Boo Dog's Den- Martial Arts, LLC 1618 Roanoke Blvd., Salem, VA 24153 (540) 312-1364

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Martial Arts Salem Va - Roanoke Va

Martial Arts segment in a Pasadena, Ca Talk Show.

Karate Salem Va - Roanoke Va Boo Dog's Den Kid's Karate Program

Dog Brothers Kali and Haystan MMA infuse realistic self defense into Roanoke Va and Salem Va Martial Arts.

5 Things you should know when choosing a Martial Arts school.

Choosing a Martial Arts school is difficult for many. You are not sure who it is you are learning from, what they are teaching, what organizations you will be associating with, and how you or your children will be taught and treated. On top of this, there is the financial aspect of the decision. Are there contracts, testing fees, and the fees you are never told about, like extra uniforms, pads, and the list goes on?

There are 5 things you need to look for when you are searching for a studio for you or your children.

1. What is the instructor all about? Is there actual, real world application of techniques in his/her background (i.e. combat competitions, amateur or professional fights, etc).? Are they good with adults and children (many are either not good at teaching one or the other, or simply in it to boost their own ego)? There are some that are great, you will need a free class or two to see if the one you are going to is one of them.

2. Is the organization recognized internationally? This is not as important as competition and fighting experience, but many times in small town areas especially, some will make up credentials and you may never know it until it is investigated in depth.

3. How is the instructor's personality? Does it mesh with your own? Do they seem to be giving you what you need, or what they want to give? Be careful of those who are too militaristic with children, or even adults. This many times is a sign that technique may be thin or untested and a strong sense of "do as I say" is instilled to discourage any questioning. You should question.

4. Are there contracts? These should be avoided. You are locked into an agreement with someone who now does not have to earn your business. Things often change after signing on the line. Besides, with children there should never be a contract that binds them to any amount of time. Dedication should be taught, not mandated by penalty of law.

5. Watch for the bait and switch. There is a very tried and true method of tricking you out of the contents of your pocketbook in the martial arts industry. Get ready, because many 'martial arts instructors' will not like that you know this. They will give you one price for a monthly fee that you may be able to live with. Then when testing time comes around, you are hit with $75, $100, or more in 'testing fees' or 'graduation fees'. These fees are said to go to certification, materials, etc. Real martial arts organizations usually don't charge the huge fees many schools are charging. The schools usually are just pocketing your money and you think it is all on the up and up. Same goes for the 'sparring packages' and 'special uniforms'. They up the prices on these through the roof and 'require' you buy them. This is a 'bait and switch' technique and they will just legitimize it to themselves by calling it an upsale. They get you to sign with them and then charge these fees on the back end. Just ask how much testing fees are. A small fee is reasonable, $10 to $25 per test. If they are more than this, you are being had. Ask if there is any extra equipment they will have to buy (uniforms, sparring gear, bags, t-shirts, etc.).

Hopefully you can use some of this information to make your decision making process easier. At Boo Dog's Den - Martial Arts you will find that there is one instructor, Mat Booe, and not a core of 'students' running your class. He has had over 50 international real contact, no rules fights to test his technique, game plan, and skill. He has taught literally thousands of kids and adults with state, national, and international champions coming from his students. See for yourself with the videos on this site the level of instruction. There are no contracts, and to go even further, you don't pay a monthly fee and lose classes if you miss. Your classes stay with you for as long as it takes you to use them. Call or email today with the info listed below. You will get the first class free and a free uniform (for kids) or t-shirt (for adults) when you register for your first nine week course. Prices are listed on the registration page, but call and set up your free class before you register. You have nothing to lose and there will be no high pressure sales. We look forward to seeing you. We hope the videos and the info above has made your decision a little easier.

Located at

Boo Dog's Den- Martial Arts, LLC 1618 Roanoke Blvd., Salem, VA 24153 (540) 312-1364

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Martial Arts in Salem and Roanoke VA

Article in the local paper about Guro Mat 'Boo Dog' Booe opening a location in his hometown.

(reprinted from So Salem blog)

Mathew Booe opened up a Kali & Mixed Martial Arts School at 1618 Boulevard in Salem in late October. He moved his family back to Salem from the big city of Los Angeles, California this summer.

Booe, now 38, began his martial arts career in Knoxville, where he earned his first black belt while studying at the University of Tennessee. He had his own karate school there for ten years, “Xtreme Karate,” before moving to California.

In Los Angeles, he “gained experience and accomplished things I could never have achieved anywhere else: daily training as a sparring partner for world famous Cage Fighters, learning from legends Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny, Gokor Chivichyan, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez and “Judo” Gene LeBell,” he wrote in a letter to the Salem zoning commission when he was establishing his school.

His school in Salem is called “Boo Dog’s Den,” since he is part of The Noho (north Hollywood) Tribe of The Dog Brothers. Boo Dog is the name Booe earned after completing 50 fights with the Dog Brothers. Their motto is “higher consciousness through harder contact,” and they teach MMA and real contact stick and knife fighting.

“I wanted to bring this [martial art] to a place that would never get this,” he said.

He still travels to participate in some of the Dog Brothers “Gathering of the Pack” fights and to do weekend seminars. In California, he provided on-site training services to schools and other children’s locations, which he began doing here in Virginia when he and his family arrived in July.

Booe said he likes to think of his own competitive fights as “labs,” and then he takes what he learns about what works and what doesn’t in self-defense techniques to teach his students. He’s partnered with the San Diego Naval Base, the LA Police Department’s Mounted Division to develop training programs, too, he said.

For more information about Booe or classes at his school, visit his website at www.boodogsden.com (there are videos of some of his Dog Brothers fights there). The phone number at the school is 312-1364.

-Miranda Beck

Martial Arts Salem Va - Roanoke Va - Boo Dogs Den