Category: Benefits of Martial Arts for Children

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Seuss   “Going, going, going… ALL. DAY. LONG!”   Oh the years of 5-6! Abounding energy at a level that could power New York City, as my husband and I often joke about our youngest, […]

Welcome to the Extreme SKILLZ® Program This program was specifically designed to target the stages of development of 10 to 14-year olds. The curriculum in the Extreme SKILLZ Program includes years of research and development proven effective for this age group. Our goal for the Extreme SKILLZ Program is to maximize the effectiveness of each […]

Is Your Child Ready for School? The past year and a half of school have been such a tumultuous ride. From school closures to virtual classes to partial reopening, it seems as if our children have experienced every out-of-the-norm scenario we could come up with. And although the goal was to keep them safe, children’s […]

Teens Need Structure Too Most often, when we think of implementing structure into our children’s lives, it is because we have a newborn that needs a feeding schedule, a toddler that needs a nap schedule, or a child that needs an activity schedule. When children become teens, they are often left to implement their schedules. […]

The Power of Yet Developing a Mindset for Success Goal setting is a characteristic that significantly links an individual to their future success. Having the right mindset is crucial and encourages our behaviors as we encounter different challenges. Since our mindset incorporates our own beliefs about skills and abilities that we possess, we must have […]

Behavior Shaping Implementing Reinforcement Schedules Getting children to behave how we want them to can be tricky. Even with the best intentions, parents often fall short regarding enforcing positive behaviors in their children while also extinguishing negative ones. Understanding reinforcement schedules and strategies for implementing them can be beneficial to parents and create positive behavior […]

Reinforcement vs. Punishment Understanding Behavior Modification   All parents want their children to exhibit positive behaviors that will help them transition smoothly through the different stages of their development. And while parents have the best intentions, they often don’t use the most effective discipline strategies to achieve that goal. And granted, parents do their best […]

Certification Matters Three Tips to Choosing a Martial Arts School Choosing a martial arts school has always been a guessing game for most parents. Unless they have prior experience, to them, any style is coined “karate” so deciding on the best place is purely a guess. Parents generally look for a school that teaches punching […]

  Preparing Children to Return to School – A Social Approach Over the past few months, interactions have been minimal, and our social skills are rusty. Since prolonged school closures have a negative impact on children’s social development, we are now faced with how to regain skills while moving forward with new skills. Though some […]

Helping Children Feel Secure in an Uncertain World   The news can be full of scary stories and information, especially for children. Our current situation has brought about even more concern for everyone in the world. If adults are feeling panicked, imagine how children must be feeling. And no matter the age, children can be […]

  How Parental Involvement Increases Child Success Parents are an essential element to their child’s success in anything. The enthusiasm and support, or lack thereof, of a parent can make or break a child’s accomplishments. In SKILLZ martial arts, it is even more essential that parents be involved as part of the teaching team since […]

Can My Child Transfer To SKILLZ But Keep Current Rank? For many people, martial arts is one unified style, which they call “karate,” and includes learning a variety of self-defense moves. When students decide to change martial arts schools, they are often told they must “start over” at white belt. And while it is important […]

The Importance of Bilateral Coordination on Physical and Cognitive Skills The development of a child can be one of the most fascinating things to watch unfold. From infants mirroring movements to toddlers and children mastering high level developmental skills, the growth they experience in a short time is astounding. And while all skills are important […]

  Helping Children Set Age-Appropriate Goals The New Year has arrived, and lofty resolutions have been set. Anything from working out daily to saving money to losing weight, our society knows how to dream big! However, when big dreams aren’t broken down into smaller, achievable goals, failure often ensues. And to make matters worse, our […]

  Parenting During the Holidays It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Shopping for gifts, decorating the house, baking goodies, attending parties, visiting family…there are so many fun and exciting things to do. With all these wonderful events, who wouldn’t be happy all the time? Unfortunately, children and especially children with any type of […]

Fostering Empathy in Children During the Holidays ‘Tis the season! A season of giving, a season of patience, a season of all things warm and inviting. Doesn’t it all sound magical? As we go into this time of year, the excitement fills the air and the anticipation of gifts and fun activities encompasses our very […]

Not All Ninjas Are The Same All parents want the same thing…for their child to be a positive member of society and experience success. And while these are important things, they often come through a push to achieve and be the best in everything. Unfortunately, this is frequently done through comparing their children to others. […]

