It's a family affair at the Personal Best Karate in Medfield with the Manchand family. Twelve-year-old Noah has been coming to Personal Best since first grade and received his Black Belt last year, six months before his father, Raoul, received his Black Belt. Mother Christine is a kickboxer and it was a bet she had with Raoul that got him on the mat.
"I lost some bet and was supposed to go to kickboxing but instead I took karate," Raoul explained. "When I started, I felt uncoordinated - but it wasn't too long before I felt comfortable." The camaraderie at the school and everyone working together helped make the transition from just taking class to someone training for their Black Belt possible, he said.
Their son Noah started at Personal Bet when he was six-years-old for different reasons.
This instructor knows gratitude
Posted: May 25, 2019
Stephanie McGrath has held many roles at Personal Best Karate as an instructor these past 20 years, but her most important teaching role for the students came from what she learned off the mat.
McGrath’s Personal Best story started before elementary school. She joined Personal Best Karate in Foxborough when she was three-years-old – her older brother had joined at five and she had tagged along. She took classes for a few years, then needed to stop as her family’s personal life hit some speed bumps.
McGrath, who has three brothers, experienced some tough times growing up. For a while, her family was homeless, bouncing back and forth living at friends’ houses, camp grounds and community housing. Although she was young, she remembers the hard times they were facing. Luckily, they were gifted a trailer and were settled for a little while. Then in 2004 when McGrath was 10, Habitat for Humanity built a house for her family in Norton.
A long way from sitting on the side of the mat
Posted: May 25, 2019
Former student reflects on lessons that brought him to victory
It's hard to believe that a Martial Arts National Championship winner in Forms and Weapons and recent college graduate from University of Massachusetts in Mechanical Engineering where he presented to Fortune 500 companies had a challenge with speaking in front of other people. But it’s true – Kyle Gallagher’s parents enrolled him in Personal Best at the recommendation from the public school to help him with his shy demeanor and gain more confidence.
A family affair
Posted: May 25, 2019
It was because of his family that John Mosca first started karate classes at Personal Best, and then it was because of his family that he opened his own Personal Best in
John Mosca and his son Tyler as White Belts
(far right) and when they received their Third Degree Black Belts (left)
6 Tips for Keeping the Summer Body You Want
Posted: May 25, 2019
Where are you now?
Understanding where you are now is important in measuring forward progress. Some common measurements are waist size, weight, body composition cardio or strength maximums. Pick a couple of the measurements that make the most sense to you and check in with yourself every week. By simply keeping your eye on those numbers that matter to you, you are more likely to make positive progress.