Blankenship Martial Arts
Martial Art As Science Martial Art As Philosophy

At Blankenship Martial Arts our goals go beyond physical fitness and developing a repertoire of physical skills, though these are integral components of our training.

Students at Our School Are Taught How to Be:

• Responsible for their actions
• Successful in all their endeavors
• Leaders in any activities they pursue

Students Learn:

• Self-discipline through perseverance
• Self-esteem through overcoming obstacles and successful achievement of goals
• Leadership through teaching and helping others
• Mutual respect through following our code of conduct
• Humility through learning to receive instructions with an open attitude
• Self-defense skills through learning how to recognize and avoid dangerous situations

All adults (instructors, parents, students, and guests) abide by the same rules and standards of conduct at our school. We hope that you find the content of our curriculum valuable enough to encourage your child to continue the behaviors learned here outside of the school so that he/she will integrate these lessons in all areas of their life.

When getting your child ready for class, make sure:

• He/she is clean and neat in appearance
• Uniforms have been washed after the last use
• All components of the child's uniform are present

Some parents find it helpful to purchase two uniforms to make sure that their child always has all components of the uniform clean and ready, and to have a spare in case something gets lost or damaged. The first time students attend class, instructors will teach them how to correctly put on the uniform and tie the belt. We realize that it may take several tries to learn how to properly tie the belt, and we are patient with each child through this process.

Students Should Always Enter the School Wearing:

• Shoes, which are left at the entry
• Either a full uniform with a tied belt OR
• Clean street clothes and change at the school
• Not any combination of uniform and street clothes

Additional Preparations

You may prepare a water bottle for your child and label it so it is easily recognizable. We recommend that students drink plenty of water throughout the day so that they are well hydrated. They should also be well rested and have eaten recently enough that they have energy for the class. We ask that all students enter the school ready to enjoy themselves, to work and to learn.

The Time and Protocol of Arrival:

• The doors are unlocked at 4:50 pm.
• Arrive any time between 4:50 and 5:15 pm to be considered present for a full class. The start time is flexible to accommodate variations in family schedules, traffic conditions, etc.
• Do not knock if you arrive early and the door is not yet open. Instructors and administrators are preparing the school for class, so wait patiently outside and prepare for class.
• If your children are waiting outside for the door to open, they should refrain from climbing, games, loud talking, etc.

Upon Entering the School:

• Everyone should remove their shoes and place them on the shoe rack.
• If shoes contain rocks or other debris, the students are responsible for cleaning any mess they make in the entrance.
• We ask that everyone ensure they shut the door to the building after they enter.
• All hats and sunglasses must be removed before entering the building, and there is no gum or candy allowed.
• All cell phones should be silenced, turned off, or left in your car before entering the building, and calls should be taken outside.
• Read the "Dojang Song Chil"- our school creed, posted above the shoe rack. Please take time to read and familiarize yourself with the principles it contains, some of which are also covered in this document.

Once Inside, Just Before Class:

• We ask everyone to bow and greet the Chief Instructor before proceeding to the dressing room or training area.
• We ask that everyone contribute some time (either before or after class) to help to maintain/clean the dojang.
• It is also part of our culture to greet everyone we meet at the school.
• No food or drink is allowed in the training area. Please leave all food and drink in the dressing rooms for the duration of the class. Any water you bring can be accessed during brief, scheduled breaks during class.
• Students should leave all jewelry either in the dressing room or at home, since it is not allowed while training.
• It is best to leave wallets and valuables with parents or locked in the car trunk.

When students have greeted the Chief Instructor, have placed all personal items in the dressing room and are ready to train, they should bow at the entrance to the training hall ("dojang") and enter. The lead instructor will direct students to the appropriate group and activity.

When Training, Students Should:

• Participate in class with an attitude of respect, patience, and humility
• Use "sir" or "ma'am" when addressing instructors
• Greet one another, guests, and visitors
• Enjoy the activities, but also maintain a serious and hard-working attitude during class

Attitude in Training:

Students may find some portions of the training difficult or tiring. They are encouraged to persevere, practice self-discipline and to continue doing their best during challenges that come with martial arts training.

Students Should Not:

• Run in the halls or training hall
• Lean on walls or other objects
• Talk loudly
• Socialize in the dressing rooms during water breaks

Parents and Guests Watching Class Have These Considerations:

• Sit quietly on the bench and do not interrupt the student's training
• Small children must be still and quiet during class; otherwise, they may need to be taken to the hall outside
• There should be no talking during the conclusion of class and the recitation of the Dojang Hun (training hall oath) at the end
• For safety reasons, guests should not sit on the floor or near any training equipment
• Please refrain from phone communication (including text and email) while inside the dojang

At the End of Class:

• Class ends at approximately 6:15 pm
• Before leaving, students stand in line and give their number to an appointed student who takes attendance for the day
• You may wait for your child outside or enter the school and wait on the bench for class to end
• We ask that everyone bow when entering/leaving the training area
• Please be here to pick up your children within a few minutes after class ends

Before Leaving:

• We ask that everyone say goodbye to the Chief Instructor
• Upon leaving the dojang, we ask that everyone face the front, and bow before they exit
• Make sure your child has all his/her belongings, especially water bottles and clothing, before leaving the school
• We do not clean up after class and are not responsible for items left in the school
• All items left for one day are taken by the instructor and donated to Goodwill

All students at Blankenship Martial Arts advance in rank (earn different colored stripes and belts) by meeting all of the requirements for the next belt level and by taking the rank exam.

