School Talk at Thomson Estates

A few weeks ago ATA instructors went to Thomson Estates elementary and hosted a special class for the whole school.  It was all the kids that have had good behavior all year from the school, split into 3 groups.  This was something new because I've never taught classes of 150 students before, but it was really cool.  I learned a couple things about engaging a crowd and that the excitement of a class is amplified when the "Yes Sir!" can be heard echoing through the entire school.  We took a few pictures, but it was tough to take them at the same time we were teaching.  Check out our Facebook picture album by going to THIS PAGE. 

We taught a really cool course called the ABC Concentration course.  First, we warm the kids up with some plyometric drills to make them fast and strong.  Then we talk about having a good attitude and always trying their best.  After that, we use martial arts to teach Belief- how the most important person to believe in is yourself!  Then, I taught them the 3 levels of master focus and give teachers a tool to use when the kids are having trouble focusing.

Thanks Thomson Estates and their guidance counselor, Gretchen Zahn, for inviting us.  The staff at the school, including the principal shows how dedicated they are to the future of our community every day in their action.  I've never met a crew with so much passion!

School talk at Chesapeake City Elementary

Today I did a school talk for one of my best students at ATA Elkton, Miki Guina.  He's really good in class because he always tries his best and he always looks like he's having fun.  He's gotten a lot better since he first started and his little brother might be starting too so he's going to be the leader of the "Guina Karate Guys" at home (lol).  Well, one of my favorite things to do is go to a specific classroom and turn one of my best students into a rockstar for his or her class mates.  So all through the class, he stood next to me like an assistant instructor and at the end, he broke a wooden board.  Most kids have never broken our rebreakable boards and even less have broken a wooden board (or even seen one broken in person).  As soon as Miki broke it, all his classmates jumped up and went crazy cheering for him.  I even heard a little girl say, "Miki is so cool!"  I wish someone said that to me when I was in elementary school!  To top off all of it, I asked Miki to choose a friend that helps him get better in school... not a trouble maker or someone that just wants to have fun instead of doing his or her work first.  He chose his best friend and he got to break a board too! Mrs. Powers was so generous to let me come to her classroom and I really appreciate it.  Check out the pose Mrs. Powers struck at the end of the class!

Mr. Hayhurst and Mrs. Powers strike a pose in her classroom at Chesapeake City Elementary

Leeds Elementary Fun & Fitness Day

Yesterday Mr. Hayhurst visited the kids at Leeds Elementary School in Elkton, MD.  Our theme of the day was Bully Education.  The kids learned that fighting at school is not OK but everyone has the right to defend themselves.  Part of our class involved the students training to become a "martial arts athlete."  With this event, Mr. Hayhurst had this to say:

Students are organized by grade.  They are getting ready to say the pledge of allegiance

"The kids at Leeds are used to me coming because I've been there for the last three years.  When they see me, they always get excited and a lot of them remember my name.  That's the coolest part.  When I show them a technique or give them a short talk, they're quick to answer up with a YES SIR! and I can tell those kids are influenced by really great teachers.  Over the past year, the schools have said that bullying is a big concern and childhood obesity has been an increasing problem for the last fifteen years.  Our classes have changed to keep pace with the needs of our community."

Mr. Hayhurst has been the instructor on tour teaching martial arts, self defense, and fitness to kids in Elkton, North East, Rising Sun, and Cecilton.  The schools that our ATA Martial Arts and Personal Achievement Academy instructors will be attending in the future are - Thomson Estates, Elkton Middle, and Holly Hall.  After that, there are a few seminars scheduled for the Boys and Girls Clubs in Cecil County and the YMCA.