Act Kindly and Respectful. Be Honorable and Humble. Thank You!
Rethink Martial Arts
The Grasshoppers method focuses on progress through building blocks learning and developing. Challenge is at the foundation of our way, but the pace setting belongs to each student.
Welcome to
The Grasshopers Club
AN EXPLORATORY MARTIAL ARTS
FAMILY PRACTICE (for ALL ages)
GROWTH CENTERED
Encouraging exploration, adventure, failure and success alike, and above all QUESTIONING.
Rethink Martial Arts
The Grasshoppers method focuses on progress through building blocks learning and developing. Challenge is at the foundation of our way, but the pace setting belongs to each student.
Welcome to
The Grasshopers Club
AN EXPLORATORY MARTIAL ARTS
FAMILY PRACTICE (for ALL ages)
GROWTH CENTERED
Encouraging exploration, adventure, failure and success alike, and above all QUESTIONING.
Rethink Martial Arts
The Grasshoppers method focuses on progress through building blocks learning and developing. Challenge is at the foundation of our way, but the pace setting belongs to each student.
A Family-Friendly Training Method for All Ages.
"Bo has been a great asset to our club, and we will miss him when he leaves."
"I have been training with Bo for a couple of years at the Northwest Michigan Aikido Club in Traverse City, Michigan. He is one of the best instructors I have trained with. He has a deep knowledge of Aikido and his techniques are effective. He is able to demonstrate and teach fundamentals of Aikido in clear and understandable terms, to students of all levels. My understanding of Aikido has significantly improved under his tutelage.
I have also assisted Bo with some of his kids classes. He has that unique talent of being able to engage kids and work with them on their level. Keeping 8-10 year olds focused for a two hour aikido class is not something for the timid to attempt, and Bo is good at it."
Dan Kaiser
"Bo is the Best!"
"The positive impact that Bo has had with our students takes your breath away. Some of our students have significant challenges with trust, boundaries, confidence, etc. Bo is able to help them see things in a different way. His teachings provide life-long tools that students can draw from as they face obstacles. Bo truly is a gift in our community!"
DEBBIE CAPERTON - SOS Learning Lab, LLC
"Bo has had a great impact on the students at the Northern Michigan Partnership. I highly recommend him. He draws respect from his students and captivates their interest while at the same time maintaining high expectations."
CHRIS DAVIS - TCAPS
"My son took a short course with Bo and didn't want it to end. This was his first introduction to body mind awareness, which I think is a vital skill in this day of overstimulation. Although my son hasn't quite mastered the meditation portion, I appreciate the applicable skills Bo taught as well as the blast the kids had rolling and jumping!"
MELISSA - Parent
"Passionate & Dedicated Instructor"
"I can't say enough about how passionate Bo is about his trade and how talented he is in sharing his skills with others. He is very hard working, dedicated, and reliable. It has been a pleasure working with him and seeing the amazing growth in each of the children he has trained."
Rose Marie Zivkovich - Director, Northern Michigan Partnership/TCAPS
"Bo has been so great for my two boys. The skills and lessons were so well thought out and executed but beyond that Bo is a wonderful calm presence. It is often hard to find good male role models today but Bo has been that for my boys."
SARAH - Parent
"Bo has been a great asset to our club, and we will miss him when he leaves."
"I have been training with Bo for a couple of years at the Northwest Michigan Aikido Club in Traverse City, Michigan. He is one of the best instructors I have trained with. He has a deep knowledge of Aikido and his techniques are effective. He is able to demonstrate and teach fundamentals of Aikido in clear and understandable terms, to students of all levels. My understanding of Aikido has significantly improved under his tutelage.
I have also assisted Bo with some of his kids classes. He has that unique talent of being able to engage kids and work with them on their level. Keeping 8-10 year olds focused for a two hour aikido class is not something for the timid to attempt, and Bo is good at it."
Dan Kaiser
"Bo is the Best!"
"The positive impact that Bo has had with our students takes your breath away. Some of our students have significant challenges with trust, boundaries, confidence, etc. Bo is able to help them see things in a different way. His teachings provide life-long tools that students can draw from as they face obstacles. Bo truly is a gift in our community!"
DEBBIE CAPERTON - SOS Learning Lab, LLC
"Bo has had a great impact on the students at the Northern Michigan Partnership. I highly recommend him. He draws respect from his students and captivates their interest while at the same time maintaining high expectations."
CHRIS DAVIS - TCAPS
"My son took a short course with Bo and didn't want it to end. This was his first introduction to body mind awareness, which I think is a vital skill in this day of overstimulation. Although my son hasn't quite mastered the meditation portion, I appreciate the applicable skills Bo taught as well as the blast the kids had rolling and jumping!"
MELISSA - Parent
"Passionate & Dedicated Instructor"
"I can't say enough about how passionate Bo is about his trade and how talented he is in sharing his skills with others. He is very hard working, dedicated, and reliable. It has been a pleasure working with him and seeing the amazing growth in each of the children he has trained."
