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I don’t know about you, but when I think about martial arts, “The Karate Kid” immediately comes to mind. According to Keith Murphy, a fourth-degree black belt who has been training for nearly 20 years, there are preconceived notions towards martial arts, but it is more than“Wax On, Wax Off.” Murphy states, “‘Karate Kid’ was a fantastic movie that showcased the peaceful practitioner of the martial arts vs the ‘bully.’ And yes, bullies can do martial arts too. This is where seeking the knowledge of the right martial arts teacher comes into play.” Murphy would know a thing or two about the importance of the teacher as he is the head instructor/owner of Ernie Reyes West Coast World Martial Arts in Jackson, New Jersey.

“Martial arts is a way of life. It is not something you just do, for me that is, but it starts that way for most. People start martial arts for various reasons like self-defense, confidence, fitness, sport, respect, etc. Those that stick with it will eventually find out about themselves and what they are made of and strive to improve their lives.” These are all qualities to admire and strive for in daily life, and Murphy’s school reinforces these ideas. The Ernie Reyes’ Program teaches, “A variety of martial arts disciplines and life skills in a way that is fun, dynamic and empowering.”

Murphy’s school has a variety of students studying these disciplines. The Little Dragon Program is for four to eight-year-olds and is broken down for the “average learning level of the children at that age.” There are also junior, teen, and adult classes. Murphy explains, “The rest of our program is geared towards ages nine and up. This is the road to Black Belt Excellence and Mastery. Again, we are able to focus on the curriculum to fit each age group. Juniors learn the same as the teens and adults but in a way that is understandable to the age group. The teens and adults tend to move a little faster due to their ease of understanding and applying the curriculum and life skills.” Martial arts is open to all ages (there are some instructors who are 70) that are willing to participate.

When asked how long it typically takes to receive your first-degree black belt, Murphy responds, “When you’re ready! It is hard to say when. I’ve seen people earn their black belts in as little as three years and some 10 years. Every student is different and every student is making progress in their own way.” Students of martial arts get excited about their black belt, but martial arts is more than the color of your belt; it’s how you are as a person that matters most. This lesson is reinforced throughout the school curriculum.

Murphy’s school adheres to “The Five Levels to Mastery” to emphasize the importance of hard work. Murphy describes the levels as follows:

The first is Non-Survival Level which is 0 commitment. The second is the Mediocre Level which is commitment to barely try. Then there is the Comfort Zone level which is commitment to get by. The fourth is Black Belt Excellence level which is commitment to excel. And finally, there is the Mastery Level which is the extreme commitment to do the extraordinary. These are levels in martial arts and in life. Levels one to three mean you are not surviving or this case excelling. We must all strive for levels four and five for a greater quality of life.

These levels can be applied to everyday life. Students can approach their homework, jobs, and other activities with the goals they learned in martial arts.

Another valuable lesson is respect. Unfortunately, respect is not as popular as it once was, but martial arts reinforces this concept:

Children are often told ‘you need to be respectful!' But rarely do I see children actually learning what respect is and how to be respectful. We spend a lot of time on this subject because kids, as well as adults, will benefit from having more respect for others…When students are more respectful on the mat we can spend more time training the curriculum to get them ready for their testing and for life. When they are not, we spend more time working on the respect.

In addition to respect, Ernie Reyes’ offers a leadership program for students to hone these valuable life skills. Murphy shares, “The leadership program is a specialized class that we have for selected students to learn to become instructors but most importantly leaders. We understand not every martial arts student wants to teach martial arts, but the lessons learned in doing so will transfer into outstanding leadership skills in other areas of life. We discuss school topics, teaching strategies, experiences and role play.”

Martial arts is more than exercise and gaining the ability to defend yourself; it is about teaching students to live their lives with honor, respect, and confidence.

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