From Our Classroom, To Theirs.

Make Your Child A Success!

978-342-9911

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Len Brassard's Family Martial Arts Center

68 Airport Rd. - Fitchburg MA, 01420

For the past 20 years, Len Brassard's Family Martial Arts Center has provided self-defense and character development training to students in the Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg, Shirley, Westminster and Gardner communities.  Chances are excellent you either know one of our current students or someone who has trained with us, and you've heard that we are not just another Karate school.  Rather, our children's curriculum has been developed and updated over the past 25 years to help children learn the personal and physical skills necessary for success and happiness at home, school, and later in life.  Created in 1985 by our studio Director, Dr. Len Brassard (who also directs the New Beginnings Counseling Center) while on internship in Arkansas, this curriculum teaches our younger students how to develop focus and attention through visual, auditory and tactical drills and stimuli.  They are taught appropriate social skills and greetings, how to be successful as individuals, and the benefits of solving complex problems by working together as a team.  Our classes include some students diagnosed with ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and some with intellectual and physical disabilities.  Our children are taught not to tease or make fun of these students, but rather to accept them as classmates and assist them when necessary.  Every five weeks we hold belt rank promotional exams (at no cost) for all our members, and watching how our young students cheer on and applaud our special needs folks always brings an appreciative tear to more than one eye in our studio audience.  And these attitudes and teaching methods are also taught in our adult classes.

 

Now that you've learned a little about our curriculum, the following is a list of skills and qualities we guarantee your child will learn in our classroom as long as he or she qualifies for our program - more on this in a moment.

• Improve Respect for Parents and Authority - In fact, before they earn their first Karate belt they will demonstrate a respectful attitude at home.  And they usually earn their first Karate belt during their 2nd or 3rd class!

• Improve Focus and Concentration (even with ADD & ADHD) - Through psychologically based physical drills and activities personally copyrighted by Dr. Brassard

• Improve Energy Level and Fitness - Sound exercise drills that maximize strength and lung capacity, while helping shed unwanted pounds.

• Improve Ability to Handle Bullies - While there is no mental or physical training that can guarantee success with all confrontations with bullies, our students learn the three steps necessary to maximize success with a bully encounter.

• Develop the courage to say: "No" to unhealthy peer pressure, while possessing the physical skills that might be necessary when making such a choice.

• Improve Their Knowledge and Skill to Define and Handle Strangers - Most children cannot correctly define what a stranger is.  Our students learn the correct definition of "stranger" and practice four skills to release themselves from a stranger's grab.  This drill is also practiced outdoors under real conditions with "strangers" who attempt to put a child into their car. In the 20 years we've practiced this drill, no child has ever ended up in the car.

• Leadership Roles - Children who work hard and demonstrate the qualities they're learning in our classroom have the opportunity to become members of our Junior Leadership Team.  These children wear a Junior teacher's uniform, assist in our classes, and perform demonstrations at local academic schools and community functions.  Members of our Junior Leadership Team meet once each week with Dr. Brassard for special training and discussions.

These are skills and attitudes your child will learn and begin to demonstrate within the first 15 weeks of training.  And, we're not just making claims.  Our program is an integration of physical training and positive behavioral instruction.  In some ways our curriculum is like a Karate class and in some ways it's like positive behavior therapy.

And the best part is that you or your child can begin training by taking free lessons as a guest member.  We'll even provide a free Karate uniform as part of your guest membership.  Now you'll be able to watch how your child responds to the various drills and activities.  You can watch how our Instructors and children interact with each other, the tones of voice used and the encourage Instructors give each student's effort.  You can see how the children in class work with one another and how they help each other when learning new moves.  And yes, you will occasionally see some innocent fooling around, but we don't run our classes like a military academy and we understand that 7 and 8 year olds will occasionally act like 7 and 8 year olds. If, at the end of the guest lessons you don't think our program can benefit your child, you are under no further obligation; and you can keep the uniform as a gift for giving our program a try.  If you chose to continue your training, we'll put together an enrollment agreement with monthly tuition rates and your child will be promoted to full student membership. 

As we previously mentioned, because of the physical nature of our training and the need to safeguard our students and teachers, we require that every student we accept qualifies for our program. 

• Though our program can benefit children who are restless, spirited or hyperactive, occasionally a child comes in who has an extremely low level of self-control and is unable to follow verbal redirections.  We would be less than honest if we told his or her parents that our behavioral training methods alone could improve their child's behavior. 

