Jim Graden
Have you ever used one of the coupons marketing programs like Groupon or Living Social? And if so, did you do it yourself or with another organization like ilovekickboxing?
At this years JLFS Annual Research Conference, the executive board passed a resolution to create National Joe Lewis Day. This initiative gives martial arts schools an opportunity to honor Joe Lewis on his birthday-week, with either a Kick-a-thon or Spar-a-thon fundraiser.
Mr. Lewis’ birthday is March 7th and Joe Lewis Day is set for the following Saturday, March 10th. All proceeds will go to a special fund set up to help and assist Joe Lewis as he continues to be treated and recovers from his brain cancer.
“Joe Lewis Day has been created to help with some of the huge financial burden that such a serious illness can create.” says Jim Graden, a 7th degree master in the JLFS and the person heading up this initiative. Jim continues, “Joe Lewis is the smartest and most giving person I have ever met. Considered by many to be the greatest American martial artist of the 20th century, Joe Lewis Day has been created to help a man who has inspired multiple generations of martial artists and has always given of his knowledge so unselfishly.”
Special prizes have been created for the students who participate and the schools that sponsor the fundraisers. Every person who raises $50 or more will be given a personalized signed photo of Joe Lewis. The top three schools that raise the most money will win entry into the 2012 Joe Lewis Research Conference, held in Tampa, FL. Plus they will receive special recognition at the awards banquet.
To participate in National Joe Lewis Day please go to joelewisfightingsystems.com or contact Jim Graden directly at 727-418-4882 or jimgraden@yahoo.com
Is Lack of Motivation Keeping You From Achieving Your Fitness Goals?
Maybe You’re Just Not Scared Enough!
introducing the
UBC Sprint “Beach Bash” Challenge
There is nothing more motivating than knowing that you have to go to the beach in a bathing suit.
The UBC Sprint “Beach Bash” Challenge is a 5 week UBC that finishes with a big beach party. The perfect course for people who know that they have to be scared into shape (yes, there will be cameras at the party) and can only stay focused for five short weeks.
Do you really want to look your best this summer? Then you should jump on board the UBC Sprint “Beach Bash” Challenge! This UBC Sprint starts on May 16th and ends on the weekend of June 18th with plenty of summer left to show off your fit body. If you join now, you can train up to the start date at no additional cost.
The UBC Sprint “Beach Bash” Challenge includes:* A complete fitness evaluation and orientation
* A new UBC Sprint manual (includes daily nutritional guide and charts)
* Kickboxing and Strength & Conditioning Classes (Level I & II)
* A UBC Coach personally assigned to you
* The Beach Bash Final Evaluation Party (includes food, drink, fitness and fun in the sun)
* Gloves & hand wraps
* Plus a chance to make our Top Achiever’s Board
We have a super low price of just $99 for the first twenty participants. Plus you can start training as soon as you register. Thats over three weeks additional training at no extra cost!
JUST CALL 727-392-3198 OR JUST RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL
Don’t delay, spots will fill fast, register now and get ready for the Beach Bash Challenge!
On April 20, 2011, In Jim Graden, By admin
Check out this video our new MA FITNESS “Kick Box” Demonstration Team
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Jim Graden’s Cardio Karate Center has a new name, logo and soon a whole new look.
Jim Graden feels it is time to make some changes, and for a man that has changed the name of his business four previous times, this is nothing new.” I just think that the new name M.A. FITNESS (Martial Arts Fitness) and new logo better reflects what we have to offer” Jim say’s. The new MA Fitness Center will also have a new owner, no Jim Graden is not going anywhere, he has just decide it was time to bring in a partner to take full advantage of the growing popularity in martial arts fitness training. His new partner is none other the UBC 13 graduate and kickboxing instructor Dave “Stick” Stickler. Dave has an extensive business background and will bring a whole new level of professionalism to the Business.
Jim and Dave have great plans for the future, with many of the plans are already in place.
MA Fitness will be adding:
- All New bags including free standing stationary bags and the popular hanging long banana bags.
- New classes including Yoga, Level II Kickboxing and Strength & Conditioning, Family Martial Arts, and other programming to be announced at a later date.
- Expanding the training area so we can support more students during the more popular classes.
- Full remodel of the facility including: new bathrooms, new colors, new reception area and overall new look.
“The Level 1, forty-five minute, kickboxing class will still be a staple of the new MA Fitness Center along with all of the Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC) fitness programming. Jim continues, we are not taking anything away only adding. Like the new Level II kickboxing Classes and strength and conditioning classes and we will also be bringing in Yoga and expanding the family martial arts classes for children and adults. Plus the school is going through a complete remodel including new heavy bags, increased training area, new bathrooms and a completely new reception area. I have not been this excited about the future in years!”
The reason Jim Graden has been able to last the test of time, is his ability to offer quality martial arts and fitness programming that you just cannot get anywhere else. The New MA Fitness Center will continue to lead the way in martial arts Fitness programming, but with a whole new 2011 look.
| The Integration of Fitness and Martial Arts is Here
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Learn From the Past, Before You Repeat It
I have been asked recently what I thought of MMA Fitness workouts. First I am thrilled to see martial art fitness getting a needed shot in the arm and I will always support any martial arts fitness program that is a well structured, quality program. But, I do have my concerns when it comes to martial arts school owners jumping on the MMA fitness bandwagon.