The Secret Senses To Better Behavior We’ve all heard of the main 5 senses; taste, touch, smell, sight, and hearing. However, there are two other, very important, senses that don’t get enough attention. Those are the vestibular sense and proprioception. These two senses are vital in the development of a child but are often overlooked, […]

AGE-SPECIFIC MARTIAL ARTS CURRICULUM – WHAT IT REALLY MEANS The term “age-specific” is used very often in education and healthcare. It has a very definite meaning and is used to describe things that are prepared specifically for the age of the child it is targeting. However, this term is often used more loosely, especially in […]

Oppositional Defiant Disorder A Supplemental Resource for Families Coping with Oppositional Defiant Disorder All children act out from time to time. However, children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), as defined by the Child Mind Institute, “have a well-established pattern of behavior problems that are more extreme than their peers.” Children with ODD display aggressive behaviors […]

Martial Arts Cross Training The Secret to Developing More Well-Rounded Athletes An athlete is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.” Athletes in specific sports train to be at the top of their game, but how much better of an […]

The golden years for children are between the ages of 7 and 9 years old. At this age, children can grasp new information quickly. They start seeing the world in a new and exciting way and, because of this, they are beginning to develop their morals and values. And while they are making leaps and […]

Goal setting is one of the most highly linked characteristics to the success that individuals have. Top athletes and successful people all use goal setting. And while it is a trait that is most often associated with adolescents and adults, younger children can also benefit greatly from beginning this life skill at an early age. […]

At Home Practicing Tips!It is common knowledge that the more time and effort you can put into developing a skill the faster and farther you can become great! But after a long day at school or at the Dojo it may be hard to find the motivation to practice.Below are 3 easy steps to teach […]

  5 Tips your child’s instructor uses to put negative behavior into perspectiveAs seasoned Pediatric Ninja Specialists, we have witnessed just about every sort of behavior and outburst from working with hundreds of kids over the years. We have seen it all from playful name calling to angry tantrums. Some things are hard to not […]

Benefits to SKILLZ Training Over Summertime During the school season teachers, assistants, and counselors are focused on helping your children learn and grow. But what happens during the summer season when these people are not around? It makes sense that as a parent you would want your child to maintain some level of growth and […]

    10-Minute Ninja – Be a ninja even with YOUR schedule Hey Early & Basic SKILLZ Families, Having a busy day? Can’t make it to class? Feeling bad your child wasn’t able to get their “ninja” on? We have and easy Pediatric Ninja workout that will fit into your busy life, guaranteed! Just follow […]

            Teaching with the brain in mind There are many trends that we notice over the course of the year. We all remember the “whip and the “Nae Nae” of which we are all tired of watching. The infamous “Dab”! Soon followed by bottle flipping and fidget spinners. There is […]

                Greetings Families! I would like to take a moment and talk about Testings! What is testing? Testing is a celebration of a student’s hard work. The event itself is a culmination of their effort and the reward for learning to overcome challenges. The “Test” is actually nothing […]

      Benefits to SKILLZ Training Over Summertime During the school season teachers, assistants, and counselors are focused on helping your children learn and grow. But what happens during the summer season when these people are not around? It makes sense that as a parent you would want your child to maintain some level […]

                      Introducing the Internationally Acclaimed Basic SKILLZ Program! Five and six-year olds are the most enthusiastic students. They love creativity and problem solving, which makes them ideal students in the Martial Arts. The problem we discovered is they are so progressive in following tasks, some […]

                            I Introducing the Internationally Acclaimed Early SKILLZ Program! Three to four year olds love physical activity and anything involving play. They have a rich imagination and strong desire to be less dependent on their usual caregivers. The problem we discovered is […]

          Hey CK SKILLZ Parents ! Have you ever had that friend that asked “Why is your son/daughter in martial arts?” I am sure you have. I am also sure that you were able to provide a great answer to that question. I was recently asked that question as well! Before […]

        Hey CK SKILLZ family and friends! Have you ever wondered why our classes are more effective than your typical martial arts schools’ program? The thing that makes our classes more dynamic than most is that we understand childhood development and have been able to use a curriculum that takes advantage of […]

Ten to fourteen-year-olds, for the most part, are the smartest students in the school. Yes, they are smarter than most adults! They are also physically competent and can excel in most physical challenges that are presented to them. The problem we discovered is they are so focused on what is socially acceptable that they have […]