Introducing the Function First Life Skills & Sticker Collection

Building Stronger Kids — On and Off the Mats

At Function First, we’ve always believed martial arts is much more than punches, kicks, and submissions. It’s a vehicle for raising confident, thoughtful, resilient young humans — the kind who stand tall in a noisy world.

So we’ve taken a massive step forward in how we develop our students…
and we’re proud to introduce our brand-new Function First Life Skills & Sticker Collection.

23 Life Skills — 23 Stickers — 1 Bigger Mission

Every grade now comes with a dedicated life skill, taught through a fun illustrated worksheet designed specifically for ages 5–8.

These include:
✔ Smart Safety
✔ Speaking Up
✔ Kindness & Empathy
✔ Focus & Attention
✔ Self-Control
✔ Honesty
✔ Perseverance
…all the way up to Independent Thinking.

Each worksheet comes with a beautifully designed sticker — part of a 23-piece collection — so kids can track their growth, celebrate milestones, and stay motivated.

And yes… we also hid 7 secret “Ronin Character” stickers throughout the series, ready to be swapped, traded, and hunted down dojo-wide.
(And if you spot Turnbull AC, Hanzo, or certain psychedelic elves in the artwork… it’s because I had fun.)

Designed to Grow With Your Child

The first-grade characters are intentionally simple — basic shapes, soft colours, playful lines.
As children progress, the artwork matures. Characters gain depth, texture, and detail, mirroring the students’ developing skills, confidence, and abilities.

It’s visual storytelling that grows with them — from playful beginnings to sharper, more capable young martial artists.

More Than Worksheets — A Modern Teaching Tool

These stories aren’t fluffy moral tales.
They’re real-life scenarios kids actually face:

  • peer pressure

  • losing focus

  • being tempted to cut corners

  • standing up for others

  • owning your mistakes

  • dealing with frustration

  • independent thinking

They open the door for meaningful conversations between coaches, kids, and parents — without feeling like schoolwork.

And Coming Next… The Older Kids’ Series (Ages 9–15)

The next project is already underway:
a deeper, more mature set of life lessons rooted in martial arts lineage, from ancient warriors to modern-day fighters.

This series will explore discipline, integrity, leadership, emotional control, grit, accountability — the important stuff teenagers actually need.

It’s a chance for older students to understand where their training comes from, who walked the path before them, and what it means to carry that torch today.

Why We Built This

Because martial arts should do more than teach kicks.
It should teach character.

Structure.
Focus.
Responsibility.
Honesty.
Courage.
Self-awareness.
Respect.

Those values don’t appear by accident — they’re built, one lesson at a time.

This new Life Skills & Sticker Collection is our way of making those lessons clear, memorable, and fun, while strengthening the community spirit within the academy.

And we’re only just getting started.