The Martial Arts

is so much more than

   just kicking & punching,

 it’s about a positive way of life.

 

The greatest gift we have to offer

in the martial arts is character development,

which infuses us

with values that create a

capable and responsible citizen of the world.

This is our intent-

to teach martial arts in a practical, fun and humane way.

 

 

·    The martial arts is one of the most powerful tools in creating positive change!

 

·    Through the training you’ll not only condition your body but your mind as well.

 

·    Your confidence will be built by self-discipline & you’ll achieve greater respect for yourself & others.

 

·    You’ll become a more focused & motivated individual.

 

·    You’ll gain self-control & the ability to resolve conflicts without violence.

 

It’s amazing that you can develop all these positive character traits & get in great shape too, only with the martial arts!

 

Our martial arts include:

 

POWERFUL WORDS ,

Character Development Program!

 

Mental Self-Defense Skills as well as physical ones.

We combine the power of muscle & intelligence for a balance between brute force & reason!

 

Techniques & strategies from many other martial art forms, because of the eclectic nature of the art.

 

Our martial arts have a progressive philosophy: always evolving, changing. Conforming & adapting to the practitioner & not the practitioner to the art.

 

 

Martial arts instructors as well as

parents, counselors, teachers, friends and family

can be your “team member” in helping you resolve conflict without violence.

 

Our martial arts classes are designed to teach

Character Development!

 

 

Courtesy:

How to treat others the way you wish to be treated & as if it were your last chance to see them again.

 

Confidence:

  How to believe in yourself!

There’s no such thing as failure as long as you learn from your experiences.

 

Perseverance:

     How to keep trying until you reach your goals.

 

Discipline:

    How to focus 100% on what you are doing.

 

Optimism:

How to see the good in all things & all people.  Every experience in life can make you stronger & wiser!

Martial Arts for Life

Changing the World One Black Belt at a Time.

 

The martial arts is one of the most powerful tools in creating positive change!  Through the training you’ll not only condition your body but your mind as well.  Your confidence will be built by self-discipline and you’ll achieve greater respect for yourself and others.  You’ll become a more focused and motivated individual.  You’ll gain self control and the ability to resolve conflicts without violence.  It’s amazing that you can develop all these positive character traits and get in great shape to, only with the martial arts.

 

Martial arts instruction forms a strong foundation for positive development and a feeling of

self-fulfillment.  The class structure itself starts with courtesy and respect for both the teacher and student. Kids learn to pay attention and concentrate in class because we make the training fun and exciting.

 

Through the traditional ranking system of earning belts, they’ll learn the ability of setting achievable goals and experience the benefits of follow through.  These tools will be with them through out there lives, giving them the opportunity to excel academically with better study habits.  They become more attentive students in class, gaining greater comprehension and better retention.

 

Behavioral specialists that work with children have discovered that children that practice the martial arts, not only do they gain greater self-esteem from continuous positive reinforcement, but it also offers them a structure and a discipline that helps to keep them motivated not only in the martial arts, but at home and in school.

 

The martial arts is so much more than just kicking and punching, it’s all about a positive way of life. Anti-drugs and Stranger awareness are examples.

 

The key factor to success in teaching children is based on two movements. Dynamic versus Static movement.

Static movement is not child friendly and you’re constantly saying no to every movement the child makes. Immediately a child feels like quitting. It makes quitters out of children and its boring for them.  If you take a modern approach to teaching dynamic movements first, children will love to do the martial arts, then you can introduce static traditional movements when their ready.

 

Dynamic movements are much more natural.  They develop a natural flow of movement. It’s easier for them to pick up.  Its fun and they can apply techniques in a practical way.  It’s built around dynamic teaching principals and kids love to do it!

The Highest Goal of the Martial Artist 

 

The highest goal of the martial artist is to stop a fight.  That means, stop a fight BEFORE it starts.  We want to help others learn how to defeat bullies-but defeat them WITHOUT having to fight.

