View Student Testing List from Smartphone, Available Now.

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Some of the parents who don’t have any kids testing weren’t sure if their child was testing or not.  As a reminder please visit our website and click on the count down timer at the top of the page regularly to view the list of students testing.

If you visit our website on your smart phone we now have a page up for you to view the list.  Click “Next Belt Exam” button to view the list from your phone.

Here is the link, https://www.evomaa.net/exams.html. Hope this helps all you parents out there.  

Important Testing Dates and Labor Day Holiday Aug 31st – Sept 2nd

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It’s belt testing time again, lots of new white belts trying to achieve their orange belt and a few green belts going for blue belt level 1 our highest ranking as of now.  So here are some of the details regarding testing and the holiday weekend:

Friday August 30th
5pm – White Belts Testing 
6pm – Orange, Yellow, Green Belts Testing
7pm – Adults Testing
NO Regular Hapkido or Tiny Tiger Classes
Below is the list of the students testing as of now.

JUNIORS

  • Liana M. (6pm)
  • Dustin L. (6pm)
  • Mimi L. (6pm)
  • Leah T. (6pm)
  • Massi T. (6pm)
  • Diego S. (6pm)
  • Ryan C. (6pm)
  • Armaan S. (5pm)
  • Yuvraj S. (5pm)
  • Rosa C. (5pm)
  • Sammy A. (5pm)
  • Manny A. (5pm)
  • Devon W. (5pm)
  • Alexis W. (5pm)
  • Jailyn W. (5pm)
ADULTS

  • Jay W. (7pm)
  • Catherine O. (7pm)
  • David S. (7pm)
  • Sam M. (7pm)
Saturday August 31st
9:30-10:15am – Tiny Tigers Testing
10:30 – 11am – Belt Graduation for Tiny Tigers and Jrs
NO Regular Hapkido or Tiny Tiger Classes
Below is the list of Tiny Tigers Testing
  • Aarsh S. (9:30am)
  • Alessandro P. (9:30am)
  • Kyndall W. (9:30am)
  • Jeremiah C. (9:30am)
Monday September 2nd
CLOSED No Classes Labor Day Holiday

Starting September 2nd, Minor Schedule change to Hapkido Jrs.

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We are having a minor change to our Hapkido Jr. schedule.  This new schedule should help us focus more on specific belt rankings.  Starting September 2nd these are the following changes.

Monday & Wednesday:

4pm & 6pm (Green and Up)
5pm (Orange and Yellow only)

Tuesday & Thursday:

4pm & 6pm (Orange and Up)
5pm (White Belts Only)

Friday:

4:30pm (Orange and Up)

Saturday:

10am – All Ranks (White and Up)

Please Join Us for 2 Great Martial Art Events

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Attention all Evolution students we would like to invite you to please join Mr. Jason and Mr. Brandon for 2 special events, Sunday August 11th and Saturday August 17th at Team Karate Centers.

Sunday August 11th  12-2pm:

Hwa Rang Do: The Untold Story of the Formation of the Modern Korean Martial Arts

Come watch the feature documentary and hear with your own ears, the untold story from martial arts living legend and Hwa Rang Do Founder, Dr. Joo Bang Lee on the origins and development of modern Korean martial arts including Hwa Rang Do, Hapkido and Kuk Sool Won.
This is the true, yet controversial telling of the most important period in modern Korean martial arts history in the midst of the Korean War and great political turmoil, as Dr. Lee witnessed & participated in first hand.
Special Q and A with Dr. Joo Bang Lee and his eldest son and Hwa Rang Do heir, Grandmaster Taejoon Lee will follow the screening of the film, as well as opportunity for pictures and autographs for those in attendance.

  • Learn about the efforts by Dr. Joo Bang Lee and martial arts legend, Ji Han Jae, to form a unified Korean martial arts system, as ordered by then Korean President, Jeong Hee Park 
  • The backstory of the formation of the Kuk Sool Hwe by Dr. Joo Bang Lee and In Hyuk Suh, which lead to the founding of Kuk Sool Won 
  • The true story into Dr. Joo Bang Lee’s close relationship with Yong Sul Choi and Ji Han Jae, leading to the true origins of Hapkido and the dilution of one of Korea’s modern martial arts systems 
  • An opportunity to ask questions of them, live and in-person! 