• Some individuals have heart conditions, seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy or extreme asthma.  We ask they provide written permission from their attending physician before we accept them as students.

• Individuals with very profound intellectual disabilities would not benefit from our curriculum

• Once in a great while we have a child whose behavior places himself or his classmates at risk of injury. If attempts to correct this behavior fail, the child may be asked to leave the studio. Our primary concern is to provide a safe and fun environment for the children and their parents.

• Students with a current history of bullying are not accepted as students, unless there is clear evidence that the child is making every effort to change his aggressive behavior.

Our studio has three divisions of classes based on age and skill.  These are: Karate Kids, Junior Class, and the Teen and Adult class.  Here is a brief description of each.  And please note, Dr. Brassard supervises and teaches in all of our children’s classes, giving us a Psychologist with child expertise shaping the learning experiences of each student.

The Karate Kids Classes have been developed for our youngest students.  Since many of these children haven’t begun to attend school, we focus on talks and drills that teach children how to show respect towards parents and siblings, and how to get along with peers.  The children in this class learn the same Karate material as our Junior Beginners, but at a slower pace.  This way they can learn and retain the information while having fun and making new friends.  Our Karate Kids learn how to have a positive attitude while developing the character of a martial artist. 

 

These classes are taught by certified martial arts teachers who have specialized training with young children and with the help of our Junior Leadership Team. These teachers have weekly meetings, supervised by Dr. Brassard, to assure they are well-trained in their Karate material and their understanding of how to teach children with diagnoses such as ADHD, ADD, Autism, Asperger's, OCD, ODD, PDD, Downs and MR.  With a growing number of children being diagnosed with mental and physical challenges, we’ve shaped our Karate Kids curriculum to help children increase their attention spans while learning how to stay focused on tasks.  We’ve also included material to help children develop good social skills at home and at school.  Parents of our Karate Kids also benefit by having any behavioral questions they have about their children answered by Dr. Brassard at no additional expense.

 

Class Schedule - Choose at least two of the following:

 

            Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m.

            Fridays at 4:30 p.m.

            Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.  

Psychologists have learned that children between the ages of 6 and 12 years develop attitudes and behaviors that will ultimately shape their adult lives.  We developed our Junior Beginner program with this in mind, making this class an important first stepping stone in a child’s life-long journey.  The family atmosphere and friendly teaching staff give children a safe place to be in the evenings, with positive role models teaching them how to have confidence and self-control.

 

This class combines the motions of Karate with scientific methods of behavioral instruction to teach children the attitudes and behaviors necessary for personal and academic success.  Originally created and taught by Dr. Brassard, this curriculum was taught to a group of Autistic children for eight weeks.  Differences between pre- and post-testing indicated improvements in their gross motor skills, balance, and social interactions.  During the years since this original research, Dr. Brassard has consulted with various Pediatricians, Neurologists, Psychologists, Social Workers, academic teachers and parents to keep our curriculum current with: recent scientific advances in behavioral psychology, changing teaching methods in the academic classroom, and the evolution of our social and cultural community.

 

Our teaching staff works closely with the student's parents and academic teachers to assure the children are displaying proper respect at home and school, and keeping up with their chores and grades.  Our Student Creed teaches our students that they should obey their parents and teachers, because it is the right thing to do.  They are taught that they are not just martial artists within the walls of our Center, but that they are also ambassadors of our program where ever they may be.  They are taught to live by the principles of Black Belt: Modesty, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit.

 

Teachers of our Junior classes are taught proper behavioral methods of working with children who have diagnoses such as ADHD, ADD, Autism, Asperger's, Downs and MR. These teachers also receive weekly supervision with Dr. Brassard to maintain their knowledge of behavioral training and their martial arts skills.  With a growing number of children being diagnosed with emotional and physical challenges, and with an influx of these children into our classroom, it becomes important that our teaching staff can use their knowledge of simple behavioral methods to make spontaneous changes in drills and activities when necessary.  Parents with children in our program can also have their clinical or behavioral questions answered by Dr. Brassard at no additional expense.

 

On the Fridays of Week 5 (in our five week per cycle system) we hold a Graduation Ceremony and belt promotion for students who have the appropriate class points and martial arts skill to advance to the next rank  There is never any testing or belt fees for these promotions, but each rank must be earned.  Then, every six months we have a belt promotion ceremony for students who have achieved the rank of Black Belt.