We must learn from the past. Realize I was right in the middle of the whole Tae Bo explosion with our own version of the rhythmic martial arts class, Cardio Karate. We of course had great success in the short term, just like many school owners who jumped on the Tae Bo bandwagon. But, why did Tae Bo-styled rhythmic martial arts classes lose their popularity? Before I answer that question, let’s first take a look at the differences and similarities between what is happening now with MMA Fitness and what happened with the Tae Bo era.
Between the two, there are two primary differences I see. The first is that MMA Fitness does not have a dynamic personality like Billy Blanks leading the charge. This is a huge difference. Billy Blanks mainstreamed martial arts fitness. Everyone was aware of Tae Bo, not just martial artists. The second main difference is that MMA Fitness will attract primarily young men, which is the worst market in fitness. Other than those two differences, I mostly see similarities between Tae Bo and the MMA Fitness boom.
Let’s list the similarities:
• Both are classes that are very physically demanding, designed to attract the fitness crowd.
• Neither one has any nutritional support to go along with the intense workouts.
• Neither one has any team support.
• Neither one has an end goal in mind.
• Nobody is guaranteeing any results from the training.
• Both tend to attract a younger crowd. Tae Bo was more for the ladies where MMA Fitness might be seen as a more male dominated workout. Both are still going to attract students primarily between the ages of 18 – 35.
• I think the main similarity is that neither one will last the test of time.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying mixed martial arts won’t be around long, but the popularity of people using mixed martial arts as a form of fitness training will be short-lived. To understand what I am saying, you must look at the trends in the fitness market. I am very aware of the trends since the Tae Bo era and I developed my UBC program based on what I learned. There will always be the ‘latest and the greatest’ thing. I remember after Tae Bo, Pilates became popular and everyone was doing Pilates. Before Tae Bo it was aerobics, then step-aerobics and now boot camps are starting to fade whereas they were hugely popular just a couple of years ago. Not that these activities do not still have a following, but just like Tae Bo, any program that is just a workout and focuses only on the fitness-oriented market, it’s popularity will be short lived. Why?
Getting back to the previous question of why Tae Bo and Cardio Karate ultimately failed. It’s the same reason I feel Mixed Martial Arts Fitness classes will ultimately fail; because there aren’t that many 18 to 35 year old, fitness-oriented people (male or female) who will do these workouts and stick with it for a long period of time. By limiting your market to this demographic, you tend to get a big spike while the activity is hot, but then when everyone has tried it and has moved on to the next big thing, you see a large drop off in enrollments.
I learned this from the Cardio Karate days and this is the reason I created a program that has core fitness elements that never go out of style. An aerobic work out (not rhythmic) that hits the target heart rate, resistance training, sound nutrition and flexibly training., plus measurable results, goal setting, guidance and team support. By using basic boxing and kickboxing techniques that anyone can perform at their own pace (primarily on a heavy bag), I am able to attract anyone who wants to look and feel better, not just the fitness crowd.
Someone starting a MMA Fitness program recently approached me and said he wanted to license his program to martial arts schools. He had run my UBC program and had success with it and wanted to try his own thing. One of the things he said to me was that he thought the UBC was more for the weight loss market and his MMA Fitness program was more for the fitness market. Well, first I will say, I took that as a compliment because the weight loss market is far bigger than the fitness market. But I also have to disagree because my UBC program gets people fit, not just lean. The only difference is we market and teach it in a way that we are able to attract both markets; people looking to get fit and those trying to lose weight.
We also promote and run the program in way that anyone can participate. As we like to say, “Young, old, fat and skinny, anyone can do the UBC.” I can also guarantee results because we stick to the four elements of fitness that are required to gets results. By doing all this we are able to attract the 45 year old mother of three who has not worked out in three years, as well as the 22 year old fitness fanatic.
Realize there will always be the ‘latest and the greatest’ when it comes to fitness and I hope that MMA Fitness has great stamina and a long run because it will good for everyone, but if you are looking to add a structured martial arts fitness program to your martial arts school, you might want to look at a program like the UBC that has lasted the test of time (10 years and still going strong). We are able to capitalize on the current popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, I have the marketing campaign to prove it, and we will still be a money maker for years to come, long after the MMA Fitness boom has faded.
Become a Fan of Ultimate Body Challenge
Martial Arts Can Improve Your Child’s Grades
Parents will put their children into a martial arts program for many different reasons. They may think the child needs to learn how to defend themselves or that they need to have more focus and discipline. All of these are good reasons to enroll your child into the martial arts but did you know that martial arts has also been proven to help children in school?
Children can learn a lot more than just how to execute a good punch or kick in our Elite Martial Arts program. The exercise and physical components in martial arts are important; improved balance, focus, body coordination and the ability to defend yourself. These are all great skills but the mental lessons learned in a good martial arts program can benefit children in many areas of their lives, including in the classroom.
