Borges Martial Arts

During 18 to 36 months of age, children’s skill development moves very fast. Their brains are growing rapidly, language is blooming, and motor skills are advancing. At the same time, thinking becomes more developed, and their social and emotional skills enable them to interact with more people. With that said, this is the ideal age to begin participation instructed group activities, such as Mini SKILLZ! The Skillz Program has done extensive research on the stages of development for children this age, and from that information have built a fun and exciting program that is just right for both the child and their guardian. By understanding the stages of development of 18 to 36 month olds, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Mini SKILLZ Program: Stepping, Listening, Patience, Respect, Jumping, Thinking, Following, Sharing Here’s how the Mini SKILLZ program works: We cover one of the above skills per class (in order). During each class we run a warm-up; deliver a quick mat chat about the skill; run three to four skill-building drills; and then have a milestone checkpoint to see which stage they are at for the day’s skill. We finish class with a cool-down and social game. We repeat the same format with each skill, rotating through each skill once per month. Once they reach the age of 3, and can follow along on the mat without a guardian, they are now ready for the next program, Early SKILLZ for 3 and 4-year olds. As you can see, this is not a typical toddler program! We integrate an extensive amount of research and development into a program that is appropriate for their age, while at the same time advancing them beyond their current stage of development. This means that each child will learn and grow at a faster pace than the average toddler. The best part is the Mini SKILLZ program is a great way for them to bond with you as well!

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 that many children this age have a hard time with structure in a group environment like what is commonly found in most Martial Arts schools. The solution we found is to provide them with their own program that targets their stage of development in a manner that keeps them entertained while at the same time building skills that set them up for success. With that said, a structured program introducing early skill-based training in Martial Arts has proven to be very successful. By understanding the stages of development of 3 and 4-year olds, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Early SKILLZ Program: 1.KICKING 2.PUNCHING 3.BLOCKING 4.CRAWLING 5.HOPPING 6.ROLLING 7.RUNNING 8.CATCHING We cover one of the above skills per class (in order). During each class we run a warm-up; deliver a mat chat about the skill; run two or three skill-building drills; and then we have them demonstrate the skill to earn their skill-stripe. They must earn all 8 skill-stripes in order to graduate to the next belt level. Once they earn their next belt they will continue to run through all 8 skills earning their skill-stripes with more challenging curriculum as they advance to each rank. They graduate to the Basic SKILLZ program after they have successfully completed all 9 belt ranks of the Early 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 teachers tend to treat them like their older peers. This is a problem because they still do not have the basic skills necessary to keep up with children ages 7 and up. The solution we found is to provide them with their own program that targets their stage of development in a manner that adapts to their social and intellectual curiosity while at the same time building skills that set them up for success. With that said a structured program introducing basic skill-based training in Martial Arts has proven to be very successful. By understanding the stages of development of 5 and 6-year olds, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Basic SKILLZ Program: FOCUS, TEAMWORK, CONTROL, MEMORY, BALANCE, DISCIPLINE, FITNESS, COORDINATION We cover one of the above skills per class (in order). During each class we run a warm-up; deliver a mat chat about the skill; run two or three skill-building drills; and then we have them demonstrate the skill to earn their skill-stripe. They must earn all 8 skill-stripes in order to graduate to the next belt level. Once they earn their next belt they will continue to run through all 8 skills earning their skill-stripes with more challenging curriculum as they advance to each rank. They graduate to the Core SKILLZ program after they have successfully completed all 9-belt ranks of the Basic SKILLZ program. As you can see we take Martial Arts training to a whole new level! We use basic elements of traditional Martial Arts curriculums to build skills that are appropriate for 5 and 6-year olds. This means that your child will learn and grow at a pace that is not too easy, nor too challenging. The best part is the Basic SKILLZ program will equip your child with skills that they will utilize in every area of their life!

Seven to nine-year olds are what most people consider “the golden age.” They are proficient in their vocabulary and problem-solving skills, yet they are not at the age where they want complete independence from adults. This makes the teacher-student relationship stronger than ever. The problem we discovered is they still lack core skills, and although they are highly intelligent, they struggle to keep up with students ages 10 and up. The solution we found is to provide them with their own program that targets their stage of development in a manner that adapts to their adventurous attitude and youthful nature while at the same time building skills that set them up for success. With that said a structured program introducing core skill-based training in Martial Arts has proven to be very successful. By understanding the stages of development of 7 to 9-year olds, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Core SKILLZ Program: AGILITY, TECHNIQUE, COURAGE, FLEXIBILITY, INTENSITY, PERSEVERANCE, SPEED, CONCENTRATION We cover one of the above skills per class (in order.) During each class we run a warm-up; deliver a mat chat about the skill; run two or three skill-building drills; and then we have them demonstrate the skill to earn their skill-stripe. They must earn all 8 skill-stripes in order to graduate to the next belt level. Once they earn their next belt they will continue to run through all 8 skills earning their skill-stripes with more challenging curriculum as they advance to each rank. They graduate to the Extreme SKILLZ program after they have successfully completed all 9 belt ranks of the Core SKILLZ program. As you can see we take Martial Arts training to a whole new level! We use core elements of traditional Martial Arts curriculums to build skills that are appropriate for 7 to 9-year olds. This means that your child will learn and grow at a pace that is not too easy, nor too challenging. The best part is the Core SKILLZ program will equip your child with skills that they will utilize in every area of their life!

Ten to fourteen-year olds 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 a hard time keeping themselves emotionally driven to the task at hand. The solution we found is to provide them with their own program that targets their stage of development in a manner that nurtures their social and emotional instability while at the same time building skills that set them up for success. With that said a structured program introducing extreme skill-based training in Martial Arts has proven to be very successful. By understanding the stages of development of 10 and 14-year olds, we were able to select 8 age-appropriate skills that make up the Extreme SKILLZ Program: DEXTERITY, REACTION, VERSATILITY, MOMENTUM, PRECISION, INSTINCT, STRENGTH, VISION We cover one of the above skills per class (in order.) During each class we run a warm-up; deliver a mat chat about the skill; run two or three skill-building drills; and then we have them demonstrate the skill to earn their skill-stripe. They must earn all 8 skill-stripes in order to graduate to the next belt level. Once they earn their next belt they will continue to run through all 8 skills earning their skill-stripes with more challenging curriculum as they advance to each rank. They graduate to the Elite program and begin to work towards their 1st Degree Black Belt after they have successfully completed all 9 belt ranks of the Extreme SKILLZ program. As you can see we take Martial Arts training to a whole new level! We use extreme elements of traditional Martial Arts curriculums to build skills that are appropriate for 10 to 14-year olds. This means that your child will learn and grow at a pace that is not too easy, nor too challenging. The best part is the Extreme SKILLZ program will equip your child with skills that they will utilize in every area of their life!