Martial artists worldwide subscribe to a strict moral and ethical credo of practicing the arts with great respect for life and fellow mankind. Georgetown Martial Arts Center takes this credo very seriously; student safety is our number one priority. We further believe in developing and fostering a sense of obligation in our students to behave responsibly in all aspects of their lives. We accomplish this task by teaching our school motto and school rules to our youth students.

Our school motto holds students the highest level of expectation with respect to specific behaviors. Students recite the following motto at the beginning of each class:

• As martial artists, we lead by example
• Treating others the way we want to be treated
• We do the right thing, whether we want to or not
• We use self-control and take responsibility for our actions
• We only use our martial arts when bodily harm comes our way

Even our youngest students are able to recite the entire motto on their own.

Our school rules further reinforce the principles outlined in our school motto. These three rules: respect, self-discipline, and self-control, play a major role in our approach to teaching. Children and adults alike learn to respect each other and their instructors by working closely with each other and listening to one another at all times. Self-discipline develops in students who show their commitment by attending classes regularly and striving to give one hundred percent effort each day. Self-control is fostered as students gain confidence in their skills and a deeper understanding of appropriate social behaviors. Each of three rules has a clear definition:

• Respect When someone asks you to do something, you do it the first time without complaining. Example: Mrs. Smith asks Johnny to make his bed. Johnny smiles and says, “Sure thing, Mom.” Then Johnny goes to his room and makes his bed.

• Self-Discipline Doing something without being told to do it. Example: Johnny gets up and makes his bed in the morning, before his mother reminds him to do it.

• Self-Control Not reacting in anger when someone does something to you. Example: Johnny turns to his sister and says, “Please don’t touch my baseball cards again; they are special to me” instead of hitting her or yelling at her.

Parents learn these rules as well and are able to reinforce them through everyday examples at home and in school. Parents and teachers often noticed marked improvement in their child or student’s behavior within weeks of beginning martial arts classes.