Shane Varney's Karate School

SOMETIMES A CHILD DOESN'T NEED A LOUDER ADULT.

Imagine this.

A child is sparring in class.

They lose.

They're frustrated.

The gloves come off and get thrown on the floor.

It's easy for an adult to immediately react:

“Pick those gloves up!”

And yes — throwing equipment isn't acceptable.

But there's something we do at Varney's:

Before we try to regulate the child, we regulate ourselves.

Because if a child is already frustrated and the adult responds with even more emotion, we've now got two emotional people instead of one.

So sometimes the better response is to slow things down.

Approach calmly.

Lower the voice.

Find out what's actually happened.

Then deal with the behaviour.

That doesn't mean ignoring poor behaviour.

And it doesn't mean children don't have boundaries.

They absolutely do.

It means understanding that how we respond can be just as important as what we say.

Because martial arts isn't only about teaching children how to punch, kick or block.

There will be times when they lose.

Times when they get frustrated.

Times when something feels unfair.

Times when they don't get their own way.

Those moments are opportunities to help them learn something much bigger:

How do I handle myself when I'm upset?

And as instructors, we have to model the behaviour we're asking children to develop.

Calm first.

Conversation second.

Correction third.

We're not going to get it perfect every time.

Neither are the children.

But that's part of learning too.

KIDS HAVEN'T CHANGED… BUT CHILDHOOD HAS.

Think about how many of us grew up.

We climbed trees.

Rode bikes.

Played football in the street.

Balanced on walls.

Ran around until somebody shouted us in for dinner.

Nobody called it “developing coordination” or “building body awareness.”

We were just playing.

But all that movement gave us thousands of little opportunities to practise balancing, falling, catching, jumping, reacting, solving problems and figuring out what our bodies could do.

Childhood looks a little different now.

There are more screens.

More time indoors.

More time sitting.

More structured activities and, for many children, fewer opportunities to simply move and play.

We're not anti-screen at Varney's.

Technology is part of children's lives and isn't going anywhere.

But we do think children still need opportunities to move, play, struggle a little, succeed, interact with other children and learn what their bodies are capable of.

And that's one reason our children's classes might sometimes look different from what people imagine a traditional martial arts lesson should look like.

Sometimes we're playing games.

But there's usually a reason behind the game.

A game might be helping children practise balance and coordination.

Another might require them to listen and react quickly.

Another might involve taking turns, working with a partner or dealing with not winning.

Another might simply give a nervous child an opportunity to succeed at something and think:

“I did it.”

That's also why we don't expect the same thing from a 4-year-old that we'd expect from an 8-year-old.

They're at completely different stages of development.

Good teaching isn't just knowing what you want a child to learn.

It's understanding how that child is most likely to learn it.

So yes, we teach martial arts at Varney's.

But particularly with our younger students, we're also trying to create opportunities to develop:

🥋 Coordination and movement
🥋 Focus and listening
🥋 Confidence
🥋 Social skills
🥋 Resilience
🥋 Independence

And if we can develop those things while they're laughing, moving and asking:

“Can we play that game again?”

We think that's a pretty good use of a martial arts class.

Because sometimes they're doing far more than just playing.

They're learning.

“MY CHILD IS TOO SHY FOR MARTIAL ARTS.”

We hear this more often than you might think.

But here's the funny thing…

Your child doesn't need to become confident before they start.

Sometimes starting is how they begin building it.

At Varney's, we've had children who barely wanted to step onto the mats on their first visit.

So we don't judge success by how confident they look on day one.

Sometimes success is joining the warm-up.

Saying hello.

Trying one thing.

Then coming back next week.

Confidence doesn't have to come first. Sometimes it comes from doing the thing that feels difficult. 🥋

“I DON’T WANT TO GO.”

Most parents have heard it at some point.

Sometimes it’s school.
Sometimes it’s swimming.
Sometimes it’s martial arts.

And our first thought can be:

“But you were fine last week…”
“You always enjoy it once you’re there…”
“Why don’t you want to go?”

The truth is, children don’t always have the words to explain what they’re feeling.

A new environment can feel scary.

Walking into a room full of people you don’t know can feel like a huge deal.

Trying something you might not be good at straight away can feel even bigger.

We see this with children starting martial arts too.

