I sincerely appreciate the character and integrity of Chester and Marcus and enjoy having the opportunity to develop friendships with them since I started practicing Kenpo with them at Modern American Warrior. They have a dedication and commitment to Kenpo and are personally invested in the success of each of their students. 

 

Continued:

 

They are people of genuine character and integrity whom I trust and admire for their leadership and positive message.  I practiced other martial arts and value the emphasis Chester and Marcus put on making all skills demonstrated utilitarian and functional. They teach in a light hearted and fun manner that made me feel comfortable and allayed my anxiety over being rather clumsy. In the short time I have been practicing Kenpo I have developed a real love and appreciation for the art as well as a strong sense of community and friendship with Chester, Marcus, and the other students. I enjoy the classes as they are informal, welcoming, and fun. In previous places I practiced classes were highly formal and asking questions was discouraged. Chester and Marcus foster a sense of curiosity to encourage learning and dialogue with humor and wit. I am very proud to be a student at Modern American Warrior and to call Chester and Marcus my teachers, role models, and friends.

I feel special gratitude for the lessons that Chester and Marcus taught me regarding how to protect one’s self through awareness and trusting your instincts. They both advocated for me to be aware of my surroundings and alerted me to a recent crime wave in the area. They took the additional initiative of forwarding me e-mail alerts in order to ensure I kept myself safe. As a result I changed some of my basic routines and patterns of behavior which were quite timely as that week someone attempted to get into my office while I was working late one evening. Because of the changes I made at their behest the individual was not able to get into my office and I was able to keep myself safe. Upon informing both Chester and Marcus of this they were adamant that I should have called them as they were around the corner at the time. It gave me a great deal of peace of mind that I can rely on both Chester and Marcus as a resource and that they genuinely care about my wellbeing outside of class and take personal responsibility for the safety of their students. This situation also provided a sense of security to my family knowing that even when my husband’s work requires travel I have my Kenpo community close by willing to provide support. I have much appreciation for the extra effort, care, and concern that both Chester and Marcus have to make personal safety a priority for their students.

 

 

Danielle C. Ellis, MA, MCJ, LPC, NCC
Wellness Mindful. Feel Better