Seven years ago we enrolled our then eight year old son Gabriel. The idea was to find him something active and fun to do. Little did we know that we were getting so much more. MACH is a family. Many places say that, but for them it is true.
MACH not only focuses on training them to have strong and healthy bodies, they train them to have strong and healthy minds as well. Gabriel would frequently come home with “homework” requiring him to think of ways to put into practice some of the character traits that they had been working on. Confidence, determination, discipline and respect for self and others are just a few of the traits that MACH has encouraged. The lessons that he has learned as a child will continue to help him throughout his adult life.
Gabriel is currently working towards his 2nd degree blackbelt. Along the way, he has been challenged and encouraged to excel at every aspect of his training. The look of pride on his face as he accomplishes another goal is priceless.
If you are looking for more than the run of the mill “karate” school, you’ve found the right place. You will be joining a family.
MACH was the best investment I made for myself and family. After I saw the benefits it brought my husband, and endless failed attempts at gyms, I knew that I needed to try this. I started training in 2009, with lots of health issues which included lots of joint and muscle pain. Forms and self-defense are taught in a non-competitive, *fun* environment; focusing on health. Knowing that I was investing in my health, it changed my eating habits, and with that combination I lost 50 lbs., which has improved all my blood levels, most importantly reducing my A1C to a normal level. My training has also taught me patience and gave me the strength to survive and heal from a life threatening illness. The instructors are amazing. They are friendly, caring, fun and extremely knowledgeable. The instructors (as a team) focus on each of us as individuals achieving our maximum health benefit; something a gym does not provide. I can’t say enough about this place, it’s addicting. This place is a needle in a haystack, you won’t find another one like it.
I was brought into the Martial Arts Center for Health by my dad about 4 years ago and we were attending the free qigong class. I saw the students out in front going through the martial arts class and it reminded me of when I was in Karate as a kid. When I came in, I had just sustained a back injury and was trying to find a way to recover from the injury, as nothing else I had tried had worked. I remember I had initially talked to one of the Instructors and he told me that they could help me not only get over my back injury, but make it stronger than ever. I had never thought of using martial arts as a way to recover from an injury before. Fast forward 4 years and I’m now training for my black belt this year alongside my best friend Vijay with no more back issues and I can move my body in ways I could never dream of before joining.
Karen joined the Martial Arts Center for Health in 2000 at the age of 14 with an ambitious two year goal of reaching First Degree Black Belt. As you will soon learn, this young lady does not lack ambition . Karen’s remarkable scholastic achievements had earned her a full paid scholarship to medical school at NYU. Over the years Karen has stayed in contact with us and whenever she comes back to Florida she always drops in for class. She sent Tom & I this message on July 1st, 2016 and Tom felt it was imperative to share with everyone! Due to the current events taking place in our world we feel driven to educate more people in practical self defense. Help us reach more individuals so they have confidence instead of fear!
“I had the most surreal experience today – an old guy just walked into the grocery store brandishing a large kitchen knife, wandered around looking at all of us. He never said a word the entire time. I was at the checkout counter, jumped to the employee side, and instantly recalled all of the knife defenses we did all those years ago at the Martial Arts Center for Health. Mostly I just remembered the part that you should wrap your arms in something so you don’t get cut, so I grabbed a mat and started thinking through scenarios. Fortunately the guy was finally herded out by store employees (shoving grocery carts at him), who then locked the doors after him and called 911. He did leave and was apprehended by the police a few blocks away. Just wanted to share this with MACH because the first thing that went through my head was, “That is definitely not a rubber knife” and the second was, “I’m really glad it’s not a gun.” Prepared or not, I was grateful that because the scenario wasn’t completely unfamiliar I didn’t freeze, but ended up getting into a somewhat more secure position. I have never ever imagined being close to a situation in which I would need a knife defense, but I was really grateful first that it wasn’t necessary today, and second, that there was something in my head to draw upon. Although my martial arts skills at this point are highly questionable, I do think that the more useful thing about having had training is that the situations I’ve been in feel “familiar”, so it helps to not freeze. I’ve been in a few dicey situations late at night besides this, so I’m glad that at least I’m thinking about what to do (free my hands, run, call the police, throw my book bag at the suspicious person…). I must say I think everyone should have a little bit of self-defense training just to help keep cool if they ever get in a situation. I’ve been in a few (patient in the clinic pulled a knife on a clinician down the hall), and while I’ve never been directly threatened, I’m glad to at least think through the situation. Now what I need is a “self-defense for clinicians” course which doesn’t involve anything that might harm the patient. I finished my PhD in May and just started clinic on Monday (to finish my third year of medical school)!”