Teaching Young People
I’m Bart Axelrod. I’m a Krav Maga instructor and I teach Kid’s Kung Fu at EP Martial Arts (Epmartialarts.com), and Providence Krav Maga in East Providence, RI.
Originally we weren’t going to teach kids. When Ty, Al and I decided to start a school it was so we would have a better place to train. We had been working out in Ty’s basement for a couple of years ever since he stopped teaching at the Seekonk Y. Ty had a few students that came to his basement. I can remember knocking on the basement window, someone would run up the steps and let you in.
Ty has a lot of friends. He mentioned a few had asked about us teaching their kids. It sounded ok and besides we were renting now and had bills. We started in a garage in East Providence, RI. We had a few kids training but that stopped in the winter. The place was cold and it was heated with a diesel heater. Not the best place for kids to train, or adults for that matter.
We moved into a nice clean space on Waterman Ave and put down mats and kept it warm and developed a nice clientele of very cool adults and it’s been fun. In the meantime i started teaching kids at the EP Rec Center and some of the kids started training with me and Ty at the gym.
I like kids (I have three of my own, not kids anymore), and recently, when I got the opportunity to teach an after school program at a local elementary school I jumped at it.
Teaching kids has challenges as any teacher would tell you. Listening skills, interest, focus behavior, parents, colds! All these factors make running a class of young kids challenging , to say the least!
There have been many times when I said to myself, “Why !!??”
The reason I keep doing it is because teaching kids offers an opportunity to really make a positive impact on an individual for their whole life. I started training in Judo when I was 12 and I remember my instructor to this day.
It’s really tough growing up today, if I can help just one young person by teaching them Kung fu I have accomplished a lot!!! They feel empowered and with more confidence they can do more in this world! If they feel better about themselves , they’ll get better grades, they will carry themselves with more confidence and avoid being bullied, they will be safer and healthier and eat better and just generally make better decisions all of which stem from feeling good about themselves!
In turn, they will positively impact their own network from friends and family to classmates, teachers and other people they interact with.
Teaching martial arts is really all about teaching physical safety and well being. It’s about awareness, avoiding trouble, healthy eating and healthy living.
So by teaching young people, with respect, with high expectations but also with empathy and alittle humor, I know I’m making a positive impact on our world.
We’re all in this together and behavior is catchy. Good behavior or bad behavior, kids see and hear and miss nothing. It’s not what we say it’s what we do !
It’s very rewarding to teach young people. Definitely challenging at times but what an opportunity to make a difference, to one for all.
If you want to learn about our school you can find us at Epmartialarts.com. You can also call me with any questions or comments at 401-489-3189, or email bart@kravmagaprovidence.com
Sent from my iPhone