What's
Special About the Guardian Academy?
Simply put,
the Leadership. A quote from one of our students who has trained
at many other schools explains it well. "At most schools,
the instructors always hold information back. You seem like you
want us to know everything you know. You really do want us to
be better than you." It's true. Some instructors at some
schools do hold back information because it's about the instructor
being better. Here, we want the Student to be better, so we teach
everything we can to help that happen.
Our programs are taught on two year cycles, so everyone is either learning or practicing the same material at the same time. This way, everyone in the class from the newest White Belt to the most advanced Black Belt works together to improve. The Karate, Jujitsu and Kobujitsu programs focus on one major element of the martial arts, and those who wish to pursue martial arts at a much higher (and more challenging) level can move on the Guardian Kempo after two years of each of the other programs are completed.
Our core philosophy for training is "We Are Partners, Not Opponents" so everyone is helping everyone, and no one places winning above safety and improvement, both for their partners and themselves. Classmates are partners, and we work together as a team to help all of us prepare to defeat the violent criminal.
See Also: Why
You Want Your Child Influenced by These Leaders
See Also: Ten
Reasons to Enroll Your Child at the Guardian Academy
See Also: Our
Teaching Philosophy
See Also: Agathos Ministries
How
Much Does It Cost?
We don't charge for belt tests, association fees, new belts, insurance fees or any other additional charge for normal training. Our prices vary a great deal, from as little as $25/month to $159/month, depending upon the program(s), number of family members, and payment method. For program by program cost details, click through
to Financial Investment.
Are
There Family Discounts?
Yes.
We encourage family members to train together, so we offer very
generous family discounts. Qualifying for them simply requires
a close blood or marriage relationship or residence in the same
household, including foster children. See program
discounts for details on our family and other discounts.
Are There
Other Discounts?
Yes.
See program discounts.
How
Much Are Testing Fees?
We don't charge
testing fees. There are no fees for the test and no fees for
the belt.
This is actually
a bit of a sore spot for our leaders who know of schools that
charge a lower monthly fee or contract rate, but they really
hit people with testing fees. There are schools in which testing
fees are charged separately from belting fees, which means you
pay for the test, then you pay for the promotion. Some schools
even require special "rank uniforms" in addition to
rank belts, which adds an extra cost.
For some organizations,
Black Belt fees can be as high as one thousand dollars for each
degree. This has also lead some unscrupulous instructors to "see
who they can test" when they need extra money. Besides the
ethical issues, testing fees also make it more difficult to budget
for classes because the price spikes at every test. When investigating
other schools, be sure to ask about testing fees, AND ask if
there are additional fees to pay other than the monthly tuition.
When you start
to add up all the extra costs at some schools, most people realize
what an incredible value they receive at the Guardian Academy.
Most people who really know what's available know that our programs
are excellent and our prices are competitive, but those who know
the inner workings of others schools see that we are very up
front and direct about the costs here, hiding nothing and surprising
students with nothing. For them, "it's business." For
us, it's an ethical issue.
Do
You Use Contracts?
No. Our students
pay by the month.
Our philosophy
is that if we aren't demonstrating our value on an ongoing basis,
we don't deserve to be paid. Because of that philosophy, we don't
lock people in for six months or a year. We take our payment
the same way we provide the lessons.
Can
I Pay By Credit Card?
Yes. Our website
has the ability to process credit card payments. You can pay
by cash or check at the school, or you can pay by credit card
or e-check on the website. You can even subscribe to the monthly
classes to have the money automatically billed to your credit
card if you like, a process that you can cancel at any time.
Do
I Need Any Equipment, Like a Uniform or Sparring Gear?
After your
first month, you will want to get your uniform. The lowest quality
uniforms cost around $35, and you will want to wear a blue or
green T-shirt under your gi jacket (this helps keep the jacket
clean and keeps both male and female students covered when the
jacket pulls open, such as in the more advanced skills of grappling).
High end uniforms, which includes the uniforms required for jujitsu,
cost $75 to $180. They are not required unless you are in a course
or training at a level that really needs such durability in the
uniform.
You can buy
any T-shirt, or use one you have provided it doesn't have writing
on it, or you can buy a Guardian Academy T-Shirt for $15 (tax
included).
Sparring Gear
should be purchased sometime after the Yellow Belt Test for Guardian
Kempo, or as soon as possible for Guardian Karate, but it is
not required in any of the other programs. A full set costs a
little over $160, a little less for girls. If the budget is tight,
we have a limited ability to provide sparring gear to students
on sparring days from our "community gear." This is
essentially the old gear of students who have purchased new gear
and have put their old, rather beat up sparring gear into the
dojo bin for others to use.
How
Long Does It Take To Earn a Black Belt?
The answer is a qualified 4 to 6 years. These figures assume a student keeps up with all the material, performs that material at a level acceptable for the rank in question, and demonstrates the character expected of the rank. For most systems, this means a student should expect to practice outside of class for a few minutes every day.
It is possible to earn rank is all of our programs at the same time. Many students take two or three programs at a time, earning rank in Karate, Jujitsu and Kobujitsu all at once. Some focus on one at a time, or do one, then add others later. Those who complete two years of all three of our Basic Martial Arts Programs (Karate, Jujitsu, Kobujtsu) may move on the Guardian Kempo. From the beginning of Guardian Kempo to First Degree Black Belt is another four years, with two more years to Second Degree Black Belt, and two more years to Third Degree Black Belt.
Does
It Really Work and How Do You Know?
Guardian Kempo
is the umbrella art from which all the others are derived. Since
1990, more than two dozen times students have been attacked by
violent criminals at varying levels of force. Whether it was
an elementary school child who had to fend off a much older bully,
or a lone woman who had to hospitalize an attacker trying to
strangle her, Guardian Kempo has worked every time.
As of 2005, students have been attacked a total of 27 times, and they have almost always defeated the criminal in less than ten seconds. When it took longer, the priority was on winning without hurting the attacker - using Jujitsu or limiting oneself to Law Enforcement Regulations (extending the fight to about 15 seconds). Of those, one attack was two attackers, and two were fights to protect innocents. Guardian Kempo means "the fighting principles of one who guards and protects" so we often find ourselves in the middle of situations because we're trying to protect innocents from violence as well as ourselves.
The importance lies with the students, male and female, young and old, color belts and black belts - not the instructors. When the instructors can protect themselves, that tells you that they have the skills they need. But can they teach that skill to others? There is a saying in martial arts: "You can either be a great fighter or a great teacher. It is difficult to be both." That is because fighters train to increase their own skill. Teachers focus on increasing the skill of others. That's why some of the best fighters are often poor teachers. While our instructors are certainly capable of defending themselves, the first focus of a teacher is to hone the ability to prepare others to defend themselves.
Am
I Too Old?
Probably not.
Can you walk? If so, you can probably train. Students in the
Guardian Academy programs range from 3 years old to their late
50s. There is no reason someone who can get around on their own
can't learn. The question isn't whether you are too old, but
whether you are willing.
Any more questions?
If enough people ask, we'll put the question on our FAQ page.
Email
the Guardian Academy
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