10 THINGS KIDS LEARN FROM STUDYING MARTIAL ARTS

To parents that have little experience with the world of martial arts, the entire sport can seem violent and dangerous for kids. Upon closer inspection, however, many find that their kids will reap an innumerable amount of benefits from participation in a martial arts training program. In addition to busting sedentary habits and getting kids in shape, martial arts instruction also helps kids learn these ten valuable lessons.

Determination and Dedication - In order to ascend through the ranks and earn new belts, kids that study the martial arts must exhibit dedication and determination. Learning to set and achieve new goals through hard work and dedication is one of the most valuable skills that a child can take away from martial arts training.

To Manage Disappointment in Healthy Ways - No matter how dedicated he is or how hard your child tries, there's a good chance that he'll be disappointed by a failure to advance or a mistake that he makes during training. Rather than shielding your child from these feelings, you can use the opportunity as a valuable teaching experience, helping him learn to manage that disappointment in healthy ways.

How to Avoid Physical Confrontation - Action heroes in summer blockbuster films may attack their opponents with style and gusto, but real life just isn't like the movies. In reality, your child will be taught how to peacefully diffuse a volatile situation and to avoid physical force altogether unless it's absolutely necessary for defense.

Working With a Partner or As Part of a Team - Some martial arts styles, like jiu jitsu, will require kids to work with a partner to hone their skills and advance. Working together or as part of a team to learn skills and master their technique helps kids learn the value of teamwork, a principle that he can apply to any number of situations as he gets older.

Increased Social Skills - Even if your child doesn't choose a style that requires much work with a partner or group, the act of spending an hour or so each week with the same people and interacting in a controlled environment often helps shy kids come out of their shells.

To Listen Effectively - It's impossible to learn proper technique and improve martial arts skills if you can't listen to the instructor carefully, which is why training in the martial arts can have such a strong impact on kids' listening skills as a whole.

The Importance of Self-Restraint and Discipline - The basic tenets of all martial arts styles place a strong emphasis on discipline and self-restraint. Willful, stubborn kids that struggle with their impulse control can benefit greatly in the hands of a seasoned instructor.

How to Respect Authority Figures - Regardless of the style, a great martial arts instructor will command absolute respect from his or her young students. This respect for a particular authority figure can easily extend to a respect for authority in general, especially when the focus of classes emphasizes this concept.

The Importance of Confidence - Success is dependent upon confidence and self-assurance in so many areas of life, and it's imperative for kids to gain such traits. Mastering new techniques in martial arts training will help your child to become more confident and slowly gain faith in her abilities, making her more confident and self-assured in general.

The Benefits of Being Physically Active - The dangers of a sedentary lifestyle and the attendant risks of childhood obesity are well-documented, but all martial arts training will require your child to be physically active and fit. Learning the importance of a healthy, active body can inspire your child to make real changes in her lifestyle, helping to make her more focused on fitness and health in many areas.

These are just a few of the things that your child can learn from participation in a reputable, quality martial arts program. Before enrolling your child, however, it's wise to remember that not all dojos are created equal. Just as it's smart to shop around for the best area dance instructor or sports coach, you should also make an effort to locate an instruction facility in your area that has a strong reputation and a focus of kids' programs.

Seattle Tae Kwon Do, 22803 44th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043, Tel. 425-775-0299

www.seattletaekwondo.com
 

Why Martial Arts?

There is a reason why Oprah, Dr Phil, Dr Laura Schlesinger, Jillian Michaels (Biggest Loser), Tony Robbins, pediatricians, child physiologists, and educators the world over all have alluded to the fact that Martial Arts is one of the most valuable things you can involve your child in. 

It goes way beyond self defense and can help a child in nearly every aspect of their life. Improved health and fitness, athletic enhancement, increased confidence, better concentration, better behavior, more courteous and respectful; martial arts can help in all these areas.

