“Why Do So Many Gifted Children Attend Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy?”

Recently one of our Karate Moms asked me this insightful question.  To tell the truth, I just always assumed that of course our students are intelligent and do well in school—that’s what we do.  I’d never gave it much more thought than that.  Upon further reflection I came up with…

3 Big Reasons Why SMAA is Full of Intelligent Children

#1:  High-Achieving Families Realize That We Teach The Very Skills They Need To Excel in Academic School But That They Aren’t Learning Elsewhere

Our families know that IQ is nothing without Focus, Discipline, Perseverance, Resilience and the many other LifeSkills we excel at instilling in our children.  Everyone knows these skills are critical success factors but few people really know how to cultivate these abilities like we do.  Worse, people tend to teach children the exact opposite lessons, virtually guaranteeing that children do not learn proper LifeSkills.

Our children receive a Systematic Education on how to develop these critical Life Skills.  Our staff, and the SMAA parents, all agree that leading by example is the best way to teach our children.

Shared Values and Parenting Philosophy

In addition, our families share common values and Parenting Philosophy.  High-Achieving Families know that the Core Martial Arts Values, including Respect, Commitment and Social Intelligence, directly influence how successful their children will be in school and in life.

Our families always act in the best Long-Term Interests of Their Child versus feeling good in the short-term. This philosophy allows them to overcome almost any obstacle in the way of high-achievement and happiness.

#2:  High-Achieving Families Tend to Know Each Other

This is the simple answer.  Once the first few families with gifted, high-achieving children began their study with us, they naturally spread the word to their friends.  Over time we have built a reputation as “THE place to go to for academically-minded families.”

The most intelligent parents realize that the real benefits of a quality martial arts school do not just come from putting a child in a uniform and a belt and then jumping into a huge class of screaming kids.

#3:  High-Achieving Families Are Drawn To SMAA Because of

the Unique Knowledge And Experience of Our Heads of School

Of course when new families first meet Master Brad and Dr. Karla Scornavacco they immediately know that SMAA is “far beyond the ordinary martial arts school.”  Their educational backgrounds, including Harvard, Northwestern and CU create an environment of higher learning and academic achievement unmatched in Colorado.

Our “Education-Centered” Martial Arts Academy naturally attracts intelligent and well-educated families, both inside and outside academia.

So there you have it.  SMAA successfully marries the best Martial Arts Character Development Strategies with a solid background in the Best Educational Practices.  Our families take the long-view with their children’s mental and emotional education, sharing the oft-forgotten traditional values that create intelligent citizens with strong character.  Finally, these families invite other, like-minded families to join them.

Two Strange Events in One Day

Yesterday two unrelated, strange events happened.  The first was that a friend and associate received a great opportunity.  This time-consuming opportunity means that I won’t be seeing him for quite some time.  Neither of us saw this coming. The second was that I received a phone call with an opportunity for a Sunday night out with Dr. Karla that I hadn’t been expecting nor even on the lookout for.

I’ve been writing in the Master Club Newsletter lately about time and how to take control of it, including scheduling.  While scheduling is necessary, so is being ready and able to adapt to change as it comes.  My friend Doug, seeing a chance he couldn’t pass up, radically changed his life.  For Dr. Karla and me taking advantage of a unique opportunity just meant some creative thinking to find a babysitter so we could go see Sheryl Crow perform at the Boulder Theater.

For Doug his chance is potentially life-changing while ours was a frivolous night out.  The commonality between these two strange events is that neither chance took us away from our goals, instead enchanting our lifestyles.  Doug’s business will most certainly thrive now and our impromptu Date Night did nothing to take away from our family time or our work time.

The Point?

All plans are subject to change.  Call it flexible rigidity or rigid flexibility.  Make plans and only change them when the change either advances your life-goals or does nothing to detract from them.  Finally, be open to the change and chance events that life throws your way.

They say it can’t be done

Two more just did! With several more within striking distance.

Something just got me thinking once again about our recent Junior Black Belts, Tristan Smith and Bryce Roberts, who joined the growing number of Black Belts at SMAA.  Each time I look out on the training floor and see Black Belts training hard and being great role models, it takes a nothing day and makes it all worthwhile.

