Dear Parent,
Do you remember the time when your children had positive role models? When the pro athletes they looked up to were known for their statistics and sports records rather than for their felony arrest and prison records. In the past 30 – 40 years our society has been in a moral decline. T.V. programs used to have morals to the stories, which reinforced principles, and character development. Unfortunately those days are gone. On T.V. we have gone from “Leave it to Beaver” and “Father Knows Best” to “Beavis and Butthead”, and in sports from Michael Jordan and Darrell Green, to Mike Tyson (Rape), Lawrence Taylor (Drugs), and Rae Carruth (Murder).
The Associated Press reported on April 25, 5005, that 1 of every 138 U.S. Residents are members of our 2.1 million person prison population. In Virginia alone the prison population grew 2.1% from 2003 to 2004. Most of these inmates are in prison for non-violent drug related charges. The Daily Press reported on 5-5-05 that from 2000 – 2004 the drug arrest in Virginia doubled! Our children are at risk. More today than at any other time in our nations history! GOD is no longer welcome in our school system. Moral teaching within our educational system is a thing of the past. While Moral Character is not taught or reinforced, negative influences not only live but prosper.
If our children are to rise above these circumstances and avoid the negative influences that can and do lead to prison or worse, they need positive character development and leadership training. We need to provide positive activities, which develop inner strength and moral ethics, and empower them to stand on their own and not follow those that would lead them in the wrong direction.
No other activity has been shown to develop positive character building, leadership skills and the courage to stand tall among negative influences, better than the Martial Arts. I myself am a product of a lifetime of Martial Art training. My parents enrolled me in a Martial Art class at the age of 5 in 1966. Through the teaching of some very good and ethical instructors I was guided through a path that led me away from negative influences and into a life of public service and success. I was in high school in the 70’s when the use of drugs was very prevalent. The Martial Arts gave me the strength to stand on my own against the negative peer pressure in school and guided me towards positive directions in my life.
Once out of school, the Martial Arts paved the way for me to enter a career in Public Safety where I have worked for the past 25 years as a Police Officer, Firefighter, and Emergency Medic. All occupations I could not have pursued had I succumbed to the negative influences outside of the Martial Art school. We at MASS Martial Arts are dedicated to helping your children have the same opportunities that the Martial Arts have brought to myself and many others like me.
Our Instructional Staff includes not only myself but two other instructors with a combined 40+ years in Law Enforcement. One is retired, and the other is still active in the city of Newport News. We have all worked in public education programs and have worked with at-risk youth. We have been on the streets, and know first hand the challenges today’s youth face. With our backgrounds and experience, we are in a unique position to guide youth in a direction that can help them avoid the pitfalls of today’s negative environment.
We are a “Life Skills” academy. We use the Martial Arts as a vehicle to expose the student to the “Six Seeds of Character” Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. These Character Building seeds will help guide your child into a more productive, powerful and successful future.
Please make an appointment to see how MASS Martial Arts can jump-start your child on the path to an Extraordinary Future!
Our goal is your child’s success. Expect Outstanding Results!
-Tony Massengill
Chief Instructor - MASS Martial Arts