Last Updated on February 15, 2013.
The most important thing you learn in my MMA classes is self-discipline!
Whether you are an adult looking for a workout you can stick with or a parent looking to teach your children the value of hard work and determination, Tiger Schulmann’s Mixed Martial Arts is the place to go. Our program offers much more than just MMA. At every age level our classes are taught in a disciplined yet exciting atmosphere.
The most important thing you learn in my MMA classes is self-discipline!
I remember when I first passed by the Tiger Schulmann’s in East Brunswick. It was in 1993. My oldest daughter Brianne was 6 at the time and she was having a tough time in school. Being a martial artist I knew that a little discipline might be just what she needed. I didn’t sign her up at that point. A few weeks later she was attending a friends birthday party at the karate school and I sat and watched as the Sensei interacted with the children. I was immediately impressed and decided to have my daughter try it out. I should tell you that the reason my daughter had such a hard time in school was that she had several learning disabilities, the least of which is ADHD. As good parents my wife and I wanted her to get a good education so she could have any life she wanted.
I should tell you that the reason my daughter had such a hard time in school was that she had several learning disabilities, the least of which is ADHD.
Brianne was not the most coordinated or courageous kid, but she was always eager to please so she tried her best. She made some new friends in the school and took a shine to her Sensei. Through her mixed martial arts classes she not only learned self-defense, she also learned to be mentally tough and never give up on herself. Having a non-quitting spirit would be paramount for the rest of her school career.
Through her mixed martial arts classes she not only learned self-defense, she also learned to be mentally tough and never give up on herself.
Due to her learning disabilities she had a very hard time in school. Each year we would have a meeting with our child study team where they would decide her annual individual education plan. From her experience at Tiger Schulmann’s she always tried her best in spite of her learning problems. I always knew she was learning discipline in class but it was hard to tell how much until she hit middle school. It was here that her special education teacher told her she was stupid.
Thanks to Tiger Schulmann’s a little fire was lit under her and made her try harder.
For most kids this would have been the beginning of the end. Thanks to Tiger Schulmann’s a little fire was lit under her and made her try harder. She still had problems in school but overall her experience got a little better. She struggled through the next few years until her junior year in high school. I will never forget the IEP meeting we had that year. My wife was in the hospital, so Brianne and I went without her. As we sat in the meeting, Brianne’s guidance counselor asked her what she wanted to do when she finished high school. She proudly told him that she wanted to go to college and become an elementary school teacher. This was her dream.What he said next made my jaw hit the floor. Dr. Burke told Brianne she should set her sights a little lower because she wasn’t college material. At this point any other kid would have burst into tears. Not my Brianne. She proudly told him that she was going to college because that is what she wanted to do. I was proud of her for speaking her mind and I knew at that point that the non-quitting spirit had stuck. Although Brianne had difficulty in college and took a little extra time, she graduated from St. John’s University with a Bachelors degree in Sociology. We couldn’t have been prouder. She is still working on her dream of becoming a teacher and is currently working on her Masters degree.
She is still working on her dream of becoming a teacher and is currently working on her Masters degree.
The moral of the story is that with a non-quitting spirit you can accomplish your dreams regardless of people that tell you that you can’t and limitations that may stand in your way. As well as being a strong individual I am confident that My children can accomplish anything because of Tiger Schulmann’s.
Sensei Andrew Katz