 

    In the martial arts you learn how to defend yourself and a lot of physical skills.  You learn how to control your body movements with style and grace.  You develop a sense of self-confidence in your ability to protect yourself if you’re ever attacked.  If you have to respond to a physical confrontation, you learn the proper and humane use of physical restraint.  When you learn only self-defense skills, you learn to deal with conflict AFTER it becomes a physical confrontation.

 

    Physical defense skill should only be used as a last resort-if necessary.  We use them when we have no other choice but to defend ourselves.  If you know the physical defense skills it gives you a confidence NOT to fight.

    What we need is a balanced instruction of Mental Self-defense skills as well as physical ones.  We combine the power of muscle and intelligence for a balance between brute force and reason.  Learning mental self-defense and using the strongest “muscle” in your body, the most powerful weapon in your possession-your-brain-you can develop the skills to avoid conflict by employing a collection of nonviolent alternatives.

 

    Instead of resorting to brute force, and possibly getting hurt (by fighting) or emotionally hurt (running away or not “winning”)-you combine brain and brawn for the most powerful line of self-defense in existence.  We want to teach you that you can learn how to “Defeat the Bully the Smart Way”.

 

·        Martial arts instructors as well as parents, counselors, teachers, friends and family can be your “team member” in helping you resolve conflict without violence.

 

    The martial arts began with the intent of helping a group of monks in China become physically fit enough to defend themselves from bandits who were taking advantage of them.  They had no weapons and had to learn how to use their hands to defend themselves.

 

    While the martial arts are a manner of self-defense and a sport, they also have a character development aspect.

 

    Our highest goal in the martial arts is to help you understand and resolve conflict peacefully.  You can’t always rely on defending yourself with just physical skills.  A martial arts block will not stop a bullet from a gun.  But mental self-defense can.

 

There is something we can do about violence!

 

Bullying is the number-one social issue in schools today!  Violence is epidemic!  Our children are being taught by the media that violence is the justifiable and even honorable solution to the problems of relationships.  But we don’t have to accept this!  My name is Jeff Underwood and I represent Underwood’s Academy of Martial Arts located in Burlington, Iowa.

 

 Our Academy has been teaching the children of our community to understand and resolve conflicts nonviolently through a special program that combines the disciplines of education, psychology and the seemingly contradictory practice of the martial arts. We teach young people the total set of skills they need to feel confident to resolve conflict before it begins.  We combine physical self-defense skills, which give a young person the ability to resolve a potential threat peacefully.

 

Most attempts at conflict resolution focus primarily on resolving conflict after it begins.  A new and innovative program has been developed by Dr. Terrence Webster-Doyle, an educator, author, Ph. D. in psychology, and sixth degree black belt in the martial arts.  Author of the internationally acclaimed, award winning Education for Peace series, Dr. Webster-Doyle’s “How to Defeat the Bully Without Fighting” program along with character building, focuses on understanding the primary factors that create conflicts in relationships. It also addresses the secondary causes and teaches young people “ways to walk away with confidence.”  This program is being used in schools, our martial arts studio and other educational settings internationally.  It is a nonjudgmental, nonsectarian approach to understanding and peacefully resolving the challenges of human relationships.

 

Our intent with this letter and this unique program is to inform you that we, as martial arts instructors, want to work together with you, with parents and with other concerned citizens in the community in developing a team approach to support young people’s efforts to cope successfully and humanely with the violence they face daily.  We invite you to our school to see what we are doing.  Unfortunately, the martial arts have been presented in a negative light by the media.  If taught properly, the martial arts can be a developmentally, educationally and psychologically sound activity that young people can enjoy and benefit from.  This is what we are attempting to do in the martial arts in addressing the issue of bullying in the lives of children.

 

Thank you for you time.  Please call if you are interested in understanding more of what we are doing at our school with young people.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jeff Underwood

Underwood’s Academy of Martial Arts

Burlington, IA. 52601

(319) 931-1695