Aspire UMA Academy - Yorkshire

Family Time

Why not enjoy some quality time training on your Black Belt Journey with your children

Universal Martial Arts (UMA) helps improve your child’s power of concentration, self control, discipline and raise self esteem.

In our classes we pride ourselves in delivering a healthy, fun workout that promotes a “positive attitude” encouraging better behaviour at home and in school.

Our motto is Pil Seung, the meaning of which is taught to our younger students as “To always do my best and never give up”

We do not engage in ‘sparring’, which we believe is detrimental to optimum health.

Family fun too….

We encourage all parents to share the benefits of the Aspire UMA Academy and enjoy the activities with their loved ones.

Our students receive no criticism or punishment. Rather than pointing out the wrong way, we show them a better way by redirecting or correcting the movements and techniques. We are a family and we trust each other in a spirit of faith, support and camaraderie.

We also downplay competition. Young children can’t distinguish between winning/losing in a competition and winning/losing in real life. When children lose in a contest, they often feel like they have lost in life as well. Since the child is still forming his or her sense of self, this belief is negative reinforcement and detrimental to their growth. Even in school, children compete against each other for high grades and praise, and much of the curriculum involves abstract analytical skills and facts. At the Aspire UMA Academy, we understand that learning comes not only from the intellect, but also from interactions with other people and knowing that you really can achieve your goals.

Children at the Aspire UMA Academy learn to encourage others to grow, to support each other, to be patient, to share, to behave with decorum and to compassionately relate with, rather than compete against, each other. In our protective, affirming environment, children can relax, make friends, learn, enjoy their training, and develop pride with humility. They learn to keep a clear, strong mind; they learn about commitment and persistence; they learn that achievement takes time; and they learn to stay focused until they achieve their goals. There are no losers at the Aspire UMA Academy. The Aspire UMA Academy also teaches patience, and our students are rewarded for their patience with our progressive belt system. We start at White belt and go all the way up to high Black belt, offering children something to aim for. As they progress in rank, they gain more confidence because they learn higher skills and techniques. Each belt is a short-term goal, which motivates and positively reinforces further achievement. When students reach their goal, we reward them with their new belt and celebrate in a ceremony with all the other students and the instructors. Students feel very special when they receive their belt in this way. This goal-orientated system helps them gain a sense of accomplishment as they progress through the system.

Their Pil Sung spirit means that, even if they don’t succeed, they will stand up and try again. At the start of every class, students recite a children’s promise—a mission statement for them to follow, not just at the Aspire UMA Academy but also at home and at school.