Dear all,
Been meaning to get in touch for ages as I have a story that I think might be good to share with other students.
A few months ago I applied for a job that I really wanted, and I was up against two other people. I was told all of us seemed to have the skills and ability to do the job, but I was the successful applicant.
I asked what made them choose me instead of the others and they told me it was humility! Straight away I smiled to myself as I immediately associated it with the black belt principles! Incidentally, they also thought it was very cool that I’m a black belt - I guess it shows a lot of characteristics that are favourable in an employee.
Anyway, maybe that will inspire others to embrace the black belt principles as ideals that not only work for karate but for life in general. Kind regards Ruth

Hi Deb,
We wish to make an observation of the BBMA group which has blown us away.
Of all the groups we have attended over the years with sport, etc, we have never witnessed so much camaraderie. The genuine love, support, respect and discipline ,without ego, from everyone involved in the BBMA family is amazing.
This attitude obviously comes from the commitment and discipline and teachings in all involved in the BBMA family.
You should be justifiably proud in your personal commitments to teach these qualities and obtain such outstanding results. Robyn and Alan

Hi Kyoshi Liz, Sensei Pauline and Sensei Adrian, I just wanted to send you all a big thank you for such a wonderful weekend.
We are just so proud of Ben, and all the hard work he has put in. He just loves Karate, and it has been so awesome for him in lots of ways. He has met some wonderful people. And the Mingara team, Sensei Pauline and Sensei Adrian have been amazing.
What a wonderful weekend - so inspiring, motivational, nurturing, with fabulous support and teamwork to get all the candidates through to their black belt. A wonderful balance of grit and determination, and hard love to push them. I know Ben will continue on with his Karate journey right through his life.
For me personally, as well as being a proud Mum, I came away incredibly humbled, and quite inspired and motivated myself to be the best person I can be, and to challenge myself with my own goals. Thank you so much. Dee

Hi there team, I have been meaning to write to you to provide feedback on a makeup lesson that Addison and Mackenzie had last Saturday morning where Sempai Lianne taught the children.
She was amazing ! I was just so impressed by how she was with them. She was firm yet ever so friendly, loud enough to be heard, patient, could really see where the children were struggling and needed additional instruction. She continually reminding them that what they were doing was in fact quite difficult moves and it was oK to not get it totally right.
We love going to BBMA and adore all the teachers and staff but there just appeared to be a standout passion emanating from Sempai Lianne. It was just so wonderful that I wanted to let you know how great the lesson was and how much our kids loved her as a teacher too. Maryann

I just wanted to express my gratitude to you all for the wonderful care and dedication you put towards not only my children but all children. Jakson and Savannah have learnt so much and not just Karate but respect, discipline, compassion and patience.
Sam L

I just wanted to tell you how proud I was of Harrison and Beau today. We were at a play area and a little 2 and a 1/2 year old boy started pushing and pinching and chasing the boys. They knew it was wrong, but they also knew it was a baby, so walked away and told me. The baby continued to try and push them and grab them but they just continued to walk away to remove themselves from the situation.
I was so proud of them because Harrison said 'I can't use my words because it's a baby' but he is being very bad.
Thank you for teaching the boys understanding and resilience when faced with a challenge. Cindy

Toby hardly ever stims now, and has gone from the clumsiest kid I had ever seen to having pretty good body control. His OT can hardly detect his low muscle tone now, and he's gone from being unable to do a single push up to doing 50 without a break. Love BBMA. Julie (Mum)

Dear Sensei,
When i picked up Noah from school this week Noah was approached by one of his classmates Dads. The Dad wanted to shake Noah's hand and thank him for playing with his daughter and being nice to her. His daughter is new to the class and Noah said nobody was passing her the ball in sports so Noah made her feel involved by passing her the ball and playing with her. Noah's leadership skills have passed over into the playground and we are very proud.
Josh and Corinne

My little boy has been in the Lil Dragons program for nearly a year now and what a difference a year has made. I think as parents we want our kids to instantly participate in all aspects of an activity and it's easy for us to become frustrated when this doesn't always happen. This certainly was the case for me. There were times when I thought about quitting and trying again when he was older.

But what I gradually noticed were small improvements week after week. It all started with simple things like holding on to his attendance card and giving it to the instructor, and then learning to bow when coming on and off the mat....right through to actively listening to his teachers and participating in some elements of the class.
Fast forward a year and I have a little boy who now participants in all aspects of a class from start to finish. Even though he may be young, he can follow direction from his teachers, has learnt to be respectful of his classmates (sharing was one of our big issues!), has better hand/eye coordination, and most importantly, has a blast every time he steps onto the mat.
This is a direct result of all of the small weekly improvements that have gradually built up over the course of 12 months...not to mention the awesome BBMA instructors whose patience and dedication to the Lil Dragons program has ensured my little boy is where he is today. We still have our moments, but the constant small improvements are what I love seeing week after week.
Thank you to BBMA for delivering a program that has hands down been a worthwhile investment. I know that the skills my son is learning on the mat will help him throughout preschool, school and beyond.
Thanks
Bec

We can’t thank you enough for all the time and effort you put into our boys and the values and respect you have taught them. They are better people and better students for training under you over the past three years. We look forward to the journey ahead as they train towards their junior Black Belts. Excited to see the young men they will grow into and so many that yous. Kristy-Lee and Justin