Rose Marie Zivkovich - Director, Northern Michigan Partnership/TCAPS
"Bo has been so great for my two boys. The skills and lessons were so well thought out and executed but beyond that Bo is a wonderful calm presence. It is often hard to find good male role models today but Bo has been that for my boys."
SARAH - Parent
"Bo has been a great asset to our club, and we will miss him when he leaves."
"I have been training with Bo for a couple of years at the Northwest Michigan Aikido Club in Traverse City, Michigan. He is one of the best instructors I have trained with. He has a deep knowledge of Aikido and his techniques are effective. He is able to demonstrate and teach fundamentals of Aikido in clear and understandable terms, to students of all levels. My understanding of Aikido has significantly improved under his tutelage.
I have also assisted Bo with some of his kids classes. He has that unique talent of being able to engage kids and work with them on their level. Keeping 8-10 year olds focused for a two hour aikido class is not something for the timid to attempt, and Bo is good at it."
Dan Kaiser
Share with Friends - Thank You for Helping us Grow:
The Grasshoppers Club is home to a family-friendly, non-traditional, and exploratory Martial Arts practice. It includes a physical practice, an online private community open to all, and an expanding library of available materials (articles, video lessons, etc). The Grasshoppers Club also offers online individual/group live lessons by appointment AND you can also choose to implement our practice at your own location (click here for inquiring).
Our practice involves the entire family. Think of it as a village setting, where we all help each other, explore and play together.
The Grasshoppers Club's core principles are mutual respect, critical thinking, collaboration, and learning through playful exploration. Our practice is based on adaptive movement building blocks in order to support everyone's personal development and growth.
We welcome everyone to join in, play, and practice!
It has been long established already that "learn by playing" is a part of natural development amongst all mammals. Humans included :)
It is worth looking at what exactly inside the "playing" brings out the learning - and WHY should you join us!
Younglings will engage Movement through a variety of situational games, focused on development aspects such as Balance, Agility, Self-Control, Critical Thinking, and more.
Our Youth explore growth in every aspect, through the use of Movement and Martial Arts Concepts intertwining Physical Development / Endurance, Strength, Speed, Adaptability; Mental & Emotional Wellbeing / Flexibility, Strategy, Collaboration, Empowerment, and more.
As an Adult, the Grasshopper practice taps into your lifelong skills and knowledge, focusing on partner work, mutual support and guidance, physical/mental/emotional engagement and balance, and more.
Practicing as a Family, together, creates a fluid bridge between generations and even cultures. This mix-age approach is akin to the roots of our social coexistence in a VILLAGE setting where skill and knowledge is organically transferred from one member of the group to another. And it is FUN!
Building a resources library. Explore Today!
Make new friends, stay in touch, discuss, and more :) Private, exclusive, and free. Join In!
Classes will begin in JUNE 2023 in our new hometown - MADISON, WI!
See Schedule Below!
SPRING 2023: Our weekly outdoor sessions will resume soon!
The Grasshoppers Club is moving to Madison, WI. Classes will begin June 2023. Please join our online community to stay tuned.
We hop parks! The Grasshoppers Club is moving to Madison, WI. Classes will begin June 2023. Please join our online community to stay tuned.
New and/or improving skills is a result of our practice, not a goal. This way we emphasize the process itself. In other words, we "focus on the journey more than the destination."
Empowerment is a function of self-trust. Self-trust is a function of affirmed AND confirmed success. Our practice uses a subtle way to setup small success milestones, like building blocks of self-confidence. Empowerment is a result of this process, AND we encourage its expression.
Set up a "problem" and explore possibilities. Problem-solving in martial arts takes a situational shape. In other words, timed and well crafted challenges that allow the students to figure out the next move, the next step, and the consequences arising from those choices. Just like playing.
We encourage partner work, and keep competitiveness on the "back burner." This way, when we partner (and we partner a LOT), each partner is both a student and a helper. The goal of partner work is like a "double edge sword" - one edge is learning, the other edge is helping. It is a very friendly "sword."
Outdoor Sundays Ongoing Open Practice (Ages 8+ / All Skills Welcome):
(ENDS AROUND OCTOBER, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER)
Instructor Explorer
SuperDAD, Filmmaker & Film Teacher, 40+ years of exploring Movement through Martial Arts studies.
Core Values
Our practice involves the entire family. Think of it as village setting, where we all help each other, explore and play together.
Available Support
The Grasshoppers Club has its own private community in order to provide a safe, inclusive, and marketing-free space for all Grasshoppers.
Daily, Weekly, and anytime in between thoughts about and for our day to day practice (and Life)
Visual Cue Concepts
(Share and Reflect on possible meanings and interpretations)
Progress is incremental, fluid, adaptive, often unpredictable, however, one fundamental principle is active at the core of all progress: PRACTICE. We encourage a daily healthy dose of it.
Hey Grasshopper!
Our Adult Martial Arts Clinic (18+) is open for everyone and every level (age, skill, etc).
These sessions are STUDENT-LED & QUESTIONS-BASED and we explore, analyze, and stress-test various scenarios.
We also have a private & family friendly community where you can find all sorts of materials, mini-lessons, discussions,
and MORE . . .