SMA teaches martial arts — and about life

Mike Szotkowski is direct, thoughtful and forward-thinking.

Kneeling on his mat, wearing his karate uniform and black belt, he talks to his martial arts students, exuding a sense of calm and ease. The lessons at Sandpoint Martial Arts are as much life lessons as they are about gaining physical skills.

“There’s always a character lesson taught with our programs,” Szotkowski said. “We don’t want someone to learn how to just kick and punch, we want them to also be responsible with their behavior.”

Szotkowski and wife Angie have been a part of the Sandpoint community since moving to the area in 2005. Twelve years after running a martial arts school in another state, they opened up Sandpoint Martial Arts in 2006.

“The kids jokingly call my belt gray because of how worn it is,” Szotkowski joked. “I’m trying to go back to white belt.”

Lessons at SMA provide a unique opportunity for members aged 5 and up. Szotkowski has developed a curriculum that focuses on teaching different aspects of martial arts and combines it with character development.

SMA's youth programs are currently the main focus, seeing as ages 5-13 are the most dominant groups at the school, but they also have a strong teens program. At the moment, there are no group adult programs offered, but they do offer private sessions, which can be especially helpful to those who have been in a situation that is very personal, Szotkowski said.

“As adults, we face different scenarios where self-defense may be needed,” Szotkowski said. “There’s an aspect of real world martial arts training where you become adrenalized. Your body goes through an experience that you can’t mimic.”

SMA also hosts women’s self-defense events twice a year. Angie Szotkowski, a red belt in her own right, is heavily involved with these lessons.

“When you have a group of ladies that might be intimidated to come into school in the first place, often some who have had incidents that have affected them, I think they’re more comfortable seeing someone like Angie show how the moves are done,” Szotkowski said.

Mr. S, as the kids call Szotkowski, has built a curriculum that's all-encompassing and focuses on real-life situations. He’s taken aspects from Taekwondo, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Muitai and western boxing.

The Taekwondo portion includes many kicks and represents the artistic side of martial arts. Judo aspects incorporate takedowns, finishing techniques come from Jiu Jitsu, strikes from western boxing are utilized and a variety of kicks from Taekwondo and Muitai are included.

When putting the curriculum together, Szotkowski posed the questions: What's practical? What really works? And what is a child going to face in real life?

A lifelong learner himself, Szotkowski was introduced to martial arts as a child. Growing up in the Bruce Lee era had a huge influence on his early days, he said.

Szotkowski began with Chinese kenpo, also known as Chinese Kung Fu, or Chinese martial arts, which is used as a basis for many other forms of martial arts. In the '90s, Szotkowski joined the military, where he was introduced to Taekwondo and began training seriously in the discipline with a Korean family.

At the same time, UFC was just starting out and Hall of Fame legend Royce Gracie put grappling on the map. Watching Gracie combine juijitsu moves with grappling had a profound influence on Szotkowski.

When asking Szotkowski if he has a favorite move, the response tied in perfectly with his notion of being a lifelong learner.

“There are different moves for different situations,” Szotkowski said. “The older I get, the more I’m interested in learning what’s practical and effective.”

When starting at SMA, the journey begins with a white belt, Szotkowski said. White and yellow represent beginner levels, orange and green are intermediate and purple and above represent the advanced group.

“The best way to look at the belt structure is like grade levels,” he said. “The curriculum evolves as you move through the belt systems.”

Each month, belt testing is held for the students. Szotkowski will assess who is ready for testing by a set of standards that are in place. This involves a time requirement based on a certain amount of hours that must be met and a formal skills test to demonstrate a certain number of skills prior qualifying for the test.

“The students demonstrate that they have their skill signed off and that their time is in,” Szotkowski said. “They also have parental approval for their character demonstrating things that they’re learning in self-defense and self-discipline.”

At the beginning levels, it takes about three to four months to move up between each belt. Szotkowski said that timing can be very dependent on the student. At the intermediate levels, you’re looking at about six months per belt. The higher, more advanced belts can take up to a year to graduate through.

SMA offers four classes each day: beginner, intermediate, advanced and teen. Classes are 45-50 minutes and touch on both the physical and psychological elements of martial arts.

“We’re open to anyone,” Szotkowski said. “Everyone has their own starting point. You start where you’re at and you go from there. Everyone is on their own journey.”

If you’d like to join or learn more about Sandpoint Martial Arts, you can call Mike and Angie at 208-610-2577 or email SandpointKarate@aol.com​. You can also check out their website at sandpointkarate.com.