Rank examinations are held four times per year, typically the first Saturday in March, June, September and December (exact dates are posted on the school calendar available on the website). These Saturday events cover only the physical portion of the test, where students demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and are evaluated by the instructors.

Rank examinations are formal events celebrating the completion of acquired skills. Students are very strongly encouraged to attend all rank exams. Attending an exam is not the same as applying for rank advancement- it is more akin to a regular class. Attendance shows support for their fellow students, allows student to view demonstrations by senior level students, and participate in the class portion of the exam event.

At the First Rank Exam a Student Attends:

• He/she will demonstrate with other students to earn a Blankenship Martial Arts patch that will go on the left lapel of the uniform.
• The cost for these patches is $7.58 including tax, payable in advance of the rank examination date.
• After the student earns the patch, it should be affixed to the left lapel. You may also have the uniform embroidered with the student's first initial and last name underneath the patch.
• The name should be in black thread, with capitalized lower-case letters. (For example: F. Lastname). Either block or cursive font may be used, with a 0.4 or 0.5-inch font size.
• We recommend The Monogram Lady on Far West Boulevard for this embroidery, though you may choose any vendor you prefer.

To Gauge When a Student Is Ready to Apply for Advancement in Rank:

• Depending on age, past experience in sports or other martial arts training, attendance, learning pace and a variety of other factors, different students advance in rank at different speeds
• In general, students must attend between 30 and 45 classes before instructors will recommend them for the first rank exam: Orange Belt
• Instructor level is achieved at the rank of Purple Belt

Rank Examinations Have Three Separate Parts:

• Vocabulary – Oral translations of Korean words pertinent to martial arts
• Written – questions which can be found on the web site
• Physical Skills

To Study for the Exam:

• Students should start reviewing written material as soon as they begin training.
• Students can ask the instructors for help with the multiple choice questions and vocabulary at any time before taking the test.
• Vocabulary and written multiple-choice test materials are available on the website BlankenshipMartialArts.com. Go to the Members section, and enter the username and password to access and download the materials for the rank exam and the school calendar. Ask an instructor for the username and password.
• The two essay questions are posted on the door to the training hall, and are the same for every rank exam.
• We ask that the essay questions be the student's own thoughts, without coaching.

Parents are encouraged to participate in the education and training of their children by helping them study for the written and oral tests. We recommend creating flash cards as a study aid. Younger children may dictate their essay question responses for parents to write down.

To Take the Oral and Written Exam:

• Once students have learned their vocabulary, they should ask an instructor to give them the oral vocabulary test
• This should be done after class so that it does not interfere with physical training
• When students are ready to take the written test, they should print out the test from the website
• Students should notify an instructor that they intend to take the test and complete it after class
• Essay and short answer questions should be completed at home, prior to coming to class, but the multiple choice and matching portions of the test should be done in the training hall. Bring the blank test and a writing implement to class and leave them under the bench
• Students should put their name and student number on each page of the test, and give their essay questions to the Chief Instructor
• The completed written test should be placed in the "To Be Graded" section of the Test Folder in the training hall

The Written Exams Are Only Passed with a Score of 100%

Students who cannot write the answers can dictate them to an adult.  Students may retake the tests as many times as needed to achieve a score of 100%. The purpose for having the students take the test multiple times until they pass with a 100% score is to teach them how to fail but still continue to try again and again until they succeed. This will give them the confidence to continue to work hard and strive in the face of obstacles, as well as the experience of a sense of achievement when they reach success. If a student does not pass a written or oral test, he/she must wait a minimum of one day before retaking the test.

Note: There is a deadline for passing the written and oral exam!

Before Taking the Rank Exam:

• Tests must be completed and passed with a score of 100% by approximately the week prior to the rank exam event
• The exact deadline for these tests is posted on the school calendar
• Since most students do not pass with a 100% score the first time they take these tests, we recommend beginning to take the tests a month prior to the exam

At the Exam:

• Parents are encouraged to attend as guests
• Photography is allowed

After Taking the Rank Exam:

• Exam results and new belts are only offered after all requirements are complete
• Results are not given earlier than the Wednesday following the physical rank exam

Rank Exam Payments:

• For those applying for rank advancement, the rank exam fee is $50
• Rank exam and new belt fees should be paid in advance
• A new belt is $6.50 including tax

Tuition is annualized and typically broken into quarterly payments, though you may pay annually if you choose.  Tuition is due before the due date. Please see administrative staff for your due dates if you are not sure when you are due. When you make a payment, you will be told your next due date. We recommend keeping a paper or electronic calendar with a reminder system to ensure you know when payments are due. At Blankenship Martial Arts, we reward the loyalty of continuous training: we have students who have been training continuously for more than 20 years who still pay the same rate. If you make a payment seven days after the due date, you will either receive a late fee or tuition will be increased to the current rate. If you would like to stay at the same tuition rate, please be considerate and timely with your payments.

If you need to contact Master Blankenship directly with any questions, please call (512) 452-3618 or send an email to Master Blankenship.

Thank you for your time and trust.

-- The Instructors at Blankenship Martial Arts