Transform Your Martial Arts Program with Black Belt Excellence

Parents don’t just want their kids to learn how to punch and kick—they want them to build confidence, focus, resilience, and self-discipline. At Black Belt Excellence, we believe that martial arts is more than just physical training; it’s a powerful way to develop the whole child—mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Our program is designed to help young students unlock their full potential, equipping them with the life skills that will serve them both in and out of the dojo. With a complete curriculum that includes dynamic class warm-ups, engaging activity sheets, motivational certificates, inspiring mat chat lessons, and vibrant posters, parents can witness the transformation in their child's character every step of the way.

Our program is the gold standard in character development for martial arts, creating confident, focused, and goal-driven kids who are ready to take on any challenge.

Ready to see the difference? Discover why Black Belt Excellence is the ultimate program for building the core values that lead to lifelong success. One child at a time.

We have been doing this a long time

The concept of teaching life skills through martial arts dates back to 1988. It all started when Nick Cokinos of EFC introduced life skills lessons across all of their schools, including those taught by Grandmaster Silva. At that time, 32 years ago, Tom Callos filmed the original Intro Program, which paired a life skill lesson with every physical lesson.

In the mid-90s, Paul Garcia took it a step further by launching the STAR program, which stood for "Students Taking a Responsible Stand." This initiative laid the foundation for what would later become the Black Belt Excellence program.

Now, 22 years later, Black Belt Excellence continues to lead the way in character development and life skills education for martial arts schools. We’re proud to have been helping schools teach these invaluable lessons for over two decades—and some of our partner schools have been with us since the very beginning.

No Guesswork on Lesson Plans

Running a martial arts school is no small task—you’re juggling a lot. That’s why our system is designed to eliminate the guesswork when it comes to planning life skills lessons for your students. We know you promise parents that their children will gain more than just punching and kicking, and now you can confidently deliver on that promise, every time.

With Black Belt Excellence, life skills are seamlessly integrated into your classes. Students learn the lessons during their training, complete their newsletter activities, earn their belt stripe or certificate as a reward, and then take their newsletter home to review and reflect on the lessons. It’s a simple, effective, and professional way to teach life skills that parents will see and appreciate.

This is more than just a program—it’s a reliable, proven system for building character, one lesson at a time.

We Make Teaching Life Skills Easy

We provide everything you need to deliver life skills lessons with confidence and ease. You’ll receive high-quality, professional 4-page newsletters to distribute to your students, along with a structured belt stripe reward system. We guide you step-by-step on exactly what to discuss during your mat chats at the end of each class, ensuring consistency and impact.

With 24/7 support through our exclusive online members-only group, you'll always have access to help when you need it. Our system is designed to be simple for your instructors, making them more effective in teaching valuable lessons.

Black Belt Excellence integrates seamlessly into any school, immediately, and works for all age groups—from Little Dragons to teens—ensuring character development for every student, every time.

​Increased Attendance

With our monthly class outline, your staff will be equipped to teach something new each week in every class. We also provide 4 weeks' worth of weekly messages each month, keeping the lessons fresh and engaging. To complete their monthly assignment, students must attend each lesson, ensuring consistent participation all month long.

This system motivates students to show up every week, eager to earn their rewards and not miss out on their progress. When students are excited about their achievements, attendance naturally follows!

Word of Mouth Advertising

Once students earn their belt stripes, they’ll be excited to show them off and proudly display their achievements! This sense of accomplishment doesn’t just stay at the dojo—parents will eagerly share their child’s progress on social media, telling friends and family about their successes. When parents talk about their child's growth and the positive impact martial arts has had on them, it creates powerful word-of-mouth advertising. We all know that the best kind of marketing is the personal recommendation of a proud parent, and this kind of buzz is invaluable for growing your school!​

WHAT'S INSIDE YOUR MONTHLY KIT?

Each month, get excited as your Black Belt Excellence Kit arrives, packed with everything you need to deliver the BEST life skills curriculum to your students!
Your kit will include:

• 50 Professionally Designed, Full-Color Student Newsletters – Engaging, beautifully crafted newsletters that reinforce each month's lesson.
• 50 Student Rewards – Tangible rewards to motivate and celebrate your students’ progress.

Need more than 50 newsletters and rewards? No problem! We can easily upgrade your kit to include as many as you need, ensuring you’re always prepared.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

Each month, you’ll receive everything you need to make teaching the Black Belt Excellence program seamless and effective:

• Monthly Class Outline – Grandmaster Silva delivers an in-depth outline each month, giving you expert guidance on how to integrate that month’s lesson throughout your classes.
• Weekly Messages – We provide you with printable PDFs, making it easy to deliver impactful weekly messages at the end of each class, perfectly aligned with the lesson.
• Coloring Sheet – A coordinating printable coloring sheet each month, offering a fun and creative way for students to connect with the lesson.
• Digital Newsletter – Download the entire newsletter, and share it with prospects or re-engage students who haven’t been to class in a while. You’ll have the flexibility to email it out as needed.
• Poster – Print and display the poster in your school to keep students focused and excited about the lesson all month long.
• Facebook Cover Photo – Keep your school’s online presence in sync with the current lesson by updating your Facebook page with our custom cover photo.
• Facebook Ad – We provide you with a new Facebook ad each month, complete with ready-to-use copy, so you can promote the monthly lesson and attract new students.
• Printable Certificate – If you’re using our digital-only plan, this certificate makes it easy to reward students who complete the lesson.
• Zoom Background – Perfect for your online classes, keeping your virtual environment aligned with the lesson.
• Social Media Images – Share engaging, lesson-specific images on your social media each week to keep students and parents excited and informed.

​OH AND LET'S NOT FORGET..

You’ll also gain exclusive access to our Facebook group! Here, you and your staff can easily access valuable resources like mat chat videos and important updates. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to network with other schools using the system, sharing tips, experiences, and best practices to help everyone succeed.​