About the Author
Graham Wardle
Graham Wardle is the co-founder and Chief Instructor at Valley Martial Arts. Before opening Valley Martial Arts in January 2014, he spent 10 years of his life training at the highly respected Castle Martial Arts Academy in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, one of the top Academy’s in the country, where he achieved the rank of 3rd degree Black belt.
It didn’t take long for Graham to realise that Martial Arts was so much more than just fitness and self-defence. Not only had his own fitness and Martial Arts ability increased to levels he had no idea he was capable of, but his confidence and self-belief had sky rocketed. He also noticed the incredibly positive impact it was having on so many different people, from children as young as 5 years old to men and women in their sixties and seventies.
In late 2006 the opportunity came along to study for a CIT qualification (Certified Instructor Training). A 2 year intensive Instructor training programme teaching all the aspects of not only Martial Arts training and instructing, but also how to get the best out of the students and how to help the students get the best out of themselves.
In January 2009 he was taken on by Castle Martial Arts as an Instructor and began dedicating himself to his craft full time. In December 2011 he was promoted to Chief Instructor. It was in this role where Graham became excellent in helping his students gain confidence and self-belief as well as becoming fit, strong, healthy and physically robust top level Martial Artists.
When Graham opened Valley Martial Arts in 2014 he placed a great emphasis on helping his students and their families learn together in a warm and encouraging atmosphere. His passion for martial arts is a strong now as it was when he started and Valley Martial Arts is already the premier martial arts school in Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley.
Our Mission Statement
My personal mission, and the mission of Valley Martial Arts:
In my role as a family martial arts instructor, I have grown increasingly aware of the importance and benefits of teaching young people – and adults who are prepared to learn – how to look after their minds and emotions as well as their bodies.
On the surface, it looks as if those of us in the west have everything we want at our fingertips, but it’s important to look a little deeper: life as an adult in this day and age is not easy, with information overload and the pressures of living up to social expectations bringing new and unforseen problems. Depression, anxiety, and nihilism have reached epidemic proportions, and suicide has become one of the biggest killers of young people in the world.
The solution is to teach people the mental and philosophical skills needed to navigate their lives with strength and confidence. A young person growing up with these powerful skills will have a far better chance of carving out a happy, exciting and purposeful life for themselves, while minimising their susceptibility to conditions such as those mentioned above.
I adore teaching martial arts and self-defence, and I will always work to be the best I can be in that role. But as much as I enjoy helping my students become physically fit, healthy, agile and confident, I am just as motivated – if not more so – to equip my students with the mental and philosophical skills necessary to create an enjoyable and productive future.
This is the foundation for my book, Building Warriors, published through Rain Valley Publishing, which sets down my methods for instilling these powerful skills and perspectives in my students and anyone else with the desire to improve their lives or their mental condition.
My deepest thanks for reading and for visiting my site.
Graham Wardle.
A background of passion
To discover where Graham’s passion for helping people to succeed originated you can find out more at:
www.valleymartialarts.co.uk
Here you’ll find more on his martial arts background, but also read about the transformational work that he and his colleagues have been involved in, all for the purpose of preparing people to cope with whatever life throws at them, and succeed at becoming the very best versions of themselves.
BUILDING WARRIORS
By Graham Wardle
Available to purchase now.