Suggest Donation for Tickets: $25
All proceeds from this event will go towards funding martial arts training programs and scholarships for low-income individuals, at-risk youth and combat veterans via the World Hwa Rang Do Association – Non-Profit Organization.

Location

Team Karate Centers
21038-A Victory Blvd Woodland Hills, CA. 91367
on August 11th, 2013 beginning @ 12 Noon

Schedule:
12 Noon – 12:45pm – Film Screening
12:45pm – 1pm – Q and A Setup
1pm – 2pm – Q and A with Dr. Joo Bang Lee and Grandmaster Taejoon Lee

Saturday August 17th  12pm:
One of our teachers Master Steve Sexton is having an Autobiography Book Signing Celebration.  
The book recaps the 60-year span of the 8th Degree Hapkido Master’s life from his childhood through his passion for martial arts, and how that passion saved his life on more than one occasion.
If you would like to order a copy of the book please click on the link below.
You can pick up your copy on Sat, Aug 17 and have Master Steve Sexton sign it for you.
Location

Team Karate Centers
21038-A Victory Blvd Woodland Hills, CA. 91367
on August 17th, 2013 beginning @ 12 Noon 

If you are free we would love it if you can stop by. 

EVO Top Team Auditions August 4th & 11th.

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Do you like performing in front of a crowd?  Does that type of intensity get your adrenaline pumping?  Evolution Martial Arts Academy is holding auditions to join Evo Top Team, our demonstration team. Evo Top Team will perform demonstrations at future belt graduations and other special events.  A special class on Fridays will allow these team members to work together and prepare for the next performance. 
The only requirement needed to audition is the rank of at least Hapkido Jr. Green Belt.  All students who fulfill this requirement are more than welcome to try out but NOT every student will make it.  Only 6 spots are available on this roster as of right now.  Three of the most important factors we are looking for are focus, following directions, and most importantly technical ability. 
How Auditions Work: 
  • Auditions will be held on Sunday August 4th and 11th, starting at 9am.
  • Students must make an appointment ahead of time (Sign Ups will be on the front counter).  Students can only audition one time.
  • Students waiting must wait in lobby area until their turn.    
  • Each student will demonstrate in 10 minutes a list of techniques in front of 2 unnamed judges.  (Students have done all these techniques before, list of techniques will not be known to student until they step on the mat) 
  • Once students are done they are free to leave.
  • Judges will review all notes and students who made the team will be notified a couple days later.

Parents keep in mind there is a possibly only one sibling could make it while the other(s) do not.  Students who make the team may be cut from the team at any time. Auditions will be held again in the future as we increase the number of spots on the team or have to fill available spots.      
Good luck, bring your skills.

Who’s Testing at the Next Belt Promotion?

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In our constant effort to stay in 100% communication with our parents our belt testing page is now live on our website.  If you click on the Belt Testing Countdown Timer you will be directed to a page with frequently asked questions regarding testing and a list of potential students testing.  The list may change as we get closer to testing date.  Parents check the list if you are unsure so you can plan to keep this date open.

A mobile version will be coming soon for those of you glued to your smart phones.

https://www.evomaa.net/exams.html

Tiny Tigers Starts Oct. 1st. Class Schedule Change.

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We would like to introduce our newest program beginning Monday October 1st at Evolution Martial Arts Academy, the Tiny Tigers program.  This program is designed especially for 3-5 year olds, it is where little ones build the foundation needed to become future black belts.  Children at this age are developing at an unbelievable pace.  Although they will learn several kicks and punches, our primary focus for children this age include:

  • Improving listening skills and following directions
  • Showing respect to their parents, instructors, and others
  • Working on hand-eye coordination and mobility
  •  Developing better focus
  •  Building self confidence
  • Improving social skills with other children