Ah, I remember now.  I got up and went for a swim this morning, an activity I’ve grown to really enjoy.  But, you know, I was dragging this morning having not gotten a good night’s sleep.  I was too tired to exercise, or at least that is what part of my mind was whining about. I didn’t want to go, and this was something I really like to do.  (read that line again, or a few times)  Luckily for me, I also have an adult inside my head, one who created a simple system to help me when I get this way.  I call it “Connect the D.O.T.S.”

D.O.T.S. stands for the DO ONE THING SYSTEM.  I had to ultimately get in the water and swim but that goal brought all the things I’d have to do to get there.  It seemed overwhelming.

So tracing back all the things I needed to do to get my rear in the pool was one simple thing–get in the car.  Once I did one thing, all I had to do was change.  Then, all I had to think about was stepping off the side of the pool.  Then, all I thought about was leaving the side of the pool, etc.

Always focused on the next DOT, doing one thing, while I knew my ultimate goal.  Before I knew it I swam my laps and here I am working away, awake and feeling ready to rock.

This little episode, which I repeat almost daily, reminded me of the Junior Black Belts because adults often forget that we go through the same challenges and must overcome the same obstacles our kids must.  This is life, and it is not bound by age.  Kids not only learn persistence and overcoming frustration–they must.

Early on in life I adopted a philosophy that the sooner I figured out “the rules of the game of life” and aligned with them the more time I would have to enjoy life, come what may.

The Junior Black Belts have a huge head-start.

Karate Mom Jessica Reichert Speaks

Interview with Karate Mom Jessica Reichert:

Jessica Reichert:   My name is Jessica Reichert, and my husband Dennis and I have two children, Logan who is almost eight and Abby who’s almost four. Both of whom are students here now.

Q: And how did you hear about the school?

Jessica:  Logan at about three‑and‑a‑half started in on us. He seriously wanted to go to karate. We called around, checked a bunch of schools out. Nobody would take him until he turned four. So during that six months or so we toured a bunch of the schools in the area. And this is the one that was the fit.

Q: What turned you off at the other schools?

Jessica:  We went into one place that was very drill sergeant‑y. Lots of screaming, lots of this guy barking at these little kids. And that wasn’t what Logan needed, nor what we wanted for him. We went into another school where we watched several hours worth of calisthenics, which also wasn’t what we wanted. We came in here, Logan was met by one of the instructors and it was an instant connection.

Q: So what would you say the big reason that you guys as his parents wanted him to train?

Jessica:  Logan’s an incredibly bright kid. He’s also a very passive kid. He was in preschool and we got told that he was a doormat. Because if a child wanted a toy, they took it and Logan found something else. He was in a daycare setting and I was so proud of him. All the little kids were sitting in a circle, and when I looked closer I realized that all the little kids that were sitting in the circle were facing in, and Logan was facing out. So he was kind of socially inept.

Q: So given that that’s kind of how he was, how do you think he fit in with the classes here, the kind of the structure of the class and what his experience was like in the group?

Jessica:  I really expected him to run off the mat the first day, and he absolutely did not. The instructors made him feel very welcome. They really took him in and showed him how he needed to do things and what he needed to do. And he just thrived.

Q: So, why don’t we take a little bit about him being bullied and that kind of situation. Kind of what was going on around him being bullied, what did it look like, when did you notice it?

Jessica:  There was one little boy in particular that he was in preschool with, and at the time Logan was probably three, three‑and‑a‑half. And the little boy would push him and take his toys every day. And Logan would never stand up to the kid. He would walk away. He’d come home, “I don’t want to go to school anymore. Please don’t make me go, please don’t make me go.” And we met with the teachers and tried to work it out that way. Logan just has no desire to fight. He would give up anything he had to avoid any kind of confrontation.

Q: So how would you characterize the school’s response?

Jessica:  That school really just kind of informed us and then moved on. It wasn’t their place…

Q: So they didn’t have anything in place?

Jessica:  …to encourage Logan to stand up for himself.

Q: How did he feel about it when you talked to him about it, when you talked to him about the whole bullying situation?

Jessica:  He wouldn’t talk to us about it.

