A: As a new student, you’re also evaluating us. You’ll be using the materials you’re given here throughout the first few weeks. You’ll also use your experience in class and interactions with staff and other students to decide whether or not it’s a good fit for you and your family, long-term. Will the philosophy of the school fit into what you want for your family and your personal life?

You really have to make the choice early on.

Option 1: You’re going to do this for a short period of time, and that’s all you’re ever going to do with martial arts.

Or, Option 2: You’re going to be a Black Belt!

It’s very important to realize that there are not 3 choices, but only 2. There’s not, “Yes, we want to achieve Black Belt,” “Maybe we will,” or “No, we’re not going to.” The choice is either yes or no.

What we have found is that, universally, “maybe” by default means no.

Without having the real goal to get a Black Belt, then nobody’s going to achieve Black Belt. Each of the Black Belts we’ve had over the years decided very early on, often within the first 8 weeks, that they were going to be a Black Belt. And they made it a definitive goal, not an open-ended one.

A: There are three options.

Option #1: THE BLACK BELT CLUB This is the base way to get to Black Belt.

It’s going to get you all of the physical skillsets that you’d expect a 1^st Degree Black Belt to have, which includes self-defence, a high-level of physical conditioning and athletic accomplishments with martial skill.

Also, it’s going to get a person to a high level of mental focus, mental discipline, emotional skill, and personal confidence. Each graduate will have the ability to set goals, focus, and follow through on those goals.

Option #2: THE BLACK SASH MASTER CLUB

This path is for students who want to commit to bit more time and energy, both on a consistent and long-term basis to the full Black Belt but also want to train “Beyond” to the Black Sash, 2^nd Degree Black Sash, and so on.

Students in Master Club get all of the benefits of Black Belt Club with more of an emphasis on teamwork and higher-level traditional kung fu skills, both mental and physical. Opportunities for extra team-based classes, achievements, and events. Opportunities for extra physical and mental skill training classes, achievements, and events.

Option #3: THE BLACK SASH “LEADERSHIP PROGRAM” (“PEAK PERFORMANCE” FOR 18+)

Our Leadership Programs contain all the components of Black Belt Club & Master Club – all the physical skills, whether it be weapons, forms, self-defence, etc. as well as the mental development – but it takes it one step forward and brings in a leadership training aspect.

For success in today’s world, it is vital to be able to understand and interact with other people. It’s important to take a mentorship and teaching role. Our Leadership Graduates will be able to speak in front of, lead, and engage a room full of 40-50 or even thousands of people – with a high degree of confidence and skill. This includes the ability to understand and relay content and material to another person and motivate them to help them move to a higher level of skill. 

The Leadership Curriculum is specially procured and developed with psychology and behavior experts all over the world, from many fields.

Essentially Leadership Students are trained at an Instructor level. These skills will be useful to students and professionals who lead and organize teams, whether large or small. Students also report using these skills to better manage their households. These skills can lead to a potential career in teaching martial arts, if one desires.

Each new student, like yourself, begins training in our Basic Orientation Trial Program, the maximum length of which is 12-Months. It is important to note that this program is for beginner students only, who have not yet shown and expressed commitment to and desire for the goal of achieving Black Belt.

The physical skills taught in the Basic Orientation Trial Program are purely foundational. Classes will prepare a student’s balance, coordination, fitness level, and flexibility for more advanced levels of self-defence training that are only taught in our Black Belt Training Programs.

The mental and emotional skills of focus, respect, discipline, self-control, and confidence must also be learned and demonstrated, both in and out of class, before a student will be ready to learn skills that could potentially harm someone or that take several years to train properly and safely.

The purpose of the Basic Orientation Program is to “quick start” a student into one of our Black Belt Training Programs. This process is one of the MOST important milestones in a student’s journey, and will be one of the major determinants of whether or not a student will achieve Black Belt & Beyond.

The desire to become a Black Belt will be encouraged and cultivated in class to inspire positive action from the student. These actions will be rewarded both extrinsically (through praise, stripes, & awards) and intrinsically (through noticing improvements in health, mood, relationships, & mental and physical skill).

Before a student even enrolls at NKFA, the instructor has already begun to visualize what the student will look like in 3 – 4 years to the first level of Black Belt. The instructor’s job to help the student and their family see the benefits of long-term training and the completion of a long-term goal achieved. It is an extremely transformative experience for everyone involved. Every part of their life will be affected by this journey.

The time to think about Black Belt is… IMMEDIATELY! In fact, the sooner the goal is set, the faster a student will see positive changes in their habits and attitudes.

The Basic Orientation Trial Program gives students and families time to get acquainted with the values taught in our curriculum so they can decide if they want those values and teachings instilled in the student for life, which will happen upon training to and through to Black Belt & Beyond.

This also gives instructors plenty of time to make sure all students in Black Belt Training are contributing to the positive and uplifting culture of the school.

As a parent, we can assure you that every time a child is in class, they’re going to have a lot of fun. Frankly, as an adult, every time you’re in class you’re going to have a lot of fun, also.

But the important thing to note is that this is a school, just like any other school. It’s important, early on, to decide that you’re going to graduate with your degree. You want to have the outcome decided on so that you’re not making that choice, midterm to midterm, month to month, whether or not you’re going to follow through.

At Niagara Kung Fu, the outcome is to be a Black Belt. It’s important to be decisive early on if this is the outcome you want for yourself and your family. Black Belt is, obviously, a metaphor for the outcome. The tangible outcome is personal confidence, discipline, and focus. The outcome is a high level of physical athletic skill, a high level of fitness, as well as having the ability to defend yourself and your loved ones if you ever need it.

Usually within the first 4 – 8 weeks a student and their supporting parties at home will have a very solid idea if they have a true desire to commit to the 3+ year journey to Black Belt & Beyond.  This process can take a few weeks for some, and up to a few months to a year for others. When the desire to attain Black Belt is balanced out by both application of the lessons taught in class, and by dedication shown through attendance and participation, the instructor knows a student is ready to enter one of the Black Belt Training Programs.