At a recent Black Belt test, I mentioned in passing the story of “5 Blind Men and the Elephant” and how it relates to martial arts training as well as our martial arts instructors. It’s an allegory that comes from South Asian culture (hence the elephant), but I’m sure many cultures and traditions have similar […]
When it comes to educating kids to be well-rounded martial artists and raising them to be good adults, we want them to be resilient. We want them to happy, healthy and successful. And, we know that the world, and their lives won’t be unicorns and rainbows all the time. We want them to be able […]
What exactly does that mean,to conquer your fears? Well, in practical terms, all martial arts are rooted in fighting or some sort of combat. In training and implementation, there is a fear of getting hit, fear of hitting the ground, fear of defeat and fear of consequences. The goal of training is […]
Dear Parent, Stress and anxiety in our own lives is something that we “put up with”, but when it comes to our kids we don’t want them to unnecessarily be anxious or stressed out. However, stress and anxiety are a part of life and we can’t completely inoculate them from these realities. What we can […]
Guest Post By Master Melody Shuman When I started martial arts in 1987 as an 11-year old, things were very different. Kids and adults trained side-by-side, and everyone tested on the same material for their belt regardless of age. Needless to say, kids usually didn’t make it very far before dropping out because the training […]
Last night we were working on a takedown series as well as a punch-defense series that we routinely practice in our traditional martial arts program. The purpose of practicing these series is multifaceted: developing reliable skill, preparing for contingencies, playing your strengths and addressing your weaknesses. During the session, I showed the students how they […]
As parents, we do our best to have the appropriate amount of control on the content and sources that our children have access to. When they are very young it is 100% in our control but as they grow and get more exposure to peers, teachers and third party information sources that control will diminish, […]
I started teaching martial arts to children almost 25 years ago. The parallels between the evolution of martial arts teaching styles and parenting styles is interesting. I see martial arts instructors teaching the same way today as 25 years ago. I see some parents raising their kids in a similar way that they were […]
One of the biggest concerns from parents during the school year is bullying. Some 160,000 kids skip school every day because they fear of being attacked or ridiculed by bullies. The good news is that these disturbing statistics can be limited with the proper education. As an educator that has worked with hundreds of children on anti-bullying […]
I typically break my goals into three categories: 1. Things that I want to accomplish with my health and fitness (remember they are not the same thing) 2. Things that I want to do with / for my family 3. Goals for my business / professional life Of course, there maybe some overlap between the […]
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Recent Posts
- Why Kids Quit in the Car: The Hidden Damage of Post-Practice Pressure
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- Realistic Behavioral Expectations – What to Expect from 10 to 14-Year Old’s
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- Realistic Behavioral Expectations – What to Expect from 5- and 6-Year Old’s