Q: He wouldn’t talk to you?

Jessica:  No, he wouldn’t tell us anything that was going on. We would ask him, “So what happened with this little kid today?” “Nothing.”

Q: Why do you think that he wouldn’t tell you?

Jessica:  I don’t think he knew how to handle it. He didn’t want it to be an issue and he didn’t want…I don’t know if he was aware that he didn’t want us to fight his fights. But I think that it was just non‑confrontational. Not telling us, it didn’t exist.

Q: Was he embarrassed or afraid to talk to you guys about it?

Jessica:  I wouldn’t say afraid. I hope he’s not embarrassed, but really I think that it would have just brought it to light more, and he didn’t want to deal with it.

Q: So, now we’re years later, obviously. He’s been training for a while. What kind of changes have you seen in the way he deals with this bullying, or just in general?

Jessica:  I’ve got to tell you my favorite story of all time. Logan starts Kindergarten. Day two our babysitter takes him to Kindergarten. The little boy that bullied him in preschool landed in his Kindergarten class. So Logan at that point had been training for over a year, and the little boy goes to push Logan. And Logan stepped back, looked the kid square in the eye, blocked the push and put his hand down, and the kid turned around and walked away from him. So right there, that was huge success.

Q: And how do you feel about the fact that he actually had to use…he was confident enough to defend himself, but the fact that he actually would physically defend himself? As a parent, how do you look at those abilities and the fact that he had to use that?

Jessica:  We were totally proud of him. He came home that day and we got the call from the babysitter that said, hey, this is what went down. And we told Logan when he got home that, way to go. Stand up for you. We’re still to this day, we back him up. If he has to defend himself we expect that he can and will.

Q: That’s pretty amazing.

Jessica:  That’s my favorite story.

Q: So how would you look at how Logan’s changed since he started training here?

Jessica:  Logan carries himself, and he’s not the weak, mild little boy that he was. And I’m sure part of it is that he’s four years older now than he was. But a lot of it too is that he knows that if push comes to shove he can hold his own. We tested his abilities, because we’re like, OK, you know we’re forking out some money for karate. Are we seeing results? I had a guy that Logan doesn’t know come up behind him and grab him, unbeknownst to Logan. And Logan dropped the man to the earth. You know, and I don’t really want Logan to ever have to be in that position, but I do know that Logan can drop a 6’4″ man to the earth.

Q: Yes, that’s got to be a good feeling.

Jessica:  And my friend won’t do that again. He didn’t like the outcome.

Q: So what do you value most about this school, being in this school?

Jessica:  OK, I’m going to sound like I’m going for suck‑up points. Everything. We’ve always said the whole “it takes a village to raise a child.” This is our village. From all the other parents to all the instructors, this is the village we’ve chosen to have raise our children.

Q: So what would you say to somebody who was thinking about looking for a martial arts school for their kid?

Jessica: The same thing I always say. There’s a cheaper martial arts school in town but you’re going to get what you pay for. And nothing is ever going to come close to this.

VISION: January’s Powerful Word

Welcome to January!  Here is short audio preview of our Powerful Word of the Month:

VISION

Just click the play button to listen:

Dedicated to Your Success,

Brad Scornavacco

Head of School

FRIENDSHIP: December’s Powerful Word

Welcome to December!  Here is short audio preview of our Powerful Word of the Month:

FRIENDSHIP

Just click the play button to listen:

Dedicated to Your Success,

Brad Scornavacco

Head of School

PATIENCE: November’s Powerful Word

Welcome to November!  Here is short audio preview of our Powerful Word of the Month:

PATIENCE

Just click the play button to listen:

Dedicated to Your Success,

Brad Scornavacco

Head of School

LEADERSHIP: September’s Powerful Word

Welcome to September!  Here is short audio preview of our Powerful Word of the Month:

LEADERSHIP

Just click the play button to listen:

Dedicated to Your Success,

Brad Scornavacco

Head of School

New School Slide Show #2

Here’s the second in a series of slide shows documenting the progress of our New Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy at 1830 Boston Avenue in Longmont:

New School Slideshow #1: “Before”

Here’s a short slide show featuring “Before” shots of our new location on Boston Avenue:

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