Is martial arts training right for me?

Martial arts training can provide you with skills that may help you protect yourself, a loved one, or somebody you don’t even know. If you’d like to obtain these skills, you’d like to increase your confidence in your physical abilities, and you’d like to become more physically fit, martial arts training is probably right for you. Keep in mind, we offer a free introductory session, so you can decide if our school is indeed a good fit for you. OH! In case you were wondering…YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD TO START!

OK, I want to train. Why should I choose this school?

You should choose us because of our priorities, our style, and our teaching methods. We provide instruction on practical skills in an atmosphere that fosters growth, respect, integrity, and confidence. We are well-rounded, and I think you would be hard-pressed to find another school that cares more about its students than we do.

How much does it cost?

Our membership options are priced very competitively. Depending on which program you choose, costs range from $100 to $134 per month. We offer a free introductory session to help you get acquainted with our school and to see for yourself the wonderful benefits that training with us has to offer. Please complete the registration form found on the Membership & Pricing page, or call 860-922-5343, to schedule your free session!

What’s the commitment?

While we do not require participants to sign contracts, students should approach their training seriously, making personal goals and holding themselves to feasible standards in order to meet those goals.

I am a student – how do I tie my belt and where do the patches go?

We have instructions in the secure student section to help you learn to tie your belt and to show you where the different patches go. (It would be noted that the artwork shown for the patches was created by Diana Malik- Marissa and Austin’s mother. Thanks Diana!)

Is this really beneficial to my child?

In addition to teaching self-defense skills that help children protect themselves and others, Plus One Defense Systems has a strong emphasis on teaching respect, humility, listening skills, patience, courtesy, healthy confidence, etiquette, and integrity. Children who participate for a reasonable amount of time do tend to grow in these areas.

My child is already involved in many activities. Why should I consider a martial arts program?

Many children are already involved in activities outside of school, such as soccer, football, music, creative writing, baseball, and the like. The strategies and positive mindsets that are conveyed through the martial arts can prove to be beneficial to children’s performance in other activities. More importantly, martial arts training will prove to strengthen the mind and the body, and will teach children skills that may be necessary to help them avoid harmful situations, or escape from negative situations that may fall upon them.

You’ve written about mental and physical development. Does religion come into the picture?

As the martial arts often take a holistic approach to training and personal development, they tend to have a religious undertone. Ethically speaking, this is rather pertinent. It would be improper and dangerous to teach people how to physically incapacitate someone without providing an ethical code to which the physical skills may be used. Recently, a parent of two students approached me, and we had a very nice conversation about this topic and how it is portrayed on the website. After speaking with her, I believe it would be helpful to provide a bit more background on this area and how it relates to the school, and to myself. I have been training for over thirty-five years, and in the course of my training I have found that many martial arts schools subject their students to religious practices. Students may be required to genuflect toward statues, pictures, or people, and pay reverence to different religions in various ways. As I am a Christian, and my faith is the most important thing in my life, my teaching and the moral code behind it support my faith. Additionally, while I welcome the opportunity to speak about my beliefs, I do not push my religious beliefs upon others. All people of various faiths and backgrounds are welcome at the school. So, what does all this mean to the student? It means that the student learns a defensive system and the student is not subjected to bowing to statues, or pictures, or other such activities. Misuse of the system is not tolerated and is grounds for a student’s dismissal from the school. We teach a very effective defensive system, and the moral code behind the instruction emphasizes faith, hope, and love. (These are the Chinese characters that are depicted in the school logo.) We teach empowerment, respect for yourself and others, confidence, courtesy, modesty, integrity, self-control, forgiveness, perseverance, and gentleness. The greatest martial artists should be known by their love and kindness toward others.