 

Class Schedule - Please select at least one "A" Day class and at least one "B" Day Class:

"A" Days                                                              "B" Days

Saturday at 10:00 a.m.                                        Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.     

Monday at 4:30 p.m.                                            Thursday at 5:15 p.m.

Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.                                           Friday at 5:00 p.m.

  

The pressures and challenges of the 21^st century are not limited to children and teens.  Today's adults face issues such as paying bills on time, job security, raising children in a technologically advanced world, the skyrocketing cost of living, surviving in a world with a questionable moral compass, and finding less and less time to just stop and smell the roses (kids, just Google it).  Today's adults experience more stress than any previous generation, and finding ways to relieve this stress and regain control over one’s life seems limited to the dubious claims of late night infomercials.

Our adult program offers scientifically based procedures to deal with this stress, and does so without the stigma of seeing a therapist, taking prescription medication, self-medicating or engaging in any behavior that might be considered self-destructive.  We begin each class with a fun, high-energy warm-up; the kind of workout that helps you sweat while also getting you to laugh.  And you will feel and observe the improvement in your stamina and strength as the weeks go by.  Then you'll practice drills designed to improve your eye, hand and leg coordination.  You'll learn how to develop power in your handstrikes and kicks through the proper alignment of your shoulders, hips, knees and feet.  How to properly align your body to block and absorb a full power punch or kick (which can actually be learned during your first lesson - imagine what you'll learn by the time you're ready for promotion to black belt).  You'll develop the aim in your hands and feet to strike exactly where you chose on a target.  You'll also learn how to defend yourself against various grabs, punches, kicks and weapon attacks.  We guarantee that when you test for Yellow Belt (about 15 weeks of training) we can have one or two Instructors grab you and you will have the necessary skill to successfully counter each and every attack.  We guarantee it.  Still not sure?  Well, our eight and nine year olds have been successfully doing this on their Yellow Belt tests for years.  You see, sometimes confidence can be influenced by the frame of reference through which we choose to look at something.  As another example, once an adult student watches a small ten-year-old break a board, the adult student instantly "acquires" all the necessary confidence and skill to break a board.  Our adult students are taught how to choose or develop proper frames of reference through which to perceive people and events in their lives; another skill that helps reduce confusion, anger and stress.

 

These are just some of the drills and methods we use in our adult curriculum.  Through your training you will acquire full power and control over your body, and what better way to feel a sense of regaining control over your life?  As your skills and health develop, you'll feel your stress (and most likely a few pounds) slip away.  And before you decide if our program can benefit you, you can attend free classes as a guest member.  You can attend as many classes each week as you'd like, and you can even bring a workout partner to train with you.  If you chose to stop training after the guest lessons there is no further obligation; no follow-up calls or letters. 

 

You know, a few years ago a survey was conducted to ask adults why they didn't train in the martial arts.  The main reason they gave was the fear of looking foolish.  We promise we will not ask you to say or do anything that might make you look foolish.  Our adult students are a supportive team who encourages each other and especially beginners.  Now, you might feel a bit intimidated with all these people walking around in what appear to be pajamas doing movements that seem straight out of a Bruce Lee movie.  But that feeling usually passes by the end of your first class.  You'll feel welcome, and a part of our family.

 

Give us a call today, before you talk yourself out of it again.

 

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See for yourself what our program is all about.  Give us a call today!  We'll set an appointment for you and your child to visit our Center for a free private Karate lesson that will teach you what you'll need to know to join the group classes.  After this lesson you can tour our studio and watch some of our classes.  You'll have a chance to see how our teachers and instructors interact with each other.  Then, on your next visit you or your child can begin a free guest membership that will give you the opportunity to see if our program can benefit you or your child.  If after the guest lessons you're not satisfied with our program, there is no further obligation.  And we mean it.

 

To get started please complete the following form and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.

 

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Location: Family Martial Arts Center 68 Airport Rd. Fitchburg, MA 01420 Phone: 978-342-9911 FitchburgKarate.com   Contact: Mr. Lenny Brassard at: fmaclenny@hotmail.com       Google Map Directions
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Please don't wait.  Our classes fill quickly, so CALL US TODAY!

You'll be glad you did.  And we guarantee it!

 

I look forward to meeting you.

 

- Dr. Len Brassard

  Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to visit our Center's original student website

           

Len Brassard's Family Martial Arts Center, Copyright © 1994 - 2012 by Len Brassard, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. Reproduction is prohibited without permission of the author.

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