Two chevrons!  Level up!  Passed my progress check! Won a tournament!  Posted in the forum!

These phrases fly around my mind when I reflect on my last year with Global Martial Arts University but it is so, SO much more than that. GMAU isn't just about paying some money, learning a martial art and getting fit.

It's about belonging to, and participating in something bigger than yourself.
It's about making a commitment that counts and sticking with it to the end, no matter what obstacles might come your way (and I've had a few).
It's about making a difference, obviously only to your own life, but - more importantly - to someone else's, with the help of a computer or a smartphone, and your own experience and insights, to help shape their experience in their own journey.

It's about family.

The best thing I ever did was take out a lifetime membership to start training, knowing that this was what I had always wanted to do since I was a kid, but never really having had an opportunity to make it happen. I made a financial commitment of significance, and now I owed it to myself to make it worthwhile. And since picking up my first ever home-made bo staff only two years ago (I'm living proof that a solid curtain rod will do), my life has become enriched through my training on many levels. The changes were initially subtle, but they remain a permanent marker of change in the timeline of my life. The journey continues and the struggles are real, but with discipline and consistency, anyone can prove themselves bigger, if they want it.

I'm stronger than I ever used to be.
I'm fitter than I would have been for my age.
I have a deeper level of self awareness and personal respect.
But most of all, I'm a bigger person than I was before I started.

I'm hooked on bo.

Exceptionally crafted and detailed lessons; professionally graded examinations by rank with prompt and personalised feedback on your progress; an easy to follow pathway that guides you to the next level; and a global social online interactive hangout to engage with other students - and all this for each of the 4 different martial arts to choose from - are just some of the reasons to get involved. Every ounce of time and effort, sweat, muscle aches, schedule, sacrifice, and salary is worth it. And best of all, you can do at your own place, at your own pace, and at your own time even meet and have a spar with your peers, if geography allows. Oh yes, and the live sessions totally rock!

It's time to start levelling up! It's time to change your reality and become a better you! It is time. They say hindsight is 20/20 vision. Well I say, make 2020 your ultimate vision! What's your excuse? If you look hard enough, you’ll find that there really is none that will stand up to this one fact: you’ve read this far…now to take the next step, and take control, and reshape your future for the better.

Helllo, my name is Heather and I am training for my Yellow Chevron. I enjoy the training very much. It is a good workout and I love to swing that Bo! I am a Third degree Black Belt I’m TaeKwonDo but my school does not offer any weapons trading. I was very excited to find Global Martial Arts University so that I could add to my martial arts training. Thank you Sensei Michael!

I have been in love with martial arts for years, I started pretty late in 1999 when I was 19 years old and Half way in Uni, I studied Tae-Kwondo and represented my University in Inter University competitions. Even I trained for 3 years I only achieved the Yellow Belt Rank and have to retire due to an injury on my right shoulder just before taking my Green belt exam. Once recovered, I started to practice Judo and Aikido for a couple of years (No rank achieve on them) and then I stopped and put my focus in my professional development.

Working in the telecom industry required continuous travel between cities every second week and sometime between countries at least once a year; including 24 hours shift activities. All this made almost impossible to commit to any focus and stable martial arts study.

Just recently in May 2016 I moved from Sydney to Melbourne where I paused after 12 years working (meanwhile I was applying for jobs in the new city) and that was when I discovered the Black Belt at Home which finally lead me to Global Martial Arts University, which curriculum for Bojutsu was the most professional and attractive of any others that I found online.

I started to practice and repeat the first general class of Ultimate Bo and doing so my body was learning quickly and progressively developing. The main things that pushed me to take it seriously were that there was no time constrain (I could train any time, in my own time availability and for longer sessions). After a month doing it, I decided to register into the program for Ultimate Bo (Bo have been my preferred weapon of choice followed closely by Nunchakus) and since then I have been practising on any time that I can, usually near to midnight or on weekends (time that usually you won't be able to on a physical dojo/school).

Once I got the new job, the same time flexibility allowed me to continue training it and in fact it represent one of the most important activities that I perform as it helped me to free my mind and allow me to centre my inner self into a more quiet and stable inner peace. It lead me to rethink my nutrition and even my health in general, as a bonus it took me back into my ideal weight. Receiving my Yellow Chevron rank was absolutely exiting.

In the way of doing Ultimate Bo training, my wife got really interested as well and finally we decided to start the Shotokan Karate program together which have allowed us to share more time together and understand each other more, working more closely and enjoying the training time, helping each other.

It have been one of the best thing I have done and I have found in my life; I as I told you previously I wanted to continue as far as the way go...

The great experience of studying and learning from you Sensei Michael and Sensei Jon is that it does not only goes into the style training, but instead you both go beyond and share your knowledge and experience into how to apply a Karate philosophy into your day to day living, your notes about being rightful persons, taking care of your body heath, listening to your body are great advises that we also like to apply in our life.

Thanks for sharing, and looking forward to meet you in person in the future.

There are a lot of bo staff videos on youtube and I know people who use those to learn the staff. But I was looking for something that was more systematic. Something that would progress through a wide array of techniques and progressively build up from the basic techniques to the advanced. Something that would teach you both "the how" as well as "the why" behind the techniques. I wanted a program where someone would evaluate my progress and give feedback so I can objectively improve. You will never get that from watching youtube videos. GMAU Bo staff program is exactly what I was looking for. I have been training with GMAU for around 16 months.

With Ultimate Bo, I can train whenever I find it convenient—early mornings, after the children are put asleep—anytime. It also saves me travel time to the dojo in city traffic, which means I can invest more time in training. I find Ultimate Bo’s methodology clear and easy to follow, and it is more than just learning self-defense; the techniques, when put together into a full kata form, create a graceful form of art, not to mention a rigorous workout, particularly when performed in rapid succession.