Another incredible year is on the verge of saying sayonara, and in this post, I’ll review the many high points 2024 had to offer.
One of the most common phrases I can say about this year is that we did something “for the first time in a long time.”
Let’s dive right in.
2024 By The Numbers
- We average 5 students per class. The beginner karate class on Tuesdays is a bit smaller, while the more advanced karate Wednesday class is a bit larger. Our Tuesday tai chi chuan class is slightly under the average. All of this means more personalized instruction for your student!
- We consistently had more than 20 students registered this year! These are unique students, despite how many classes they’ve signed up for.
- The average student sticks around for 9-10 months. One of the questions you’ll hear often is, “How long does the average student take to get to black belt?” The simple answer is, “The average student doesn’t reach a black belt.” In my experience, students quit after less than a year. Of course, there are plenty of exceptions and other factors that go into this, but on the whole, our average student lasts just under a year.
We Boosted Our Community Involvement
I wanted Metamora Martial Arts to give back to our town this year, and I’m satisfied with our efforts.
Demos, Presentations, & Parades
We held our first demo and made our first parade appearances in a decade this year.
In March, I spoke to the Metamora and Germantown Hills Rotary Club about what we do, a brief history of our program, and why we’re a benefit to the community:
- We offer a unique taste of Okinawan, Japanese, and Chinese culture and history.
- We teach self-defense strategies and tactics every week to our students.
- We are a supplemental physical activity, helping to combat obesity and performing movements that positively affect students of all ages.
- We offer extra opportunities for martial arts competitions throughout the state.
I made a similar presentation at ICC’s Arts Week, and several students and their families came out to support and offer a demonstration of our shinmei shorin-ryu karate and tai chi chuan.
We also showed up for the annual Old Settlers and Homecoming parades in a big way, throwing out hundreds of pounds of candy to our neighbors.
Sponsorships
Besides being present in the community, we helped make a positive impact here in Metamora.
In September, the Kiwanis Club hosted their first-ever Boys Of Fall concert.
That concert helped cement a $12,500 donation to the Unified Redbirds—a “club that creates opportunities for one-on-one friendships and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
We also made a raffle donation to the Mark Linder Walk For The Mind, an organization whose annual event raised $160,000 to support ongoing, costly brain tumor research at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria.
Finally, we carried on what’s quickly becoming one of our family’s favorite traditions by supporting Shine A Light On Metamora Christmas. This annual event includes decorating our tree with homemade martial arts ornaments, and a huge celebration to light the trees early in December.
We Competed With Fellow Martial Artists
Our competition schedule was relatively light this year, but I’m proud of our students who competed.
Four of our students competed at the 2024 Bill Auvenshine Memorial Tournament in Springfield, and two students competed at the 2024 Midwest Open in Decatur.
Tournaments can be a great way for students to get extra practice in and learn about different aspects of martial arts they may not otherwise be exposed to in class.
Interested in competing in a tournament in 2025? Join our Specialty class!
Our Students Experienced Success
I’ve worked really hard to make martial arts an indispensable part of someone’s life once they join.
I attribute much of the success I’ve had in my life to lessons I’ve learned from martial arts, and I want our students (and parents) to see similar results.
That’s why I worked to offer more classes this year, scaling up from one karate class per week to three—two opportunities for core classes and a specialty class where we focused on competition and kobudo (weapons) training.
To further support our school and our students, I worked with a local designer and LogoWear on the Metamora square to introduce new apparel for the first time in a decade. I’m always giddy when I see a student or a parent wearing one of our pieces.
And, late this year, we launched a brand-new website! This site better demonstrates who we are today and where we want to fit into our community.
Finally, all the bells and whistles of a new site and parades are nice, but I never get tired of seeing when a student finally gets it after they’ve been working on something for minutes, days, or weeks. Students who received a promotion this year earned it.
Sensei Adam Sought Out Continuing Education
What a better way to kick off 2024 than with our senior instructors?!
Despite a wicked travel day in January to Illinois, our senior instructors—Mr. Molineux, Mr. Gifford, and Mr. Aldus—showed up for our students and others in the IOBK network in central Illinois.
I also got a chance to train with them while they were in town.
A month later, I flew to Florida for a seminar hosted by Mr. Webster.
There, Mr. Gifford reviewed a new form with me and used me to demonstrate techniques. Plus, I learned new applications for other forms, and got to assist Mr. and Mrs. Aldus in tai chi chuan & Hsing-i chuan.
Over the summer, I visited our shinmeikan in the northern Georgia mountains to train with Mr. Molineux, Mr. Gifford, and Mr. Wieder. Our in-person training time is limited during the year because of our various geographic locations. While Zoom calls are great, so much is learned through live training.
What’s 2025 Got In Store?
I’m excited about 2025!
We’re set to offer online payments for the first time starting in January.
Plus, I’ve identified about a dozen potential tournaments we could compete at throughout the year for those who are interested.
I’ve yet to do my annual planning for next year, but I’ve got many ideas I’ve been tracking in a document that I’d like to roll out for our program in 2025. We’ll see how those come to fruition in the new year.
Until then, keep practicing!
