Post written by Tom Callos, master teacher & martial arts consultant. I have a lot of students. Students who have been with me since they were children and students who I’ve only known for a short time. It’s unfair for me to single out two, among thousands, but today I have to shine the spotlight on two young men I’ve had the privilege to teach. BJ Penn was a 17 year old when he came to me — and now he’s a giant legend in the martial arts world, with millions and millions of fans. I trained with BJ for a year, tried to talk him OUT of fighting professionally...
Read MoreMartial Arts Lessons: It’s Not About Violence
Just the other day a parent asked me if she thought my classes promoted violent behavior in young boys. She was inquiring about lessons for her son and was concerned that he and his friends might take what they’re learning and use it inappropriately. I thought it was a fine question. Yes, there have been a few cases (very few) of students “playing martial arts” with friends, the same way they play as their favorite superheroes, but I’ve never heard of the play being malicious or hurtful. I do, however, hear many stories of my young students using the kind of restraint we talk about in...
Read More10 Simple Lessons In Self-Defense, For Girls
It’s this simple: Children defend themselves with their heads. It’s knowledge that protects children in today’s world. Knowledge about safety, about what to avoid, about what to do, where to go, and how to stay out of harm’s way. I’m a part of a remarkable association of martial arts teachers, really forward thinking and action-oriented instructors, who come together almost every day to move worthwhile projects forward. The group is called The One Hundred, it’s headed by a 6th degree black belt named Tom Callos (www.tomcallos.com). The One Hundred, all of us, work on things that...
Read MoreChildren's Classes in Martial Arts, What to Expect
Expect there to be one or more experienced teachers on the floor in your child’s class. Expect the teacher to, at times, appear to have the patience of Job. Expect a bit more, Oh how shall we say it? ENERGY, every so often. Expect the teacher, whether gently guiding everyone along or cranking up the troops, to wear a smile (a happy one!). Expect a lot of talk about respect, about leadership, about good manners, about anger, about a whole bunch of things just about any parent would love to hear some OTHER adult talking to them about. That’s the way we do it. “I haven’t been a ‘karate...
Read MoreMom, Dad, Here’s The Honest Truth About The Martial Arts for Your Child, Age 5 to 13.
Written by Tom Callos of www.TomCallos.com for Studio13. I took my first martial arts lesson at age 9. By the age of 13, when my friends were experimenting, when peer pressure seemed at an all time high, when I just knew my brain power had far surpassed my father’s, and when I couldn’t pass any reflective surface without gazing in wonder at what it beheld, I was firmly and deeply entrenched in my identity as a martial artist. The classes anchored me, in fact, they were just about the only place where I could stand completely still for any extended period of time (except, of course, if...
Read MoreNobody Can Make Me Anything
Teaching kids about self-defense isn’t just teaching them how to block punches, kicks, and thwart aggressive bullies, it’s instructing them in the importance of proper attitude, perspective, and self-talk. Tom Callos, team coach for a program called The Ultimate Black Belt Test, promotes the idea that real self-defense is far more about what a child thinks –than it is about some technique of martial art (obviously, this goes for adults too). “One of the 10 top self-defense skills I teach my students,” says Callos, “is the idea that nobody can make them anything. ...
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