Does this sound too good to be true? It's not. As a matter of fact, many experts agree that in this day and age of escalating childhood obesity, increased playground violence and deteriorating family structure, if you do nothing else for your child, you should make sure that they learn how to swim and they learn martial arts. Let's discuss why.

Self Defense- "Practice the fight so that you don't have to" is a phrase that is often used to describe the self defense benefits of martial arts training. It refers to the fact that as a child becomes more confident in their ability to defend themselves thru martial arts training. The need to defend themselves automatically decreases because they unconsciously begin to carry themselves in a more confident manner and that confidence is projected to those around them,making them less vulnerable to predatory behavior. On top of that, martial arts' training includes strategic self defense as well as actual self defense.Children are taught how to recognize a potentially dangerous situation and howto avoid confrontations.

Athletic Enhancement- There is a reason why virtually every professional sports team in virtually every major sport supplements their training with martial arts. Martial arts training offer several advantages. First off, it is amazingly effective in enhancing general coordination because it uses every part of the body in a balanced way. Upper body, lower body, right side, left side, forward movement,lateral movement, rotational movement, it's all included in martial arts training.

Fitness- Thethree pieces of the fitness puzzle are strength, flexibility and endurance.Martial arts training demand a balance between the three. Therefore, a childwho trains in martial arts will find their deficiencies greatly enhanced. Also,because of the balance in the three pieces of the fitness puzzle, they are lesslikely to injure themselves while participating in other athletic endeavors.

Health - Martial arts training is a proven link to better health for people of all ages, but especially children for several reasons. First off, it is great exercise. But because it is fun,kids don't mind doing it. Discussing diet and lifestyle habits with students isa part of martial arts training, so children who grow up training develop healthy habits that will stick with them for life.

Concentration - Very few activities engage the mind, body and spirit more than martial arts. Because of this, a child's ability to concentrate is greatly enhanced by their martial arts training and this concentration tends to be easily transferable to other activities.

Respect and Courtesy- Due to the fact that martial arts teaches techniques that could be harmful to others if applied, martial arts instructors are obliged to stress the importance of respect, courtesy, and restraint. It has been proven time and again that children who are skilled in martial arts tend to be extremely respectful,considerate and composed.

Confidence - Martial arts virtually always lends to increased confidence in children for a couple of specific reasons. First off, there are no bench sitters, every child participates and is judged not against others but more importantly, against their own potential.Secondly, the structure of martial arts is built on the concept of setting children up for success by giving them a series of realistic, short term goals that they can attain quickly while keeping them focused on an exciting, long term goal. Each time they experience success, their confidence improves until they tend to believe that with hard work and dedication, they can accomplish just about anything.

If you would like to see first had the benefits of Martial Arts for children, I would like to invite you try a free month of Tae Kwon Do classes at Seattle Tae Kwon Do.  We will even give you a free uniform.  To get started please call 425-775-0299 or stop by our school at 22803 44th Avenue West in Mountlake Terrace.  Our web address is www.seattletaekwondo.com.

How to deal with stress

 A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience raised a glass of water and asked  "How heavy is this glass of water?"   Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.  The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.   It depends on how long you try to hold it.   If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.   If hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.   If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.   In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

 

He continued,  "And that's the way it is with stress management.  If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.   As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.  So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.  Don't carry it home.   You can pick it up tomorrow."

 

So, my friend put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.   Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.   Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

·  Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

· Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

· Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

· Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

· If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

· If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

· It may be that your sole purpose in life is to simply be kind to others.

· Nobody cares if you can't dance well.  Just get up and dance.

· The second mouse gets the cheese.

· When everything's coming your way,  you're in the wrong lane.

· Birthdays are good for you.  The more you have, the longer you live.

· You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

· Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

· We could learn a lot from crayons.  Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull.  Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

· A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

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For more information on how to deal with stress and the benifits of martial arts training  pease visit our web site www.seattletaekwondo.com and request information online or schedule your first free introductory private lesson with us by calling today at 425-775-0299.

