LION’S DEN KIDS MIXED MARTIAL ARTS AND JUNIOR OLYMPIC BOXING PROGRAM

Lion’s den provides our younger students the chance to not only benefit from martial arts and boxing training on a very safe and effective basis, but also builds character, discipline and leadership. We offer more of a “big brothering” relationship. Whether it be school, family or sports, our instructors are here to guide our younger students.

We have two separate programs for our kids: Mixed martial arts and Junior Boxing. Both programs are safe, effective, discipline oriented, and are taught by experienced instructors. The mixed martial arts class es run three times a week for one hour, and our Junior boxing program runs four times a week, two hours each class. This is a potential 10 1/2 hours per week for your child to train!

Frequently asked question by some parents:

Q: Is the boxing program safe?
A: Yes. It is closely supervised by coach John Callas who has over 25 years of boxing training experience. Your child will never be “thrown” into the ring until he or she is ready. At that point they will participate in “coach” sparring, working on techniques they learned in class. Believe it or not, amateur boxing is ranked as one of the safest scholastic sports in the country.

Q: You said that the boxing program is two hours, four times a week. Does my child have to stay the whole two hours?
A: No. We find that with boxing training, one hour isn’t enough, but if your child cannot stay the entire time, it’s understood. He or she will still benefit with an hours worth of training.

Q: What if my child misses a mixed martial arts class? Will he be set back by missing a week?
A: No. Everything the kids learn is reapplied week after week. It is very important to be repetitive until the instructor is sure the whole team has got it. What they learned on Tuesday, for example, is applied on Thursday, then something new is taught.

Q: How old does my child have to be to begin his or her training?
A: We start our Mixed Martial Arts training at 5 years old and our Junior Boxing program at 8 years old. In all of our kids classes we have two instructors working, so we separate the 5-10 year olds from the older kids.

Q: What’s the difference in training from the 5-10 year olds and the older kids?
A: Obviously, our 5-year-olds can’t be trained like our 13-year-olds. For our younger lion’s cubs, we focus on group drills and physical games to develop their concentration and focus. As far as techniques goes, we focus on kicking, punching, and wrestling moves to develop confidence. For our older cubs, we focus on various training drills, jiu-jitsu techniques, kick-boxing, and submission wrestling.

Q: Is there a ranking system? A lot of martial arts studios ‘give away’ the belts to the kids. Will they earn it?
A: Yes, we do have a ranking system. Whether it be our GI or no GI program, we will belt test them on the jiu-jitsu ranking system. We really want our younger members to earn their rankings. We don’t want to instill a false sense of confidence in them.

Q: Can my child compete if he or she wants to?
A: Right now, we have kids who compete in Junior Olympic boxing tournaments. Again, these events are safe and are great confidence builders. No child competes without their parents’ consent and only when their trainer feels he or she is ready.

Q: I see you have a “report card payment” option. What if my child just isn’t an A & B student but shows improvement, does he or she still qualify for this payment option?
A: Absolutely. We obviously want to set the standards high and that is why we made the mandatory A’s and B’s. We also understand that many kids have very low grades and A’s and B’s might be unrealistic at first. With that said, if your child shows he or she really put in an effort and raised their grades, then we’d honor that report-card as payment that month.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

She hardly looks like a boxer. Standing just under five feet tall and every bit her father’s little girl, 12 year old Aiyana Callas isn’t what one thinks of when they think of a boxer.
“She so beautiful and such a ‘girl’ that it’s hard for anyone to imagine her boxing,” said her coach and father, Johnny Callas. “I’ve been training kids for twenty years, and know that boxing at this level is safer then soccer. That aside – she’s good. And that’s me talking as her coach, not father.
“Though I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t get a little nervous before her bouts. I am her father after all.”
At 2-0, Aiyana is always a crowd favorite.
“When she won at an annual outdoor show in the Bronx, people just flocked to her as she left the ring. One guy even gave her a brand new cell phone. She was an instant star,” said coach Callas.
Watching her train with the Champion’s of Life youth boxing team at the Lion’s Den Training Center in Middletown, it was easy to see that she has been well trained.
Her hands are always held high, her footwork is smooth, side to side, and the jab is always pumping, keeping the stronger boys at arm’s length.
“We occasionally get girls here, but I’m the only girl who competes, so I mainly spar with the boys,” Aiyana said. “I’m used to it though. It’s good practice.”
And how do the boys deal with the “pretty” girl who can box?
“She’s not like a girl when she’s in there boxing,” said 9 year old David James. “At first you want to go easy on her, but once you see how good she is you can’t. I don’t have a problem hitting her now,” he said with a big smile.
The truth of the matter is their training is safe, effective and fun.
“They learn the difficult art of life skills,” said coach Callas. “That’s what we teach here. The glory of competing and winning is just an extra perk. Getting up there and boxing in front of 200 people is the equivalent to participating in a team sport in front of 10,000 (people). I’m very proud of all these kids. They are all Champions.”