Martial Arts Semester Begins February 7

Champion Force Athletics (CFA) offers cheer and martial arts programs in Lowell.  Weekly classes are held at Cherry Creek Elementary School.  A new martial arts semester begins on February 7.  Former students will return to continue learning and new students are welcome.  

Decades Long Tradition
For more than five decades CFA has been offering quality and affordable programs to youth.  Headquartered in Wyoming, MI, the organization offers cheer and martial arts programs in 10 states.  Cheer has been offered in Lowell for about 10 years, with martial arts being in the community for five years.  

CFA’s martial arts program has instructors from various disciplines, each with years of experience.  The curriculum teaches kids martial arts as well as safety.  Younger students learn how to call attention to and escape a dangerous situation, while older students learn how to defend themselves against an attack.  

Kevin Parker, Martial Arts Program Director, leads classes in Lowell.  He started learning karate at the age of 14 and has been teaching since the early 80s.  Parker’s two main karate disciplines are Shuri-Ryu and Shorin-Ryu Matsumura.  “In order to become a well-rounded martial artist you must put the techniques that are practiced into a realistic situation. Self Defense helps do that with hands on learning.” says Parker.  He encourages students to practice at home with shoes on and in different environments.  If self-defense techniques need to be used there isn’t a single environment where it’s likely to happen.  

All belt levels showing parents techniques learned throughout the semester.

Learning Standards
Parents are invited to sit in on the first class, but a closed class policy is enforced the rest of the semester.  This allows students to learn without distractions.  During the final class of the semester parents are invited to learn and see what students have been working on with an awards ceremony which follows.  

CFA has a curriculum in place where students are taught self-defense, respect, and responsibility.  Each week the Student Creed is recited, “I will respect myself and my parents.  I will respect my classmates and my teachers. I will not misuse what I learn in this class.”  Safety, such as tips on determining whether a person is good or bad, how to draw attention to yourself if you’re in trouble, and making yourself an undesirable target are taught throughout the semester.  

Three classes are held each Wednesday.  The beginner class consists of white belt students.  Children as young as four are able to attend.  Older students up to the age of 18 are also welcomed.  While testing typically takes place at the end of the semester, coaches will work on an individual basis with older kids.  An older student shouldn’t feel like they will be held back by starting at an older age.  They are more likely to advance in rank quicker, skipping levels due to the ability of picking up the material at a faster rate, allowing them to quickly catch up with students their age.  

Intermediate ranks of yellow and white belts gather next.  This group consists of students who have become interested enough in martial arts to continue learning.  They work on more advanced skills and perfecting their form.  In order to test to become a yellow belt, a student must be at least six years old.  

Finally, advanced students with a green belt or higher learn sparring, putting moves together in the form of a kata, and more.  They continue to be challenged as they make their way to the rank of a black belt.  

Parent volunteers are also encouraged during classes.  Parents help with holding equipment for students, pretend they are *bad guys* for practice of release moves, escort kids to the bathroom, keep hallways quiet, and more.  A waiver and background check form must be completed and approved prior to volunteering.  Volunteers can help in class every week or from time to time.  

Students at all levels learn about safety, bullying, respect for themselves and others, confidence, and being a good person.  Classes work as a team, learning together.  But through testing and tournaments they learn competing as an individual, self-confidence, and self-awareness.  

Coach Kevin along with white belt with blue stripe, Roger Schrauben and orange belt Henry Schrauben during awards night.

Testing and Tournaments
At the end of each semester, students skills are tested.  Perfect attendance is required in order to test, but if a class is missed, students can make it up by attending two classes in one evening.  

The percentage of knowledge learned and shown will determine a new belt level.  The major colors for belt rank are white, yellow, orange, green, purple, blue, brown, red, black.  White belt students can achieve a white belt with each of the colors in the middle as they progress through the rank.  This allows younger students to show progress without moving to a level where skills may be too difficult  

Starting with a yellow belt, if a student knows 25-50% of the skills and information during testing, he or she will receive a belt of their current rank with a white stripe indicating an intermediate ranking.  If a student knows 51-75% of the information their belt will have a black stripe, indicating advanced for that particular belt level.  Students knowing 76% or more will advance to the next color belt.   

Near the end of each semester students have the opportunity to, and are encouraged to, participate in a tournament.  Students from across Michigan compete before instructors, who are judges during the competition.  A participation trophy is handed out to each student in addition to first, second, and third place medals and a fourth place ribbon in each of the four competition events.  

During the most recent tournament, earlier in January, a senior white belt from Lowell achieved Grand Champion status.  Bryce Rademacher took first place in his division in each of the four events, a difficult task to accomplish.  During the award ceremony in Lowell the following week, Rademacher was promoted to a yellow belt.  

Grand Champion Bryce Rademacher with Coach Kevin during tournament.

Information to Know
The new semester begins on Wednesday, February 7 for approximately 16 weeks.  New students and returning white belts report for a 5:30pm start time.  Paperwork must be filled out for each student prior to class so arriving a little early is recommended.  During the first two weeks of the semester, if a student pays in full he or she will receive two free weeks of class or $17.50 off a uniform (priced at $35 regularly).  There is a $10 registration fee the first week of participation in addition to the class cost and a $10 fee the week of testing later in the semester.

White belts start at 5:30pm for 45 minutes.  Cost per class is $8
Yellow belts start at 6:15pm for 45 minutes.  Cost per class is $8
Green-Purple belts start at 7pm for 60 minutes.  Cost per class is $10
Brown-Black belts start at 7pm for 90 minutes.  Cost per class is $12.

Martial arts may not be one of the first to come to mind in the sports world, but it has many benefits to those who participate.  And for kids who may not be attracted to more traditional team or individual sports, martial arts could be a good fit.  Parker stresses, “For kids, the martial arts can have a positive effect in many aspects of their lives. One of the biggest is self-confidence. It will also help them in all other sports they play and builds good sportsmanship.”  Champion Force Athletics and Kevin Parker look forward to seeing new and returning students on February 7.  

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