Black Belt Parenting

The development of confidence in our martial arts students is an important characteristic that parents look for when enrolling their children in our school. Listen as Kathy Sacoulas discusses how we help kids develop confidence and how you can do the same at home. Allowing the kids to feel competent and not giving them false praise are topics she discusses at great length. 1:33: Competence 1:50: T...

Meet Stephen Eng in this episode and listen to how impactful receiving his Black Belt has been in his life. He attributes all his successes and positive relationships to his martial arts training and talks about how it was the best decision his parents ever made for him. 1:35: Introduction of Stephen Eng 2:14: His start in the martial arts 3:41: Benefits from training in the martial arts 5:15: Wha...

Perseverance is a characteristic that can only be taught through placing your child in circumstances where they may want to quit or where they will fail. Parents often have difficulty watching their kids struggle, but it’s an important thing for them to experience. Listen to Kathy Sacoulas talk about how perseverance is gained through martial arts and how we can apply it to our parenting. 1:24: Pe...

Learn how Tuhon Nick Sacoulas has seen martial arts impact his students and their families, how it’s impacted his parenting, and how the martial arts community he created has impacted so many lives, including his own. 2:53: the start of Progressive Martial Arts 5:00: How Tuhon Nick followed his passion 8:15: how martial arts has impacted his students over the years 13:42: How training is a metapho...

As a nurse with a public health degree, Kathy Sacoulas presents how important health and wellness are in the parenting journey. Looking at the whole child and not just their physical, she talks about ensuring kids look after their wellness: mind, body, and soul. She also discusses the importance of the parents’ wellness as it impacts the child. 1:45: Health is about the whole person (mental, physi...

Kathy Sacoulas discusses the importance of encouraging independence at each stage of a child’s development and how difficult it is for parents to let go during the process. Creating independence does lead to better self-esteem, self confidence and how the martial arts is a great example of this. 1:15: Parenting begins with total dependence. 3:34: Creating independence can begin very early with paren...

Respect is one of the numerous reasons people do the martial arts. As one trains over time, it’s a characteristic that automatically becomes part of the student. In this episode, Kathy Sacoulas discusses how she sees this process occur and how parents can use this as a tool at home. 1:25: Respect Defined 1:53: Martial arts begins and ends with respect. How respect developed in the martial arts cul...

Learn from Kathy Sacoulas and Tara DeSuze about the importance of having partners in parenting. Creating partnerships with teachers, coaches, other parents, and your community are so important in raising children. 2:20: Introduction of Ms. Tara (AKA PMA Mom) - a PMA mom who eventually became a PMA teacher and staff member 6:56: The Power of Community 8:55: Ms. Tara’s experience of being a parent a...

Discipline is the number one reason parents want their kids to do martial arts, and martial arts is a proven way to develop discipline. Learn how Kathy Sacoulas and her fellow instructors help students develop discipline and how you can transfer those efforts to your home and your parenting. For more information on the podcast, visit  blackbeltparentingpodcast.com The video version of this sho...

Learning about each child is essential in becoming an effective martial arts instructor. Kathy Sacoulas discusses how constantly learning about your child and connecting with them on a consistent basis can help you become a better parent and gives examples from her own teaching experience to show how important it is. 1:24: The introductory process in martial arts school helps us learn about the stu...

This episode is all about you as a parent and how important you are to the development of your kids. Similar to the beginning of martial arts training, the development of the self establishes a firm foundation from which to grow. Kathy Sacoulas discusses the martial arts journey and how the foundation of great martial arts training begins with focusing on the self first. Timestamps 1:45-2:08: Comp...

Kathy Sacoulas discusses the white belt mentality in this episode. This approach can be utilized not only in martial arts training but also in your approach to everything. In order to continue to grow and evolve as parents, we, too, must develop this mindset. Learn ways to empty your cup and clear your slate for your development as a parent. Section Breakdown: 4:18: White Belt Mentality Defined 5:...

Kathy Sacoulas, co-owner and program director of Progressive Martial Arts in Queens, NY, debuts her Black Belt Parenting podcast with this sneak peek episode. Learn her reasons for starting the show, why she believes parenting is similar to martial arts, and what you can expect with every new episode. For more information on the podcast, visit blackbeltparentingpodcast.com. The video version of th...