Dear Parent:

 

Thank you for inquiring about our Youth Martial Arts and Fitness Mentoring Camp!  Parents are always looking for quality activities for their children and we have just what you want.

It is basically a martial arts and fitness day camp.  Parents can sign their children up for only one day or a week at a time.  Most people do a whole week or more.  The price for one day is $35 and one week is $125.  If you sign up for multiple weeks then the price is only $105 per week which is like getting two days free.  The more the child attends, the more they will benefit from the training.

We hold classes in the morning and afternoons.  These are regular Karate classes that cover fundamentals/basics, forms, many different forms of sparring drills, self-defense, and character building values/socialization.  Actually, I do a lot of character mentoring throughout each day to help them understand proper behaviors, respect, responsibility, teamwork, and getting along with others.  Every parent loves a program that reinforces the values that they teach at home.

Karate training builds confidence and self-esteem by setting high goals and expectations and giving them the tools and motivation to achieve them. 

 

We don’t do high-fives to make them feel good.  True self-esteem comes from challenging the children and helping them get through good solid training and exercise.  We also teach “special sessions” that go beyond the regular karate training.  We do padded weapons sparring (fun!), traditional Japanese Swordsmanship with wooden practice swords, traditional Okinawan  weapons, breaking, takedowns, basic weight training, swinging ancient Indian Clubs, and our super-fun obstacle courses.

 

There is also down-time where the kids can read, relax, play games, and eat a snack.  Drop off no earlier than 8am and pick up no later than 5:30pm.  Kids have down-time from drop off until 9:00 when the first class begins. That will go until 11:00 or so then they can relax until lunch which is around 11:30.  Afternoon activities or trips usually run from right after lunch until the afternoon classes begin around 3:00pm.  Then the children can relax and free play until their parents pick them up.  The schedule is fluid based on the lengths of the activities, trips, and classes and also on when some parents need to drop-off or pick-up.

We take the kids on field trips and swim trips and they change from week to week.  We usually do field trips on Mondays and Thursdays and swimming on Wednesdays.  Fridays are movie days.  Some trips cost money because of the facility and others are free.  We try to keep a mix so that parents aren't paying a lot of extra money and we try to choose more affordable venues and activities. 

 

Here is what we have scheduled for the summer:

 

• Swimming at all the different pools in the metro area
• Swimming and canoeing at Gray’s Lake, Big Creek, Saylorville Resevoir and Lake Ahquabi
• Roller skating
• Bowling
• Mini-golfing
• Hiking through Jester Park with their herds of bison and elk
• Exploring Ledges State Park (climbing the “ledges” and playing in the river)
• State Capitol Building
• State Historical Museum
• Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge
• Rock climbing
• Fishing
• Movie theater
• Living History Farms
• Science Center of Iowa
• Blank Park Zoo
• IMAX Theater
• Tour of an organic farm
• Iowa State Fair
• National Guard Aviation Facilities 
• Iowa Arboretum

 

We will also do various fun “developmental” activities with the children to include:

• Homemade “From Scratch” Cooking – lemonade, ice cream, torilla chips with salsa and guacamole, juicing, and a complete “cook out” in the park
• Magic – Teaching them simple magic tricks so they can put on their own magic show.
• Paper Airplane Tournament – They learn various designs and aerodynamics to see which go the farthest, hang the longest, or do the best maneuvers.
• Game Tournaments – The children learn basic popular games so they can work on their social skills and not rely on video games for entertainment.

 

I like to get the kids out during the day and play soccer, badminton, disc golf, dodgeball, croquet, and street hockey or just play at the park.  We believe that kids need positive stimulation and need to stay active and learn healthy habits so we push a lot of exercise, good nutrition, and strong social skills in their direction and the children have fun doing all the activities.  Parents can get all that accomplished without breaking the bank.  Most other camps are only a week long and are a lot more expensive.  Daycare just gets boring for the kids and they don’t really get the proper developmental stimulation.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions or if you would like more information by contacting me at (515) 987-8100.

 

Sincerely,

Michael Hanson

Chief Instructor