Restoring the True Spirit of the Season | Brian Mayes Karate
ACCESS OUR SCHEDULE
& EXCLUSIVE WEB SPECIAL

Secure your spot and get started today with our EXCLUSIVE offer!

By opting into the web form above you are providing consent for Next Level Martial Arts to send you periodic text messages. Standard rates may apply. You can reply HELP at anytime or learn more. You may opt-out anytime by replying STOP.
ACCESS OUR SCHEDULE
& EXCLUSIVE WEB SPECIAL

Secure your spot and get started today with our EXCLUSIVE offer!

By opting into the web form above you are providing consent for Next Level Martial Arts to send you periodic text messages. Standard rates may apply. You can reply HELP at anytime or learn more. You may opt-out anytime by replying STOP.
Chris Seibert reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

Coming to Brian Mayes karate will help to give you the skills necessary to tackle any obstacle in your way!

Josh Rogue Evans reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

I've been to schools all over the country and this school is not only the best in Harrisonburg but one of the top schools in the country!

Katie Aeder Baker reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

Best decision ever!!
I signed my twin seven year old boys up for their first karate class in late September. Almost immediately, both their teachers and I noticed dramatic improvements in their behavior. Prior to karate, they couldn't focus on tasks and often got in trouble for impulsively acting out. There was a dramatic improvement right away, and I still continue to see improvements with focus, week after week (now just over 4 months in). The focus and respect that they have learned has really allowed our family to spend more time enjoying each other and less time focusing on behavior correction. I can't thank the Brian Mayes team enough!!

For the last month, I've been taking the adult kickboxing class here. It's really fun, motivating, and I can already see a change in how my clothes fit me. I leave each class feeling (sweaty and) great. I was hesitant about signing up for a 3x/week class, but I find myself wanting to go each time. I can't say I feel the same way about my home gym equipment. These instructors keep me moving and keep me wanting more. I love it.

Gen Trevino reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

The kickboxing classes are always fun and energetic; great for ALL skill levels!
Whether you haven't been to the gym in years or you have a bunch of Spartan races under your belt, you will leave feeling 100 times better than before you came in.
Instructors are amazing and motivational. When you walk through the doors, you're already a part of the family.

I started BMK kickboxing almost a year ago and a daily workout here has become integral to starting my busy days off right!

Alicia Cripe Cooley reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

I have absolutely loved the kickboxing classes! I am totally new to kickboxing and have found the workouts to be engaging, challenging, and fun! The instructors are friendly and love helping you understand technique. A huge bonus is that just after 12 weeks I've noticed lots of improvement in my fitness level, as well as more muscle tone and a trimmer waistline. Hello abs, here we come :) Thanks Kerri, Edith, Megan and Melanie for the awesome workouts!

Darrin Richards reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

Excellent family environment, with great instructors!!!

Charlotte Solomon reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

Such an amazing place full of inspirational individuals that make you feel like family!

Laela Moghaddam reviewed Next Level Martial Arts
5
via Facebook

I am very pleased with my children’s progress and the attention they receive from the instructors. I highly recommend Brian Mayes Karate.

Request Information

Blog

Our latest news & thoughts

Restoring the True Spirit of the Season

With the holiday season in full swing, families everywhere are struggling to make suitable plans for the pandemic. While our typical holidays are full of family gatherings, parties, and many other busy events this year, the pandemic has put a damper on our holiday traditions and, instead, increased our stress. And although our regular events are halted due to safety concerns, we must find ways to make the best of the situation. Using these uncommon times to foster empathy in children and get back to the true meaning of the season will help make the holidays special.

All humans are born with the capacity to be empathetic. However, we are not instinctively considerate of others, but empathy is, instead, developed through secure attachment relationships and experiences. Early signs of empathy begin just a few days after birth and are usually observed as a baby crying when it hears another crying. This emotional response is due to the firing of mirror neurons. As children get older, they begin tapping into the cognitive side of empathy. This is because their executive functioning skills are more developed, so they can better understand others’ points of view and better regulate their own emotions.

To nurture the empathetic muscle, we must help children exercise it. Since we are presented with an atypical holiday season combined with divisions in communities, now, more than ever, we should work with children to strengthen their empathetic responses. This begins with parents modeling empathy to others, including their children. Exhibiting patience and giving grace to others during these difficult times alleviates stress and makes everyone feel more understood. Utilizing current situations as learning tools for developing empathy will start the process. Teaching children what selfless giving is, is a great start. Helping them understand that not everyone has the same things can start the conversation. You can then encourage them to make decisions on how they can help others less fortunate.

In the Brian Mayes Karate program, life lessons such as patience, kindness, and sharing help children become more empathetic. The Certified Pediatric Ninja Specialists that run the classes are knowledgeable about development at each age level and can, therefore, implement and use opportunities to foster empathy that is age-appropriate. The supportive environment also helps students connect, and the brain-based focus supports the development of executive functioning, which fuels their ability to be more empathetic.

Also, BMK’s Parent Newsletters provide easy to implement methods that help parents connect better to their children and ultimately create secure attachments and model empathetic responses to others.

Now, more than ever, our world needs empathy. As the spirit of the season surrounds us, patience, and compassion for each other should be at the forefront of our relationships and interactions. Using these uncommon times to strengthen our empathetic muscles can create more compassionate, generous, and thankful community members. We can then attain joy and hope that the season should bring and use this unusual holiday season as a path for making more meaningful traditions for future generations.

Thank You for taking the time to read our blog.

BrianMayesKarate.com