Just like our Hapkido program, the Tiny Tigers program is curriculum based.  This curriculum has been designed specifically to keep children interested and motivated to learn new skills including life skills and safety awareness that will help in school and around the house.  They will learn at a young age, it takes hard work and practice to achieve challenging goals.
Our goal is to have Tiny Tigers constantly learning and developing new skills, both on and off the mat while still having tons of fun.  Classes are 30 minutes, please email info@evomaa.net for more information or questions.
Tiny Tigers will be offered:
·      3:30-4:00pm (Monday-Friday)
·      5:00-5:30pm (Monday & Wednesday)
·      5:30-600pm (Monday & Wednesday)
·      11:00-11:30am (Saturday)
·      11:30-12:00pm (Saturday)
IMPORTANT: This new program will cause our current Class Schedule to change. (Affective 10-1-12)
·      5pm Junior class will move to 6pm (Monday & Wednesday)
·      6pm Kickboxing will move to 8pm (Monday & Wednesday)
·      11am Kickboxing will move to 8am (Saturday)
For our latest schedule always visit. https://www.evomaa.net/programs/classschedule.html

2011 SuperShow Wrap Up.

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Las Vegas – the city hosting the 10 year anniversary of the MAIA SuperShow.  For those of you who don’t know the SuperShow is an annual event hosted by MAIA (Martial Arts Industry Association) where school owners from all over the world come to learn and network with other owners.  For others this is a chance to catch up with friends and colleagues.  This multi day event usually has seminar lectures covering various topics mainly how to improve your own school.  There are physical training seminars as well that give you the opportunity to get a taste of a different style of martial arts.  Lastly there are vendors who set up booths that usually have a products or services that can further improve your school. 

Opening Night / Keynote:

We flew in Thursday morning, grabbed some lunch then headed over to the exhibitors hall.  In the halls we ran into Cliff Lenderman one of Master Fariborz’s good friends who owns Lenderman Academy of the Arts in Tacoma Washington.  We visit Dave Kovar who has a booth this year, promoting his Instructor Toolbox material.  Lastly as we are exiting the exhibit halls we run into the Father of American Taekwondo Master Jhoon Rhee.  Master Fariborz, Dave Kovar and others always talk about Master Jhoon Rhee.  It was nice to finally meet the living legend.

This years theme for the SuperShow was “Legacy”.  Fittingly the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award went to  Bruce Lee.  Bruce changed Martial Arts forever, many started training marital arts because of him.  His daughter Shannon Lee proudly accepted the award and then gave a very touching tribute speech.  She is keeping his spirit and philosophies alive through the Bruce Lee Foundation.
 

The main keynote speaker this year was Aron Ralston.  His extraordinary story of survival and determination showed how an ordinary man pushed to the limits can seize the day.  His story was so incredible the movie 127 Hours starring James Franco was filmed in 2010.  Ralston an experienced climber and avid outdoorsman descended a remote Utah canyon alone when an 800-pound boulder broke loose, crushing his right hand and pinning him against the canyon wall. After nearly five days – without water and with no hope of escape – Ralston made a life or death decision. He chose life by severing his arm below the elbow, rappelling a 65-foot cliff out of the canyon, and trekking seven miles to find his would-be rescuers.  The story he told in person was so real and inspiring. 

Seminars Day 1 & 2:

Lots of very good seminar topics this year.  We had the opportunity to finally meet Steve LaVallee in person and sit in on his seminar, it was great.  The seminars offered many great tips on how to improve your school and how to possibly run a multi school operation.  The speaker we were looking forward to the most was Brandon Beliso, we loved his seminar last year and this year was no different.  His seminar discussed how to create community in your martial arts school.  A lot of his ideas were just so simple and made so much sense to us.  We are hoping to use some of their tips to improve our future school. 

In conclusion the 2011 SuperShow was great.  It was a chance for us to meet a lot of legendary martial artist.  The show was well organized and the sessions were very beneficial.  We look forward to attending next years SuperShow and many more in the years to come.  We want to leave our own “Legacy” in the martial arts world one day. 

Mr. Jason attends Tom Callos Seminar at TKC

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Sunday July 17th 2011, Tom Callos held a seminar at Team Karate Centers.  The seminar covered topics such as ingenious marketing, intelligent curriculum design, and the “new role” of the master teacher.  It was a lot of very good helpful information packed into one single day.

Here is a quick bio of Tom Callos.  Tom took his first martial arts lesson in 1969, he is currently a 6th Degree Black Belt under his senior instructor Ernie Reyes Sr.  For 15 years he owned and operated 2 of the largest martial arts schools in the US (at the time), teaching and managing more then 800 students in two locations.  In 1994 he began working exclusively with martial arts associations, school owners, and martial arts teachers,  helping them improve the quality of their materials and curriculum.   He is now involved with programs like the “acts of kindness” program (www.thinkkindness.org), The Ultimate Black Belt Test, and much more.

