McKena Harlen -- SEPTEMBER STUDENT OF THE MONTH

McKENA HARLEN --  SEPTEMBER 2015 STUDENT OF THE MONTH 

On Saturday, October 3, at its most recent Graduation ceremony held at Wyoming Area Catholic School, Barnes Martial Arts announced McKena Harlen as Student of the Month for September. She was also promoted to Advanced Gold Belt at the same ceremony.

McKena, age 5 ½, is a member of the Little Dragons program, a specialized course for children ages 4-7.

A Kindergarten student at Dana Street Elementary school in Forty Fort, she says her favorite subject is “the ABCs”.

In addition to Martial Arts, McKena lists soccer and hanging out with her friends as other interests.

McKena is a resident of Swoyersville, PA where she lives with her mother, Lorissa Senczakowicz and her step-father, Bill Thompson. Her father, Ryan Harlen is equally proud of her achieving the award and earning her promotion.

McKena initially began training in Martial Arts after experiencing bullying in school. “I don’t like people bullying me”, she said.

According to Master Gary R. Barnes, “McKena is a terrific student. She very quickly showed an aptitude for the physical part of the Art, but more importantly she has such a positive attitude and a bright, engaging personality. She is very curious, and very astute; she asks questions and really has a pretty deep insight for one so young. Talking to her before or after class is one of the highlights of my day. We chose McKena as Student of the Month for her consistent attendance, her dedication and her positive attitude.”

Students of the Month are chosen based on a variety of criteria, including: class participation, discipline, attitude, technique, personal conduct and how well they exemplify the Martial Arts in ALL areas of their lives, in and out of the studio.

Asked what is her favorite Martial Arts technique, McKena quickly and enthusiastically answered, “Ground fighting”

When asked if she had any advice for others who might be considering Martial Arts training, McKena responded, “You learn techniques to be safe; if you want to be safe you should take Martial Arts.”

BARBARA LEWIS -- June 2015 Student of the Month

On Wednesday, July 8 Barbara Lewis was chosen as Student of the Month for June 2015. 

Barbara, age 49, has been a member of the Adult Program since coming to the Studio following a self-defense seminar held at McCann School of Business and Technology in Wilkes-Barre. Barbara enrolled her daughter at the Studio after the seminar. Her own involvement came when she was challenged by her daughter, Emma.

“Emma told me, if I can do this so can you,” says Barbara.

In addition to Martial Arts, Barbara, a resident of Plains, PA lists reading and meditation as other interests.

According to Master Barnes, “Barbara was chosen as Student of the Month for a number of reasons: her enthusiasm for self-defense, which is her favorite part of class; her positive attitude; her willingness to accept and overcome challenges; her participation in every community event and monthly Kindness Mission; she is very tenacious when it comes to learning new techniques and concepts, never settling until she completely understands. Perhaps the most significant reason, though, is the massive personal transformation she experienced as a result of her training. When Barb first came to us, she was very quiet, almost shy, and not very engaged in the class; as time passed, however, and she became aware of her own inner strength, her confidence grew and she really came out of her shell. So much so, that the other students now refer to her as The Barbinator!”

Students of the Month are chosen based on a variety of criteria, including: class participation, discipline, attitude, technique, personal conduct and how well they exemplify the Martial Arts in ALL areas of their lives, in and out of the studio.

When asked if she had any advice for others who might be considering Martial Arts training, Barbara responded, “Don’t just think about doing something; do it. Just because you think you can’t do something today, doesn’t mean you won’t be able to do it tomorrow. Don’t compare yourself to others. Always strive to make your tomorrow better than your best today.”

Great advice, Barb!! Congratulations!!

March 2015 Student of the Month -- BRAYDEN ISAACS

On Tuesday, March 31, Brayden Isaacs, age 5, was chosen as Student of the Month.

He is a member of the Little Dragons Program, a specialized age-appropriate class for children ages 4-7. 

Brayden is a Kindergarten student at St. Nicholas/St. Mary’s in Wilkes-Barre, where his favorite teacher is Mrs. Al-Saigh. According to Brayden, his favorite thing to do in school is “having recess”.

He lives in Kingston with his parents, Dennis Isaacs and Mary Sweeney.

Brayden has been attending Barnes Martial Arts for about eight months and he has attained the rank of Advanced Gold Belt, 2nd stripe. His favorite part of class is a self-defense technique called “The Shield”. 

According to Master Barnes, “Brayden was chosen as Student of the Month for a number of reasons: he is incredibly focused -- it really stands out among kids his age; he is very smart -- he asks some of the best questions; his enthusiasm for training is off the charts; his positive attitude; extraordinary attendance – he almost never misses a class; he participates in every community event and monthly Kindness Mission. Brayden is an exemplary student in every sense and, to me, he is an outstanding example of what a Student of the Month should represent!”

In addition to Martial Arts, he lists his other interests as playing soccer and video games.  

Students of the Month are chosen based on a variety of criteria, including: class participation, discipline, attitude, technique, personal conduct and how well they exemplify the Martial Arts in ALL areas of their lives, in and out of the studio.

When asked if he had any advice for other kids who were thinking of pursuing Martial Arts training, Brayden responded, “Do it because it is fun.”

Barnes Martial Arts is located at 1366 Murray Street in Forty Fort, PA.

Students of the Month for January and February

On Friday, February 28, 2015 Barnes Martial Arts, 1366 Murray Street, in Forty Fort, PA chose two Students of the Month.

The first – Student of the Month for January – is Matthew Roth, age 6. Matthew, who lives in Swoyersville, is a student at Dana Street elementary, where his favorite subject is reading and his favorite teacher is Mrs. McCabe.

Matthew is a member of the Little Dragons class at Barnes Martial Arts; he is a Gold Belt with one stripe and will be testing for his advanced Gold in May. His favorite techniques are blocks. According to Matthew he became interested in Martial Arts after seeing it in the movies and on television.

He lists his other interests as swimming, football and riding bicycle.

According to his Instructor, Master Gary R. Barnes, “Matthew is a great kid and a great student. He brings a level of energy and enthusiasm to his training that is wonderful to see. Matthew always gives 100% and really makes an effort outside of the Studio as well as in the classroom. I am super proud of the success he demonstrates.”

Matthew, the son of Troy and Jill Roth, says that other kids should try Martial Arts “because it’s a lot of fun.”



The second student – Student of the Month for February – is Sarah Feifer, age 8. Sarah, who lives in Forty Fort, with her parents Eric and Patrice Feifer, is a student at Wyoming Valley West Elementary School, where her favorite subject is spelling. Her favorite teacher is Miss Fulkrod.

In addition to Martial Arts, Sarah’s interests include gymnastics and writing short stories.

Sarah is a member of Barnes Martial Arts Junior Program, where she holds a Gold Belt, 1st stripe; she will be testing for her next belt in May. She loves learning self-defense techniques, especially the newest one called Knee Lift.

“Sarah is a dedicated, serious student,” says her instructor, Master Gary R. Barnes. “She is focused and disciplined, but still has an easy smile and great sense of humor; she is a pure joy to have in class.”

When asked what advice she had for other kids considering studying Martial Arts, Sarah said, “Don’t think of it as hurting somebody. Instead it is about self-defense, and keeping yourself safe, and discipline.”

Barnes Martial Arts chooses Students of the Month based on attitude in and out of the Studio, consistency of attendance, enthusiasm, and focus, as well as the example they set for others.

Students of the Month receive a special patch for their uniform, a 3-D Certificate that suitable for framing, and a featured article on the Studio Facebook page and its blog, The Art of Living.