The Centurion

Just about any martial arts school you go into today will offer some form of weapons training. This is especially true if the school teaches karate, the art responsible for developing the use of many of these weapons. Given how ubiquitous this training is today, would it surprise you to learn that there was a time when weapons training was carried out in utmost secrecy?

What do an internationally acclaimed sport karate team and a high-end hair care line have in common? You might think it’s next to nothing, but the answer might surprise you! You’re probably familiar with the name Paul Mitchell in one of two ways. Maybe you’ve seen Paul Mitchell brand shampoo at the store or in a salon. Or (more likely for readers of The Centurion) you’ve heard of Team Paul Mitchell Karate, the best-known team in sport karate today.

Century Martial Arts has been named the official gi sponsor for the US Grappling World Team. The Midwest City, Oklahoma-based company is the world leader in the martial arts industry and a longtime supporter of martial arts athletes. Their latest sponsorship coincides with the US team’s upcoming competition in the United World Wrestling’s Grappling World Championships in Minsk, Belarus, Sept. 29 - Oct 2. Century is providing two gis for every USA team member competing in the Gi Grappling division. This will ensure they go into the competition outfitted with the proper apparel for this grappling style. Additionally, Century is providing the team’s coach and official with competition gis. 

40 Years of Innovation

GRACIE FAMILY HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Three members of the Gracie family, Carlos Gracie, Helio Gracie, and Carlson Gracie, were posthumously honored with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award in martial arts for their contributions to the creation of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The award was presented as part of the opening ceremonies at the 2016 Martial Arts SuperShow, a yearly martial arts convention presented by Century Martial Arts and the Martial Arts Industry Association.

WHY BUY CENTURY UNIFORMS? What would you expect from the makers of this star-spangled uniform? As you may have guessed, Century is proud to be an American company. We were founded 40 years ago in Oklahoma City by Mike Dillard, and we’ve been here ever since – although we did have to move to a bigger building to keep up with demand! Our 650,000 square foot complex houses the company headquarters, Showroom, manufacturing facility, and even on-site training facilities where more than a dozen martial arts classes are taught each week.  Here we make hundreds of the items Century sells including uniforms of all shapes and sizes.

Hey, martial arts school owners! You want to make your school to stand out from the competition and get more attention, right? If you don’t sell gear customized with your school’s logo in your pro shop, you’re missing out on a valuable opportunity. Here are five reasons why every school owner (including you!) needs to offer custom products: 1)     It’s one of the easiest ways to market your business. What happens at your school shouldn’t stay at your school. Your logo on T-shirts, bags, and other apparel will be proudly worn and carried by your students everywhere they go. How frequently do you see Apple and Starbucks icons? Now imagine someone seeing your logo on the street and thinking, “Oh, yeah – that’s that karate school over on Main. I think Alex goes there.” Without you doing anything, someone is thinking of your school. They are associating your brand with martial arts. Boom, instant marketing.

Same Media, Different Arts Most martial arts have certain things in common. They sharpen the mind and strengthen the body. They teach self-discipline dedication, respect, and perseverance. And they can all be used to get out of threatening situations while minimizing danger to you and those whom you may be defending. When it comes to public recognition, Karate, MMA and Jiu Jitsu are all household names. And while the average non-practitioner has seen them on the big screen, they probably don’t know the difference between them.

Spoiler alert! Don’t read the following article if you don’t want to learn information that will help you improve your martial arts school, increase student retention rates, and boost business! The Martial Arts SuperShow is just around the corner. This July 5-7 at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, martial arts school owners will come from across the country to learn from the best of the best: business pros, highest-level martial artists, and school owners who have made their careers out of teaching their students martial arts, and their peers how to run a business. This year’s show is going to be spectacular! The details are too good to keep to ourselves, so without further ado, here’s a peek at just a few of the people coming to SuperShow this year. Eyal Yanilov

They say everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to die to get there. This tenet holds true on a smaller, earthly scale as well. We all want to get in shape, but not everybody wants to go to the gym to get there. Membership fees, lines for the machines, that one guy who takes all the free weights and never puts them back – pass. Fortunately there are a lot of great ways to get an effective workout without leaving the house. Since we created the first freestanding punching bag, Century has been a firm friend to the home gym crowd. Whether your exercise space occupies a full room or is a mat that you roll out when you need it, we have the equipment you need to boost your work out. One of the latest fitness products from Century is designed to allow you to get a full-body workout, without going to the gym or even leaving your room! Our Weighted Fitness Bags are available in 15 and 30 lb weights, for various degrees of difficulty. Six handles located along the sides and top/bottom of the bag allow you to switch your grip as required for different exercises. Here are a few examples of how you can use your bag:   UPPER BODY Standing Rows: Hold the top handle of the bag with both hands. Lift the bag by bringing your elbows up until they are level with your shoulders or head. Slowly lower the bag to its starting position and repeat. Overhead Press: This exercise can be done standing up, or lying down on a bench or the ground. Grasp the bag by either the top/bottom handles or two of the side handles, as you prefer. If standing, start with the bag held at chest level. Lift it up, raise it above your head, then slowly lower it to the starting position. If lying down, start with the bag positioned above your chest. Lift it straight up, then lower it until your elbows are at a 45 degree angle. Curls: Hold the bag in front of you by two of the side handles, gripping to your palms are facing up. Keeping your elbows at your sides, lift the bag and bring it in towards your chest. Pause at the top of the lift, then slowly return the bag to its starting position. Split-Level Pushups: Start in the push-up position, with one hand on top of the bag. Do a push up, then bring your other hand in so that it is now on the bag. Take the hand that was on the bag off and place it on the floor and do another push-up. Repeat, going back and forth between hands.   CORE