We have been following Tom’s Blog and videos for a while now.  It was nice to officially meet him in person.  We can’t write about everything that was discussed at this seminar but we will mention some of the things that really made an impression.  Because Tom does not operate a physical school anymore he has what he calls a digital online school.  This online school school never closes and can be accessed from anywhere.  This gives him the flexibility to continue to train and teach from anywhere he chooses.  We like idea of the cloud and having everything available at all times to our students.  He believes in recording everything and uploading it online to share with others.  Videos get people excited, we have always thought it was a great idea because videos last forever.  If you visit Tom’s site, he posts multiple videos and blogs daily for his students.  We would like to follow in his footsteps and be able to communicate to our students effectively by the same means.

Tom said a line Sunday that had a lot meaning, he feels at his age now knowing what he knows, he doesn’t think he was qualified to teach back in his 30’s.  He believes that great teaching is not how to throw a good cross punch but how to lead others to be better individuals in society.  The best martial arts instructors prepare their students for life in the world, not just life in the studio.  Someone testing for a black belt should change and influence the people around them, their community, and maybe the world.  That is Tom’s vision for the Ultimate Black Belt exam.  We have been very fortunate to have him tell us these concepts and much more.  Listening to the views from people who have already trailed the path we are on will help us.  There is no reason to reinvent the wheel.  We must gather all the knowledge from the veterans in this business and pick and choose what would give us the best success in helping our students grow to become an “Ultimate Black Belt”.  Evolution Martial Arts Academy will maintain a good relationship with Tom Callos, he is a great asset to the martial arts community and our future.

For more information visit Tom Callos page at www.tomcallos.com




Mr. Jason attends Dave Kovar’s Instructor Seminar held at TKC.

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March 6th, 2011 Dave Kovar made a stop in Southern California to hold one his Martial Arts Instructor Boot-camp seminar.  More than fifty school owners and instructors attended this seminar held at Team Karate Centers in Woodland Hills.  This seminar was for senior and beginner instructors helping them become even better and more effective martial arts instructors.

Here’s a little information about Dave Kovar.  Shihan Kovar is the head instructor of Kovars Family Martial Arts Centers Inc. He has been teaching karate since he was 15 years old and currently holds Black Belts in 6 different styles of Martial Arts. In 1982 he was rated “California Competitor of the Year,” and in 1988 he won the United States Martial Arts Championships Men’s Heavyweight Division in Reno, Nevada. He has operated his own Martial Arts School in the Sacramento area since 1978, making Kovars Family Martial Arts Centers one of the oldest and most respected Martial Arts schools in Sacramento. With over 1,900 students, Kovars is ranked as one of the top schools in the nation.
Over the years Dave has developed a unique method of teaching that has earned him the distinction of being the Instructor of the Year in 1992 from the United States Martial Arts Centers (an association of over 1,300 schools in the United States and Canada). Dave’s teaching techniques give the instructor the unique ability to help students improve their existing skills while increasing their confidence, discipline and respect. In fact, so many other Martial Arts instructors have inquired about these techniques that the Kovar brothers have developed a series of “How to Teach Martial Arts…” videos. These videos have had phenomenal sales both nationally and internationally.*

With this wealth of knowledge and experience it was great he was able to come and share with other school owners who are following the same path he is leading.  This 7 hour seminar covered topics such as

  • Ways to retain current students
  • Using focus anchors to control the most uncontrolable classes
  • Disguising repetition
  • PCP – Praise Correct Praise
  • Optimizing classes for Zero Downtime
  • Preframing
  • How to better social with parents

So much information covered that it is difficult to list them all.  This was a great seminar because as instructors we do most of these techniques anyways but just really breaking them down and working on the techniques that are a bit lacking is all part of the evolution of an instructor.  He truly made it very simple giving plenty of realistic examples that we run into on a weekly basis. 

The best part about teaching martial arts is watching students progress and succeed.  We at Evolution Martial Arts Academy want to empower our students to be successful in whatever they do in their life. Teaching is definitely not a walk in the park, but this seminar will really help us help our students achieve their goals.

If you are school owner or instructor we highly suggest this seminar. 

*Courtesy of www.martialinfo.com