Anyone can do it

The Martial Arts University and activity center at 415 Maryville Hwy, offers many classes and activities to the public- some of them free.
The school, which was founded by Shihan Michael Garner, a 7th degree black belt in Karate and Jujitsu, and a 4th degree black belt in Kung Fu, offers two ongoing classes for free. Tai Chi is offered on Saturdays from 11:45-12:30.
“We offer that because Tai Chi is more health oriented,” says Sifu Melissa Garner, a 3rd degree black belt in Kung Fu and aerobics instructor. “A lot of seniors take it.”
According to Garner the health benefits include improvement of arthritis, circulation and balance.
As with all classes offered at the school, “They can come down and watch a class and then, if they’re interested, they can try a class if they want to,” says Garner.
Approximately every ten weeks on Wednesday nights there is a free rape defense seminar taught by Sensei Mike Caldwell, 4th degree Karate black belt, and Ms. Andrea Ziko, a 1st degree black belt in both Karate and Kung Fu.
Regular classes taught at the school are Ishinryu Karate, Kung Fu, Jujitsu, Bushido, Weapons a Children’s Activity class and a Christian Samurai club.
Benefits of Martial Arts training includes physical fitness, increased confidence and improved awareness of potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them.
The philosophy of TMA is that Martial Arts training should be available to everyone.
“We don’t consider there’s anybody that we can’t teach,” says Caldwell. “If you want to learn it, we will find a way. Sometimes you have to modify. I had a gentleman start a class I used to teach. He started at 65 years old. He’d had part of one lung removed and had open-heart surgery. Five years later on his 70th birthday he got his black belt.”
Ziko adds, “I think its also good for kids that just aren’t able to compete in other sports. Some kids maybe just aren’t real athletic kids, or maybe have some type of disability, and here we can even modify different moves to suit the individual. There was a green belt that was in a motorcycle wreck and lost his leg. But he still continued to come to a few classes and work out.”
All instructors at TMA University have a strong commitment to positively impact the young people in their classes.
Says Caldwell, “This is a good place to help keep them away from drugs and everything else. During the school year, from kindergarten right up through high school, they can bring their grade cards in and show them to their instructors. If they are good grades or are improving, we’ve got some certificates made up that are pretty generic achievement certificates that we give them for that. If one of them does something out in the community that’s a little extraordinary, we congratulate them and give them a certificate.”
“We also have for the A and B honor role a patch that goes on the Gi or uniform,” Ziko interjects.
When asked about competitions, Ziko states “This is not a tournament school. We don’t have a team. If you would like to go to a tournament, we’ll support you and cheer you on. That just gives the kids, and even the adults, another level to challenge themselves. But its not required for any belt. Normally for each tournament we have at least five participate, if not more.
The next big tournament will be held August 1st and 2nd .
Remarkably, the cost for participating in any of the classes is surprisingly low.
“The classes here are much cheaper than you’ll find anywhere else that I know of,” states Caldwell, adding that this is because, “We don’t get paid for instructing. We’re doing this because we love it. As long as we can keep the dojo open, we’ll be here teaching.”
For more information about classes or to have a demonstration put on for you organization, call TMA University at 609-0221.