 

Weight Loss 101: The Blunt Truth.

=======================
 If you have extra weight, you...
 =======================

- Ate too much
(overeating AKA eating beyond the point of fullness)

- Ate the wrong stuff
(junk food, fast food, sugar, white flour, etc.)

- Exercised too little
(workouts too far apart, workouts were too short)

- Exercised incorrectly
(not intense enough, not enough cardio, not enough resistance)

=================
 To get rid of extra weight...
 =================

- Eat less
(STOP eating the moment you're full. If you have a tendency to overeat, stop eating even if you're not full. Wait about 5-10 minutes and see if you're still hungry.)
- Eat better
(no junk food. no fast food. more veggies. more fruits. lean proteins. no fatty cheeses and dairy. no white flour / sugar. only whole grains).
- Exercise more
 (no less than 3x a week, for at least 45 mins. if you're serious, 5x a week).

- Exercise better
 (high intensity. you should be sweating a lot. you should feel worn out after your workouts. mix cardio with weights and bodyweight exercises. if you take martial arts classes, apply the same exercises you do in class to your workouts outside of class, or just do at least 3 martial arts classes per week)

How do I choose a Martial Arts School for my child?

          Step one in choosing a school is to clearly understand what you want your child to gain from learning the martial arts.  Is it a light recreation?  Then a community center program may suffice.  Is it self-defense or personal development?  If so, then a full time professional school will be more suited for the child.  Many parents view the martial arts as part of their child’s educational development.  With a good professional school, this is very possible.

 

            Step two is to recognize that choosing a school is really choosing an instructor.  Be sure to visit the school and watch the instructor work with other children of the same age.  Every school is different because every instructor is different because every instructor is different.  See how the instructor interacts with the children and look for sincere interest in the children’s progress.  Don’t get confused by claims of black belt degrees, tournament wins or marital art styles.  The only style that matters is the teaching style of the instructor and how your child will respond to him or her.

 

            Finally, trust your instincts.  A professional school will have a family atmosphere, lots of smiles and be well kept.  You’ll feel comfortable with the personnel and the facility.  Martial Arts schools are like any other business the customer comes first and you should feel like an honored guest.

 

            While this may not end up being the closest school to your house, when it comes to the safety and education of your child, an extra ten-minute drive can make a world of difference in the outcome. 

 

About the Author:

             Brandon Richards is a certified Grand Master Instructor in the Martial Art of Taekwondo and is the school director of Seattle Tae Kwon D in Mountlake Terrace, WA.  If you would like more information on how to choose a Martial Arts school in your area call (425) 775-0299 or email to master_richards@hotmail.com

Parents as Coaches

Some helpful hints on how you can coach your child to Black Belt Success

 

Do:  Always, always compliment your child after each class. (Find something they did well) This is also a great time to give out a hug or kiss,  (These are free so be generous.) High 5’s work great too! Kids should immediately associate Tae Kwon Do with feelings of success and pride.

 Don’t: Criticize your child during or immediately after class. Use the PCP (Praise/Correct/Praise) principle.  Offer correction at a more appropriate time. Be careful not to upset your child. Even small criticisms can be devastating.  Do make sure you are offering correction (how to fix) not just critics (that’s wrong).

 Do:  Pick a schedule and do your best to stick to it.  Remember it is natural if your child doesn’t want to come to class every now and then.  Here are some tips to minimize this:  Don’t ask, “Do you want to go to Tae Kwon Do today?”  Remember, children are present focused, and if they are doing something fun they will answer “No”.  Instead, say, “It is time to go in 15-minutes, so please start to get ready.”

