Excel Martial Arts, a martial arts studio that focuses on character development, opened its first Westchester location February 28.
Co-owners and husband-and-wife team Master Joe Rivera and Sensei China Fuentes-Rivera opened their first location in the Bronx in 1997 and have since opened three more, in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and, most recently, Larchmont.
The new Larchmont location offers martial arts and dance classes for children – including mambo, ballet, and jazz – along with zumba, belly dancing, and yoga classes for all ages. The martial arts program, for ages 6 and up, teaches American karate and includes a Personal Achievement Academy, says Fuentes-Rivera, which teaches self-discipline, confidence, and respect through positive affirmations and take-home assignments. Parents can get involved by helping out in their child’s class or taking a parent coaching class in which they’ll learn the proper way to coach and motivate their child.
Excel Martial Arts also offers two-hour birthday party packages that include karate lessons, group games, decorations, food and drinks, and a cake, which the birthday boy or girl gets to cut with a sword, Fuentes-Rivera says.
Excel Martial Arts is located at 2097 Palmer Avenue in Larchmont. For more information: 914-834-1540 or www.larchmontkarate.com.
Also see: Our After School Activities Guide for families in Westchester County and the New York metro area
