Welcome to Five Elements Mountain School of Martial Arts. Before his passing in 2006, Sensei Al Gardner authorized me to continue his teachings. The most important aspect of this charge centered on continuing to teach martial arts to kids. He felt, as I do, that there are few courses of study that have the kind of positive impact that good martial arts instruction has on a child. Although martial arts is for everyone, and can certainly benefit all, it is in the children that we must place our hope for the future. Being Sensei Al's first child student and eventually being chosen by him to be the steward of his teaching legacy, I am in the unique position to do this work and I have accepted this charge.

David Hills

What We Teach

Five Elements Mountain is a martial arts school that offers instruction to people of all ages.  The courses of study available are:

• Shotokan Karate
• Tai Chi Chuan (Yang,Chen,Wu style)
• Japanese and Chinese Weapons
• Chinese Lion Dance
• Pilates

About the Teacher

Sensei David Hills started his martial arts training in 1980 under the instruction of Sensei Al Gardner. Earning his first black belt in 1985, David has trained with numerous teachers and in many styles of traditional martial arts including Shotokan, Tai Chi Chuan, Wing Chun and Pa Qua. David has also trained in Japanese, Okinawan and Chinese weapons.

In 1998 he returned to Maine and to his original teacher, Sensei Al Gardner. Shortly after his return he began to learn not only Sensei Al’s martial arts but became his teaching protégé.

Seven Benefits of Martial Arts for Kids

by Sensei Hills:

Mindfulness: the most important thing that martial arts teaches a child (or anyone for that matter) is to be present. Learning how to use these arts to find the place where the mind is quiet and the emotions are still is what matters.

Unlike other activities, martial arts has an infinite capacity to absorb whatever energy you throw at it. It is the ideal conduit for high-energy kids. The more energy funneled into a martial arts practice, the more benefit a child receives.

 Martial arts classes are the best place for children who are not into team sports. For a variety of reasons some children are better suited to an activity that is individualized. Success is a child's own in the dojo. There are plenty of opportunities for social interaction, but the self-esteem a child builds through winning is based on his or her progress alone.

Cultural Diversity: martial arts come from all over the world. We are steeped in the traditions of the countries of origin for these arts. Children learn about and learn to respect what other cultures have to offer as pathways to a more complete sense of self and community.

Respect for ourselves, each other, our teachers, parents, training space, and respect for the arts that we study and their preservation; these are some of the most important lessons learned in the dojo.

 In the dojo we learn how to deal with conflict on many levels. Children quickly come up against their perceived limitations. They say "I can't do this." In the dojo we teach children to say "I can't do this YET." Dealing with conflict starts with learning to defeat those parts of ourselves that limit us. Later on we learn how to deal with conflicts with other people.

Tradition: although creativity is highly important to the application of martial arts, we are steadfast in the preservation of the integrity of what we have learned. In other words, "we don't make this stuff up". The traditions of martial arts are centuries old. It takes a lifetime to master these arts; with thirty years of training I am still just a beginner.

Sensei David Hills