 Don’t:  Worry if your children don’t want to practice yet.  It isn’t necessary as long as they are coming to classes twice a week.  -But if they do want to practice, here are some helpful guidelines:  1)  Be consistent!  Have specific practice time and do your best to stick with it (two to three times per a week is enough).  2) Keep practices short!  Five to ten minutes is usually plenty of time for beginners  3) Reward effort!  Be as encouraging as possible.  4) Try not to be too picky!  That’s our job!  Slowly but surely form will improve so don’t expect too much too soon.  5) Make it fun!  This is the single most important factor in long-term success.  One time-tested suggestion is to have the student teach you, or someone else, what they learned in class.

 Do:  Try to practice with your child.  You can do this by having them teach you what they learned, or count their kicks and punches for them.  It is also great to hold our target for them to strike.  Don’t forget to tell them how well they are doing.  Remember, children are pleasers and always want to make their parents proud!

 Don’t:  Complain about traffic, your busy schedule, or money in front of children, they can begin to feel guilty and selfish about coming to train. Before you know it… your child will tell you they want to quit, to help make your life easier.

Do:  Give your child the thing they want more than anything in the world, your time!  Get involved and make earning a Black Belt a Team effort.

Don’t:  Threaten to take away Tae Kwon Do when they’re misbehaving at home or at school. This is a recipe for disaster. Tae Kwon Do is where we learn to behave better and to always try our best. Taking away Tae Kwon Do to improve behavior just doesn’t make sense!

 

Working together as a team… Nothing can stop us!

 

Kids Safety Tips

Children are precious and should be treated and protected as such. It's not enough for us as adults to know and understand the dangers that lurk around us, and our children. We need to make sure that our children know what to do in dangerous situations. Here are some safety tips for your children.

When and if your child does disclose something to you, make sure you really listen, not only to what they're saying but how they say it, and watch for body language. Make sure your child understands that their body is not to be touched in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, and that they can always come to you if they are unsure of anything, even if family members are involved.

Answering the front door

For those children who spend some time at home alone, answering the front door can be extremely important. When alone, a child should never answer the door. Even if it's a friend or relative of the family - if that person has arrived unexpectedly, it's better for the child to not let them in. Statistics show that abductors of children are usually someone the child already knows. Children also need to be taught that even though the parent is home, it's still important for the child to get the parent before answering the door.

Answering the Telephone

When children are alone at home and they answer the phone, they are never to state that they are home alone. Teach your child to say that the parent is unavailable, to take a message, and then hang up. If the child receives any prank or obscene phone calls, he or she should tell the parent. Children should also be taught to never give out any personal information, no matter who is calling. That should be left to the parent to decide on.

Around the home

When cooking, make sure you always turn your pot handles in so that they are not hanging over the side of the stove. Children can be badly burned if they grab hold of the handle and pull it down, or if they knock it off by accident. Never leave a cup of hot coffee or tea on a counter where a child can reach. Never leave knives or other sharp objects where a child can reach them. Never leave cupboard doors or drawers open as fingers can get caught or shut in them.  Take a few minutes to walk through your home and look around for possible dangers that your children may be exposed to. It's good to do this at least once a month.

Teach your children how to dial 911

Children are more capable than we sometimes give them credit for. This is especially true when we take the time to teach our children what to do in different circumstances. It's important for you to teach your children what to do when and if an emergency should arise. First things first, teach them how to call 911. Take a few minutes to explain the importance of calling 911. Go over what a 911 operator will ask, such as, what, where, why, when, and how. You can even pretend to make a few calls to help them feel more comfortable with this.

If your child gets lost

It's always good to know where your child is but sometimes that can be out of our control. We need to prepare our children for whatever may come up. Make sure that your child always has money for a phone call. I know that many children today now have cellular phones in cases of emergency. Make sure that they know that they can call 911 if they get lost and have no other means of getting safe help. Encourage them to always go with a "˜buddy' - there is safety in numbers. Explain to your children the importance of always telling you where they are going and for how long they will be gone.

 

Safety Tips is an ongoing, public safety and awareness program presented by the Seattle Tae Kwon Do.  For more information on our school please visit our website at www.seattletakewondo.com