, it’s clear how...

Children’s martial arts classes not only tend to be profitable for schools but also are an amazing way to improve the lives of the kids, their families and the communities. This is because of the values the martial arts impart to children. Those values include the following:

Courage

The kind of courage that young people learn in martial arts is one that encompasses a certain spirit of bravery. It is not simply acting without fear; it is channeling an internal energy to act in spite of fear. Courage is a transferrable skill that allows students to set goals, overcome challenges and attain success both in the dojo and in life.

Respect

One tenet of martial arts is respect. Children are taught to respect the masters who came before them, as well as their instructors, their peers and themselves. Quality martial arts instructors focus on this value consistently, encouraging students to carry it with them beyond the studio. Self-respect and respect those who are above...

A poll was created in the Century Martial Arts School Network about teaching 3 to 6-year olds martial arts. Here are my reactions to that poll and some pointers for making your early age program better.

By Melody Shuman 

Something interesting happened last week.

Something that if you weren’t on Facebook, could have got lost in social media’s short lifecycle…

A poll was created in the Century Martial Arts School Network.

In the poll, Danielle Rogers (who deserves all the credit for starting this conversation and to a lesser extent, giving me a spark to write this post) asked a simple question:

The question was:

“Do you have a program in your school for 3-6 year olds? Tell us why or why not.”

Now, if you go to the poll (which you can here if you're a member of the group) you can see gobs of people offering up their opinions on the early age class conundrum…

You can see people stating their cases for and against teaching...

PreSKILLZ is an innovative way to effectively teach 3- to 6-year-olds. At the same time, it enhances what every martial art school owner covets — increased enrollment and revitalized retention! 

By: Andrea F. Harkins

Veteran black belt Melody Shuman bridges the gap of teaching preschoolers by showing that every three- to six-year old can learn valuable martial art skills, if taught the proper way. Additionally, every school owner can increase enrollment and improve retention by using these teaching methods. 

Shuman spent many of her years in martial arts as an instructor. At 19 years old, she began working as a program director and instructor in Orlando, Florida. For six years, she co-owned and operated four schools in south Florida. During that time, she won the title of World Champion in forms and coached many young world champions ages seven and up. 

In 1997, she presented her first innovative program, Little Ninjas, to the martial arts industry. It...

Most schools do not have a standard procedure for teaching a drill to 3-to-6 year olds. However, that consistency with the instructors is important to parents when they decide if they want to invest in your program.

That’s why Melody Shuman (creator of PreSKILLZ) explains the 7 steps for teaching a drill so everyone is on the same page and adding to the environment you’re trying to create.

Watch the video above and implement the 7 steps with your team today.

(Note: Want the 7 Steps for Teaching a Drill Training Manual. Get it here now.)