Here at Gage Martial Arts, we emphasize the balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit. This means that in addition to physical training that you would normally expect from a karate class, you can also expect mental training. This includes starting and ending class with a short meditation to help teach students focus and the skill of clearing your mind. Students are also required to understand the basic history of Martial arts and are regularly engaged in discussions about the appropriate use of their skills.

One of the fundamental principles of Gage Martial Arts is to learn how to fight, and how not to. This means that the first line of self defense will always be a smile. Learning how to present yourself in a non-threatening way will stop most conflicts. If that doesn’t work, students are encouraged to run away or seek help. Only when all else fails and you are in danger of physical harm should you use the force necessary to defend yourself. Fighting outside class will result in demotion or expulsion from the club.

Promotion of Belts

We still follow the traditional Judo system of belts. You start as a white belt, then move to yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and black at your own pace. There is no time limit, and advancement is based on mastery of given concepts for that belt. You get out what you put into it. Unlike many other tests in life, you will only be asked to grade for your next belt when Sensei Gage feels you are ready. A grading is a celebration of your skills, it is through the work done in your weekly classes that you will earn the right to attend this celebration.

A Regular Class

0- We show respect by bowing into the dojo, and to each other before starting class.

1 – Meditation – We always start with a short meditation to clear our minds and make the transition from our busy day to our karate training.

2- Warm-up – Pretty self-explanatory. We get our bodies moving and stretch so we don’t shock the system when we start training.

3- The basics – We start by going through all the basic movements of karate including blocks, strikes, and kicks. I was once told that no one is afraid of the 10000 moves that you know but have practiced once, they are afraid of the 1 move you know and have practiced 10000 times.

4- Kata – A prearranged sequence of movements that is designed to teach self-defense concepts and allows students to practice their martial arts without a partner. It also encourages they to improve their pattern memory. We practice kata most weeks.

5- Sparring – Sparring is where we practice our timing, distance, and control. With kids we practice zero – light contact, and with adults we practice with light contact. The goal is not to harm your opponent, but to program your body to respond to a set of attacks without having to think. This is practiced at least twice a month.

6- Break falls – When learning martial arts, we must learn how to safely fall. We do this about once a month. Don’t worry, we put down crash mats on top of our already sufficiently padded floor.

7- Meditation – This time to lock in and reflect on our practice.

8 – Bow out – Karate begins and ends with respect.