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East Morris Karate Academy Established 1981
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    • Children Division
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Contact us 973 884 2224

Teenage Students

Rite of Passage
The human need to belong to a tribe extends in adolescence to a growing drive to live as an adult. It is an uncomfortable time for children - and parents as well.

We say that we teach karate to kids, not 'Kiddie Karate'. While that's true, teenagers now must learn to study with the same intensity as the adults.

We promote to black belt beginning at age 13 using a half-grade rank found in judo. The test is age appropriate. But it's only at age 16 that the student becomes eligible for the full black belt rank of Shodan. The examination is the same given to adults - the martial arts equivalent to coming of age.

In a traditional dojo, testing for Shodan, in many respects, truly is a right of passage.
Journey
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
- African Proverb



Caught between childhood security left behind, the uncertain future ahead and jackals on the road, teenagers can easily feel vulnerable.

But they can find an ally whose very job it is to guide students toward strength and wisdom. The dojo.

And the dojo accepts everyone equally.

What gets you in the door is sincere interest. You don't have to be anything in particular. Athletic, aggressive, poised, etc. Normal will do just fine.

Normal people are out-going, shy, agile, clumsy, tall, short, overweight, underweight, middleweight. Furthermore, karate is as much a cerebral study as it is physical. And finally, even some very normal people have 'challenges'.

The dojo defines people only by how good a student they are. And that depends more on character than physical performance.

We don't compete against one another here. There are no champions, no losers. Neither does anyone ever 'warm the bench'.

Do your work, exemplify good martial attitude, enjoy being a part of the crew. That's what we ask of others and ourselves.

And, as always - we do not leave our people behind. No one gets cut from our team.
Why People Choose Us

Don't entirely trust website testimonials? Neither do we. Instead, we encourage people to talk with our members - students and parents. (Of course they'll like us - they're still here! The more important question is what do they like about us.)

From practice comes progress. For us, it's effort that's always recognized. Rules are enforced consistently and evenly. We have no 'favorites', no 'super-stars'. No one is ever left behind.
Safety is always first. All members are valued and treated with respect. We practice courtesy and manners as the hallmarks of good martial attitude - both on and off the floor. We promote cooperation among students, not competition.
We adhere to the three universal dojo principles: "All start from the bottom. Everybody works. Nothing comes free." Students meet standards, not the other way around. We correct, we insist, not punish or reprimand.
We are expert, knowledgeable and experienced in the art and about teaching it to individuals. We are professional at conducting events and dojo operations. In business, we are honest, candid and reasonable.
We are dedicated to each individual student's achievement and development. To that end, we continually seek to improve our teaching and depth of our training.
Get In Touch

East Morris Karate Academy
14 West Street,East Hanover,
NJ 07936

emka@martialpromise.org

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Martial Promise, Inc. is a charitable not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization.
Contact c/o:   East Morris Karate Academy 14 West Street, East Hanover, NJ 07936

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