By Kailee Billerbeck, Contributing Writer
Active Martial Arts, located in Monroe, as well as Mill Creek, and Gonzales, La., was started by Jeremy Molley, a certified Taekwondo instructor and fifth degree black belt. Jeremy and his wife, Renee, travel between Washington and Louisiana to monitor all three of their schools.
Active is founded upon a set of morals which direct all instructors to create a positive, encouraging environment for students of all ages to train.
Active Martial Arts in Monroe works to embed in its students not only Taekwondo and Muay Thai techniques, but also an amalgamation of valuable characteristics. Instructors at Active stress seven major tenants: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, honor, and community. The students recite them before every class.
"I think the tenants are important because they give our students something tangible to keep in mind when they think of what a martial artist is,GÇ¥ said Active Martial Arts instructor Chris Olson. "Martial arts isn't just fighting, it's a lifestyle, and especially for kids the tenants of martial arts really help them understand that.GÇ¥
Active offers several programs to help students of all ages practice discipline, get in shape, and learn how to defend themselves. One class is the fitness kickboxing class that is offered to all adults. In this class people over the age of 13 will learn Muay Thai and Taekwondo techniques in a way that helps them get in shape.
The wolfpup program is offered to young children between the ages of four and six to help them learn self-defense, confidence, and discipline. The junior striking program is offered to students between the ages of seven and 12 and the adult striking class is ages 13 and up.
Wolfpups and juniors all have a "Success JournalGÇ¥ with a different lesson each week. They have missions they must complete such as doing random acts of kindness, setting goals, drinking water, stretching daily, and practicing martial arts in new places.
These weekly lessons and missions help the students to make the tenants tangible. They also keep the students accountable to the morals of a martial arts student.
"My favorite part of instructing and teaching martial arts is watching kids come to us shy and lacking confidence, and in a matter of months turning into a different kid that holds their head high and speaks with confidence,GÇ¥ said Olson.
The instructors at Monroe all work hand-in-hand to guarantee their students become physically fit and confident. As a team, they work to ensure that the environment is encouraging, as well. On their website, it states, "...we always encourage them to work as a team and help each other to reach their goals, as opposed to competing with one another.GÇ¥
Martial arts is unlike any other sport. Active Martial Arts trains their students to become active citizens who work with others to create a more just and humane community.
For more information about Active Martial Arts in Monroe, please visit the website at: http://activemartialartsmonroe.com/about-us/.
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