Local martial arts instructors earn Mark of Excellence award
August 8, 2012
By Michele Mihalovich
Dan Cartan and Marcia Paul, co-owners of DMW, a martial arts instruction facility in Snoqualmie, were awarded the Mark of Excellence from Century Martial Arts in July.
DMW was chosen to receive the award for the “immense positive impact they have on their community,” according to a press release.
It is the highest honor bestowed by Century Martial Arts to a select group of businesses each year. The Mark of Excellence Award was earned by the extraordinary level of dedication DMW exhibited to help students in the community achieve great personal growth, in life and in martial arts, according to the release.
Contributed
DMW Martial Arts school in Snoqualmie received an excellence award. From left are co-owner Marcia Paul, Century Martial Arts founder and CEO L. Michael Dillard and co-owner Dan Cartan.
“At Century, our core belief is that martial arts has the ability to profoundly change lives,” Century Martial Arts founder and CEO, L. Michael Dillard, said in a press release, “and that is exactly what DMW is doing — changing lives for the betterment of their community.”
Cartan told the Star that DMW, which stands for Decisions Made Wisely, opened in 2003 and caters to students as young as 4, all the way to 60-year-olds.
He said DMW is not just teaching martial arts, but teaches life skills as well.
“The kids learn about teamwork,” he said. “Not just in class, but also teamwork at home. If Mom needs to get out of the house early in the morning, then kids know that they need to help her in order to make that happen. They start to understand the bigger picture and how they fit into that picture.”
Cartan said he and Paul often go to local schools at the beginning of the year to discuss bullying.
“We don’t charge anything for that,” he said. “We just want kids to have the tools to know what to do if they run into bullies.”
DMW also organizes annual Kick-a-Thons to raise money for local food banks.
“Last year, our students raised $10,000 by kicking a total of 800,000 times,” Cartan said.
“I am honored that Century has recognized my school for our commitment to martial arts,” Cartan said. “The true test of any instructor is the impact made on students’ lives, and it is incredibly rewarding to receive such positive feedback from the industry.”
He and Paul accepted the award at a ceremony July 2 at The TAO Nightclub in The Venetian in Las Vegas during the Martial Arts SuperShow, the world’s largest martial art industry tradeshow and educational event, hosted by the Martial Arts Industry Association.
Michele Mihalovich: 392-6434, ext. 246, or editor@sno-valleystar.com. Comment at www.snovalleystar.com.
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