Quantum PDX Launches Kids Martial Arts Program
Starting in March, Quantum PDX kicked off our Kids Martial Arts Program in Portland. We did this by launching the Quarks program which is for ages of 4, 5 and 6 year old children. At 6, we begin to transition them into our Kids Program for ages 6 to 10, which we are also hoping to launch in the next couple of months. We offer sliding scale membership and scholarships for any student in need of financial aid.
Quantum has been successfully teaching this age group in Seattle and San Francisco for the last 5 years. Our Chief Instructor in Portland, Brad Lyons, kicked off the launch of the Quarks program in San Francisco in 2017 and has been assisting in it ever since. He is excited to now launch this program here in Portland in a time when it is highly needed.
The last couple of years has been especially hard on preschool aged children and their parents trying to find ways to socialize and build community. By starting with this age group, we hope to support our students and their families building a strong community that the kids can grow up in. Quantum believes that a non-competitive environment focused on allowing kids to safely take risks, set their own boundaries and learn in the presence of their peers builds confidence.
In addition, the agility and martial arts component of our program teaches our students body awareness and how to focus on following instructions when chaos is all around us. We combine learning and a action packed environment, giving our students a chance to learn while being kids. Our students are given space to shape the growth ahead of them, learning is incremental and achievable. We encourage our students to keep trying and to cheer for each other, which is exciting for everyone. All of our lessons embody the five tenants of the martial arts: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit.
Students are tested regularly, every 2-3 weeks in our Quarks program, so they see their growth and experience it with their peers.
It will be exciting to see this next cohort of kids grow through our system together. Many of our Quarks in our other programs are now reaching higher ranks in our kids program and with that are having success in and outside the dojo.
All of our kids programming lines up at some point with our adult programming, though we do keep the programs separate. This gives everybody a chance to have their own training but also creates a common language within families to share their learnings. We hope to offer some family classes in Portland at some point.