Some walk through the door and can’t wait to get on the mats.

Others hide behind Mum or Dad.

Some need to watch for a while.

Some join in for five minutes, then come back off.

And that’s okay.

We don’t expect a child to arrive at Varney’s already confident.

For some children, developing that confidence is one of the reasons they’re here in the first place.

So we look for the little wins.

Walking through the door.

Saying hello to an instructor.

Joining the warm-up.

Doing something without Mum or Dad beside them.

Putting their hand up.

Helping another child.

Coming back next week.

None of those things sound particularly impressive to an adult.

But to that child, they can be massive.

And over time, those little wins start to stack up.

We’re not promising to change a child overnight.

We’re simply giving them a positive place to practise doing things that once felt difficult, surrounded by instructors and other children encouraging them along the way.

Sometimes progress isn't a new belt.

Sometimes it's simply hearing:

“Bye Mum! See you after class.” ❤️🥋

That’s a pretty big win in our book.

🌟🎉 IT'S HERE... OUR BRAND NEW PARENTS & ME GYMNASTICS CLASSES ARE LAUNCHING! 🎉🌟

👣 If your little one can walk... they're ready to start their gymnastics journey!

We're incredibly excited to announce the launch of our Parents & Me Gymnastics programme, specially designed for toddlers from walking age up to 3 years old.

This isn't about perfect cartwheels or previous experience—it's about building confidence, creating special memories, and helping your child develop through fun, movement and play.

❤️ Parents join in every session, supporting and encouraging their little one every step of the way in a safe, welcoming and relaxed environment.

Why join Parents & Me Gymnastics?
✨ Build confidence from an early age
🤸 Develop balance, coordination and body awareness
🧠 Improve listening, concentration and following instructions
💪 Strengthen gross motor skills through exciting activities
👶 Encourage independence in a supportive environment
❤️ Create quality parent-child bonding time
😊 Boost social skills and interaction with other children
🎯 Learn through play with age-appropriate gymnastics equipment
🌟 Build a lifelong love of movement and physical activity
✅ Suitable for all abilities
✅ Absolutely NO previous gymnastics experience required*
✅ Safe, structured and fun sessions
👣 **Ages:** Walking to 3 years

🚨 **WAITING LIST NOW OPEN!** 🚨

Due to the nature of these classes, spaces are extremely limited to ensure every child receives the attention and support they deserve.
If you'd love to be one of the first families to experience our brand-new programme, don't wait!

📲 Comment below with the word "TOTS" to join the waiting list today!

Let's take those first little steps together... building confidence, friendships and smiles that last a lifetime. 💙🤸✨

🧠💙 Did you know?

Many people see a martial arts drill and think it's just teaching a physical skill.

But in our classes, every activity is designed to develop much more than that.

Every drill challenges children in four important areas:

💪 Physical Development
Building coordination, balance, agility, and movement skills.

🧠 Thinking Skills
Learning to listen, process information, make decisions, and adapt to changing situations.

❤️ Emotional Development
Building confidence, resilience, self-control, and perseverance.

🤝 Social Skills
Learning teamwork, communication, leadership, and respect for others.

For example, a simple kicking drill might help a child improve balance and coordination while also challenging them to listen carefully and react quickly to different instructions.

To many children, it feels like a fun game.

But behind the scenes, every activity has a purpose.

Our goal has never been to simply teach martial arts.

Our goal is to help children grow into confident, capable young people by developing the body, the mind, the heart, and the ability to connect with others. 💙

That's what makes our classes about so much more than kicks and punches.

🧠 DID YOU KNOW?

Many people think martial arts classes are simply about kicks, punches, and physical skills.

But in our children's programmes, every drill is designed to challenge both the body AND the brain 👀

When our students are completing activities, they're often doing much more than just moving...

They're also:
🧠 Thinking
👂 Listening
⚡ Processing information
🎯 Making decisions
🔄 Adapting to changing instructions

By combining movement with age-appropriate mental challenges, we help children develop important skills such as:

✅ Focus & attention
✅ Listening skills
✅ Decision making
✅ Confidence
✅ Coordination
✅ Self-control

That's why many of our drills might look like games on the surface...

But behind the scenes, every activity is carefully designed to support your child's development and help them learn in the way children learn best — through movement, play, and engagement 💙