About Us
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About Our School
Centerpoint’s martial arts classes help people reach their full potential. Systematic, challenging, creative and fun, martial arts has something to offer everybody. At Centerpoint, our job is to draw on the best of the martial arts to make them work for you!
The symbol of Centerpoint Martial Arts is the ensō, a Japanese symbol that expresses a moment when the mind is free to let the body create. The ensō symbolizes enlightenment, strength, and elegance. These concepts are central to authentic martial arts study and the core of our method of martial arts training.
Sharing and teaching the martial arts is our passion and our mission at Centerpoint Martial Arts. We have a variety of programs to serve children, teens and adults, taught in a clean, safe and friendly environment. We believe that once you get to know what Centerpoint has to offer, you will want to make it a part of your life.
Instructor/Owner Andy Mishkin
Martial Arts is like no other activity I know of, or have ever participated in. The feeling that comes from training hard and moving well is like nothing else. It’s more than a practice, or an exercise, it’s a quest.
I began my training in 1986 at Bowdoin College, in an unused meeting room in a Tae Kwon Do class led by a Sophomore. I trained in New York City and then travelled to California where I continued my study of Korean Martial Arts before returning to Maine where I earned my Black Belt in Karate in 1992. I went on to study Krav Maga, Systema and other self-defense oriented martial arts as I began to mature as a teacher and educator.
I taught in a traditional Karate Dojo (Training Hall) for much of my early career, but also worked in school departments, residential rehabilitation facilities, and other unconventional settings throughout Southern Maine.
I began leading canoe and hiking trips in the early 90’s and became a wilderness guide in 1998. I’ve led trips for every age group on river trips and hikes throughout Maine in all four seasons. However martial arts remained central to my life, and I incorporated martial arts training into my wilderness guiding and the experiences I helped create. We meditated on top of mountains, trained self-defense on remote riverbanks, and practiced Tai Chi at dawn on islands in the middle of the vast lakes of northern Maine. If it sounds incredible, it’s because it was.
I became restless in the early 2010’s. Although I enjoyed what I was doing, my family needed something different, and I wanted to branch out and create something new. My wife, daughter and I opened Centerpoint Martial Arts in Falmouth in 2016 and moved from our small town into the “big city” of Portland. I was able to put some new ideas into action, only this time working side-by-side with my wife and daughter, Harriet. It has been a challenging ride ever since, but incredibly rewarding as we made new friends, gained a new community and created great experiences, while staying true to the martial arts quest for courage, confidence and compassion. I am incredibly excited and inspired to see what comes next.
Why Choose Centerpoint Martial Arts?
First-Rate Instruction
Andy and his teaching team provide classes at the highest level. Each class is designed to suit the age and skill of the participants. We teach a curriculum that inspires resiliency and inner strength for kids, teens and adults. We see martial arts as a journey, not an activity, and we cultivate skills for life.
We train every week to make sure our skills are sharp and we are working together as a team to provide the best experience possible for your whole family.
Getting started is simple—and so is finding success and earning a Black Belt
Centerpoint inspires resiliency and inner strength, one class at a time. We blend traditional martial arts with a modern approach to teaching and learning. Centerpoint's curriculum creates classes for Pre-School Kids, Youths ages seven and up, and Teens and Adults. With a variety of skills taught at each level, Centerpoint's classes build on success. Fill out a form today or give us a call Today!