CANEI is an acronym we often reference in the dojo and stands for “Constant and Never Ending Improvement.” In an effort to improve the experience for all of our students and their families, we are implementing several changes in 2026.

Instructor Training

We take great pride in maintaining a quality staff. All of our instructors have years of martial arts experience and a breadth of knowledge to help our students grow.

One area that we will be focusing on in 2026 is creating a more structured process for onboarding new staff and tracking their progress. This will allow us to get instructors up to speed quickly without overlooking any areas of responsibility and create more consistency in classes taught by different instructors.

Tournaments

In the 30 years since Tristar opened, it has never hosted tournaments. While we don’t feel that tournaments are a critical part of the martial arts experience we’ve worked to foster at our school, we recognize that tournaments are a fun way for kids to compete and create additional motivation to refine skills.

Participants will compete against their peers demonstrating combinations and techniques specific to their level. Winners will be determined by an instructor vote.

Our first tournament will be on February 21. Students interested in participating must register by January 24 to participate. Click HERE to register.

Flex Classes

We understand that families are busier than ever and fitting karate into their routine can be a challenge. To help accommodate people’s busy schedules, we are introducing Flex classes.

Flex classes are 30-minute, intensive classes led by our part-time staff and SWAT members. These classes count for class credit will focus on drilling techniques and pertinent curriculum to help students stay on track. Flex classes are NOT a substitute, but a supplement for regular classes.

Students may take two Flex classes a month at no additional cost. Unlike regular classes, people will need to use the app to register for Flex classes by 4:00 P.M. the day of the class to ensure we have an instructor designated to the class on the schedule.

KICK Junior Leadership Team

Martial arts builds confidence, discipline, respect and focus—all traits of a great leader. While we emphasize the importance of being a leader during classes, we have never had a program dedicated to fostering leadership abilities in our too-young-for-SWAT students.

Our KICK Junior Leadership Team is designed to help nurture critical leader skills by teaching kids how to help with classes. Members of the KICK Team will attend monthly workshops where we will go over teaching techniques and leadership skills to help them build confidence. Following a brief probationary period, team members will then be able to assist with classes.

The KICK Team will give kids leadership skills that will help them for the rest of their lives and will set them up for success if they choose to pursue instructing at our school. It will also bring even more help to our lower-rank classes.,

We are starting the team with a small group of students that we will choose over the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Family Business Directory

A big priority in 2026 is finding opportunities to support the people who support us both on and off the mat. Our Family Business Directory will serve as a resource to the members in our community to find and patronize businesses owned by Tristar families.

If you own a business, make sure you put it in our directory via the survey in the app.

Facility Updates

We are also purchasing additional equipment for our school to make it a more welcoming facility, including installing a changing table in our family bathroom.

2026 Announcements