Having Fun In Elite MA
There are seven components we teach in our children’ martial arts program and that should be a part of any quality martial arts system beyond just learning how to defend themselves: focus, memorization, discipline, goal setting, confidence, respect and effort. In today’s world of mixed martial arts, it’s easy to get caught up in just the physical aspects of the martial arts, but a good school will focus on all seven of these elements to make sure the student is learning more than just how to punch and kick.
Focus – Whether a child is punching a pad or breaking a board, he or she must have a tremendous amount of focus in a Martial arts class. When a child learns to focus in our Martial arts school, this same focus can be applied to completing a homework assignment or reading a book.
Memorization –We require the students to remember a series of self defense moves and techniques that they must perform on their belt exam. The memorization skills developed in martial arts can help children as they prepare for tests in school.
Discipline – Our instructors will not tolerate excessive talking or goofing around in the martial arts school. Improved behavior in a Martial arts class often translates into improved behavior at school. Improved behavior at school often translates into improved grades. We require behavior reports from the parents to make sure that the student is focused in the classroom and at home, as well as the martial art school. We want to make sure that our students are working on improving his or her behavior at home and their grades at school as well as their martial arts techniques. We teach a very effective form of self defense and want to make sure that the right kids are learning it. We don’t train bullies!
Goal setting – There are many opportunities for goal setting at a Martial arts class. Our traditionally structured martial arts system has a belt ranking system with no belt being the lowest rank and black belt being the highest. This ranking system encourages students to strive to reach the next belt. This teaches children to work toward the achievement of a goal. A habit of goal setting often develops in martial arts students and they work toward other goals such as getting a high school diploma or a college degree.
When a student achieves Black Belt in my Elite Martial Arts program, they feel like they can now achieve anything they put the mind to.I cannot tell you how many times I have seen a total transformation from an awkward, shy child that won’t look you in the eyes, to a true leader among their peers.”
Effort – Students are encouraged to work hard in every martial arts class. This encourages them to never accept less from themselves and it makes them realize their true potential. The Martial arts teaches children that they can be far more than average and that they can achieve far better than average grades.
Confidence – As a martial arts student becomes stronger physically and they begin to realize they can handle themselves in a dangerous situation, they become more confident individuals overall. A heightened sense of self-confidence and awareness will likely benefit children throughout their lives.
Respect – One of the most important words in martial arts is respect. Students are taught to respect their instructors, each other, and themselves. Our instructors spend time in class discussing the importance of respecting school teachers and parents.
Respect is often missing in many facets of today’s society. This is what separates a good martial arts program from other sports. A child’s social behavior should be directly linked to his or her progression in the martial arts class. It’s not just about winning, martial arts should be about personal growth and becoming a better person.”
In my last blog I talked about how I have a love/hate relationship with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). On one hand, I hate the fact that MMA is seen by the public as a barbaric sport that only tattooed thugs participate in. On the other hand, I love the fact that MMA has exposed much of the BS that is taught in many martial arts schools.
The more I think about it, the more I appreciate MMA for educating the public who watch it on what actually works in a real fight. Now, I know that many reality-based martial arts instructors will say that MMA is not a real fight because there are rules. They may have a point, but I will dare anyone to go up to Anderson Silva and tell him that he cannot defend himself.
The point is, MMA may not have made it completely clear what works in a street fight, but they have made it clear what does not and that is traditional martial arts or what some people call authentic, old-styled martial arts. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against people doing the traditional-styled martial arts as an art form. Believe me, I come from a traditional background and I know all about the skill it takes to perform a good Kata and I have a lot of respect for it. Just please don’t tell me it has anything to do with defending yourself.
Why would anyone wanting to learn how to defend themselves study a system of martial arts that would have them throwing punches in flat footed, immobile balances, while bringing their hands back to their hip?
I am so tired of seeing an 11-year black belt who can perform a cartwheel kick having the false sense of security that the martial arts he/she learned will help him/her defend themselves.
I know many martial arts schools try to teach both; traditional martial arts and modern self defense. They’ll teach the traditional Katas, or forms, so they have enough curriculum to teach students as they advance through the ranks. Then in the last 10 minutes of class, when the students spar, they’ll finally talk about keeping their hands up, moving, and developing a good fighting stance.
The truth is, most children who train in the martial arts only participate twice a week for 45 minutes to an hour. Just how much real self-defense can you teach when you dedicate so little time to it? Plus, most traditional martial arts contradict what it takes to teach a child what they really need to know when it comes to defending against a bully.
After taking a 5 year break, I’ve started teaching children martial arts again because I have a 5 year old son and I want to make sure he can defend himself. I only teach him and my other Elite martial arts students what I believe will work in the ring or in the street; that’s it. This doesn’t mean that our class is undisciplined. I still strongly believe in the traditional structure of the martial arts, with the student’s social behavior tied to their progress. I just don’t believe in the traditional techniques.
People will think that I’m ‘anti-tradition’ but in reality, all systems of martial arts were first created to improve a person’s ability to defend themselves. But, like everything else, times change and things evolve – everything that is except most traditional martial arts systems.
