Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much space does a Makoto Arena take up?
   Arenas are triangular. At their widest points:
   1. Our “small” arena has six-foot legs between the towers and measures 8’6” by 8” 6”
   2. Our “large” arena has eight-foot legs between the towers and measures 9’6” by 10’4”
2. Which size arena should I get?
   The smaller arena is good for ages up to middle school and for therapeutic applications. The player doesn’t need to move as much to get to each tower. For younger kids, this means that they can challenge themselves at even higher levels. Medical and/or rehabilitation patients are more easily able to practice balance shifting and achieve success by moving a lesser distance.
   
   The larger arena is great for working with groups of kids or with high school and above. Professional sports teams, the military and sports performance clinics like the larger arena for the increased cardio workout.
3. What game programs can be played?
   There are two basic game formats: Timed (Standard) and Sudden Death.
   A Standard - or Timed – game can be programmed to last up to an hour. The default setting is 2 minutes, but for more intense workouts this can be increased to four minutes.
   
   The Sudden Death game has three levels of difficulty.
   Beginner Level: allows 4 misses and will stop on the 5^th missed target
   Intermediate Level: allows 2 misses and will stop on the 3^rd missed target
   Advanced Level: will stop the first time a player misses a target.
   
   This game is good for building focus and concentration.
   
   Both game formats can have an “Accelerated” version in which the game will move up to the next level (thus decreasing the amount of time the targets will stay lit.)
4. How many people can play?
   There are both individual and group games for playing Makoto. A single arena can keep over a dozen kids busy!
5. How long do the targets stay lit?
   There are two programs – Fitness and Therapeutic. The length of time that the targets will stay lit can then be geared to the person playing.
   In the Therapy setting the targets can stay lit for up to 10 seconds.
   In the Standard setting they can be lit for as short as .74 seconds.
   
   

 

If a player is playing a Standard, Timed game and does not successfully strike the target in the allotted time, the arena will score a “0” for the hit.

6. How durable is the Makoto Arena?
   Makoto is made from 14 gauge steel and the targets are made of a heavy-duty polycarbonate. We have been manufacturing arenas since 2002 and have yet to have an arena break! And we work with TOUGH clients! (It’s not the professional athletes we worry about… it’s the middle school kids who try to impress their friends!) Remember though, the Makoto Arena is designed to work REACTION TIME. It’s NOT a punching bag. Yes… we suppose someone could break an arena but under normal playing conditions this shouldn’t happen. Abuse of the equipment would not be covered under warranty.
7. What is the warranty?
   One year on parts such as cables, pc boards and other components. Staffs, boxing balls and other accessories are considered “Consumables” and are not covered under warranty.
8. What can be adjusted on the Makoto Arena?
   1. Number of towers
   2. Speed of targets
   3. Volume
   4. Top lights
   5. Right side lights
   6. Left side lights
   7. Program (Therapeutic vs Fitness
   8. Time of games
   9. Timed games vs. Sudden Death games vs Accelerated games
      
      In addition, you can customize your target “on” times as well as the length of the delay between hitting a target and the next one lighting up!
9. What’s this about improved math and reading scores?
   An education remediation center (The Brain Workout Center) had run a high school senior through their entire program which employs visual scanning, rhythmicity and a host of other protocols which are proven for cognitive development. He was still having problems after completing the program so they just had him come in and play Makoto. Three times a week. Three four-minute games each time he came in. After six weeks, his reading speed had increased by 18% and the speed with which he was solving math problems increased by 10%.
   
   We also have a study from Calvin College. Students were divided into three groups. One group rode exercise bikes all semester (to compare with the physical component of Makoto.) Another group played Simon (to compare with the cognitive component of Makoto. At the end of the semester, the students who played Makoto were statistically significantly faster at a test that measured inter-hemispheric transference (the speed at which the two hemispheres of the brain communicate information back and forth.)