Here’s an overview for the stages of development of children ages 3 and 4: • Physically- they typically have low tone and poor hand-eye-coordination. We expect them initially to drop their arms when punching and fall when kicking or jumping. We also expect them to have no concept of spatial awareness, therefore they will drop […]
I just read a quote from author Nassim Taleb on Facebook. Here it is: “Friends, I made a mistake in the designation “skin in the game”; it is ambiguous and is often mistaken for incentives. “Neck on the line” is more adequate, though ominous.” We’ve dedicated our lives and careers to martial arts as […]
Dear Parent, Today I’d like to talk about tough situations, struggles, failures, and the importance of following through in a manner that promotes growth in children. When things get tough for our kids the two most common ways parents handle these situations is to either swoop in and be the hero or to leave them […]
“When you have the drive to keep going despite the challenges of disappointment and adversity, you have the ability to accomplish great things.” – Max Weiman As it goes with the Martial Arts, or physical training in general, you have to stick with the plan and trust the process through the plateaus. Martial Arts training […]
Here are 12 great points as discussed in Professor Ricardo Almeida one of the top Brazilian Jiujitsu professors in the country.His article is linked for you below. I strongly recommend reading the entire article if time permits. http://www.ricardoalmeida.com/12-reasons-martial-arts-better-kids-team-sports/) 1. Self-Defense Martial arts teach you the techniques to defend yourself, but also the way to […]
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 […]