How 2020 Armor Saved Sparring Despite Physical Distancing And Got Kids Excited To Learn

For Mr. Ryan Miller, owner of Nebraska ATA Martial Arts, two things are paramount. One: that his students feel safe enough to get back to class. The other is they get the most out of their martial arts education and learn the perseverance and resilience needed to face all the challenges in our changing world. He is excited to report that 2020 Armor is saving sparring despite physical distancing and got his kids excited to learn.

"Your Armor Against 2020"

“I joked your name is appropriate for the gap you are filling because of all the problems 2020 has introduced to being a martial artist in 2020,” says Miller, of Nebraska ATA Martial Arts.  “We’re allowed to spar in Nebraska but I’m taking a wait and see attitude about introducing it back. Because people are worried about getting too close. But 2020 Armor is filling that gap and protecting our kid’s sparring abilities by making training exciting despite physical distancing.”

It’s his secret weapon to keep his students from falling behind when physical distancing is making it challenging to keep up the high energy classes that ATA schools are known for.

” You set 2020 Armor up on a BOB or Wavemaster and you can train the same skills you do with sparring but from six feet away. It’s keeping my kids sharp for when competition returns. So they won’t fall as far behind as other schools. And when we are able to spar again they are going to have all these new tools that will help them get better.” 

Teaching Sparring Fundamentals to Kids Scared to Spar 

“The games you offer for 2 players keep the kids engaged too,” says Miller.  “For the kids who aren’t normally interested in sparring, this will give them something they can focus on. And the app gives us all kinds of other possibilities to get them more interested in martial arts. See they are improving their reaction time, and their stamina and their power with the mobile app to get a higher score. But they are also working on their confidence. And that confidence will reduce the barrier to entry for sparring and push them forward as a martial artist.  With these different tools you can reach a different audience. I’m really excited to see what we can do with this.”

How He Started Making Money Right Away for His ATA School

Miller was so excited about his kids getting to use 2020 Armor in person once the shutdown was over so he organized a Friday event, where he invited 15 of his kids to a lab night. He charged $5 a head to keep it affordable and give them a taste of what 20/20 Armor could do. He set the 2020 Armor up on fighting bags and had them play the games. 

Word of mouth spread and he’s going to make it a weekly event and after a couple more iterations start charging $15-20 and holding the event longer so that more students can participate and still be working with his state laws on social distancing. 

With just 40 of his 100 students participating at the $15 dollar price tag, that’s an extra $600 dollars a week during a time when every penny counts for a school owner. 

Improving Their Technique in Seconds With One Physically Distanced Event at His ATA School

“The kids had a blast with it,” says Miller.  “What was really cool is the kids can actually see their results upfront. They could tell when they weren’t fast enough or when they hit it the wrong way. The part I noticed is it started to help me connect their technique. If they are sweeping up with round kicks and they weren’t scoring right I could relate that to them a little easier. I could tell them they are sweeping up, kicking underneath the chestguard, not kicking it right. You could see that improvement right away. They wanted to see it register. Improvements that would take weeks were happening in seconds.” 

What's Next for Miller's ATA School?

Miller’s goal is to use these events to raise money for more 20/20 Armor gear so that his team can use them on a regular basis when sparring returns. He’s going to introduce prize tickets you can win from the game that will give discounts on purchases at the school shop to raise extra money.

“As restrictions loosen I want to hold an American Gladiators sort of night and invite more students and adults to participate,” says Miller. “Go carnival style with the games. No matter what age you are 20/20 Armor is going to get you excited to play. I feel like now we are just scratching the surface of what’s possible with this gear.” 

2020 Armor Competition Ideas Perfect for Physical Distancing

Here is a 2020 Armor competition idea (without contact). Two students set up with heavy bags and 2020 Armor. 

• Round 1: Reaction Time (30 seconds or 1 minute) GAME 6
• Round 2: Average Power (same round time) GAME 10
• Round 3: Stamina (same round time) GAME 7

In the unlikely situation where there is a tie:

• Overtime: Race (Golden Point/Tie Breaker) for 10 seconds on GAME 3 or...
• If you really want to push the limits of their abilities, do the tie breaker in a game of tug of war for 30 seconds - GAME 2

 You will have an overall winner.  But all participants will know they can go a little farther after the experience. Be sure to download the 20/20 Armor app so everyone around the mats can enjoy it with you!  www.2020armor.com/app/

Want to get your ATA school making more money and bringing back that trademark exciting despite physical distancing?

Go to 2020armor.com/ata to take advantage of your special discounted ATA prices and get up and running ASAP!