December Tae Kwon Do Graduations

Yellow Belt: James Bruce.
Orange Belt: Timothy Zhong, Aki Furuyama, Taneli Freeman, Faith Vongsouthep, Chris Schilling, Patsha Ha.
Green Belt: Ilana Figueroa, Cedar Fusman-Chase, Quang Nguyen, Ashton Pascoe, Connor McCullum-Zempel, MG Walter, Abraham Cho, Mariah Herd, Klaus Herd.
Purple Belt: David Lim, Diondre Owens-Finne, Briauna Meece-Finne.
Blue Belt: Brandon Gadeken.
Midnight Blue Belt: Brady Pascoe, Andy Whipple.
Brown Belt: Noah Thompson,
Red Belt: Nathan Jennings, Nathan Gounder, Eliane Rodriguez.
Deputy Black Belt: Nathan Cliff.
National Level—1st Degree Black Belt: Rhiannon Lovin, Hailey Rehnfeldt, Greg Hansen, Eireann Arata, Antonio Sanchez.
International Level—1st Degree Black Belt: Kyle Bequette, Jude Armstrong.
National Level—2nd Degree Black Belt: Kiana Rendorio, Evan Jean, Emily Jennings, Mitchel Boles, Zachary Krumroy, Alex Paluck, Jacob Jellison.
International Level—2nd Degree Black Belt: Owen Kerins.
National Level—3rd Degree Black Belt: Celina Hipolito, Amy Collins.
International Level—3rd Degree Black Belt: Ben Bogle, Michael Sheehey.

A story that will inspire and touch your heart!

Are you a Goal Setter or a Goal Getter?

The beginning of another year is upon us. The time of year that everyone gets excited about the possibilities of what they can achieve with the fresh start of a New Year. To better help make your possibilities a reality, I would like to discuss Goal Setting and Goal Getting! Goal Setting is an extremely powerful technique for accomplishment, but for Goal Setting to really be effective it requires more than just writing down what we want to achieve. It is important to apply steps that will help to define exactly what your goals are and implement steps to achieve your goals with more success. Goal setting is about deciding, prioritizing, and organizing the ACTIONS that will be needed to realize achievement. Almost all successful people credit goal setting as the key ingredient of achievement. Anthony Robbins said, “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.

The following are steps for Successful Goal Setting

1. Form a Goal Statement

A goal statement clearly identifies your specific goal and is the foundation for the goal setting process. Many goal setting experts use the acronym S.M.A.R.T., as a way to define their goal statement. SMART stands for: Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, Time and Resource Constrained. Goals should be specific to the point that we know exactly what we want to achieve, measurable so we can chart our progress, action-oriented to indicate which actions will produce results, realistic so that we may learn and grow from our actions, and time and resources constrained meaning that there is a deadline for completion and we only have a limited amount of resources to apply toward obtaining our goal.

2. Break your Goal down into ACTION steps

Now that we have formed our Goal Statement, we must break down the actions that will be necessary in order to obtain your goal. Carefully define each action to insure that it contributes to the overall goal, assign and delegate actions if needed, and follow up to insure actions are complete.

3. Stay Motivated and Focused

Motivation and focus are the fuel that runs our goal setting machine. They enable us to continue to work toward our goals when the inevitable failure or challenges emerge, and they will! But from these small victories we gain a sense of achieve and satisfaction from moving that much closer to realizing our success, giving us the knowledge and confidence to set bigger goals in the future. Andrew Carnegie wrote, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes.

4. Stay on Track

Reaching our goal requires planning and regular review of our progress, with a little persistence thrown in for good measure. We need some sort of system to keep us organized and accountable. The best method is to keep all information and planning in one place. With either the use of a day planner or the Outlook program on your computer you can organize important task and track your actions.

5. Review your Actions

Goal Setting is a process that takes time and commitment. When breaking down our goals into tasks and actions, patience is definitely required. All tasks and actions should be reviewed at least once a week. The great thing about frequent review is that this forces us to take a realistic look at our progress and the decisions we are making. Regular review allows us to notice tasks and actions that aren’t being achieved on time.

6. Celebrate your Success and Renew Your Goals

Being a Goal Setter and a Goal Getter is a confidence building, motivational creating experience. Goal Getting allows us to gain the knowledge to increase our goals and make new ones. It builds a sense of pride in our self and our staff members. Finally, Goal Getting is mark of a true professional and separates professionals from amateurs.

Reachable goals are WRITTEN.

High achievers always know precisely what they want, because they’ve written it down. Often, they write a short description of their goals every single morning, as a personal reminder of their priorities and their objectives. The act of writing your goals down vastly increases your chance of success. Write it down! Then, keep your notes where you can see and read them every day.

Reachable goals are SHARED.

We are far more likely to stick to our plan and reach our goals if we know our friends and family support us. Being part of a team increases our determination, our stamina, and our courage. Caution: Never share your goals with anyone who may ridicule, tease or discourage you! The world is full of doubters and you have no time for them. But, find a support team, a group of cheerleaders, and a coach who will encourage you every step of the way. High achievers count on and work with other winners!

Reachable goals are CONSISTENT WITH YOUR VALUES.

One of the biggest reasons people fail to achieve their goals is that they have conflict between their behavior and their values. However, when your values and your goals are in agreement, there is no stopping you! Clarify your values first, then set simple, specific, measurable, tangible, written goals that are consistent with those values. You will achieve them, every single time!

Support a local school Cedar Way Elementary as they compete for a $50K Pepsi Refresh grant to build a new playground

Help us help Cedar Way Elementary School win a 50K grant from Pepsi to build a safe playground and learning garden at Cedar Way Elementary.

You can vote 3 ways each day in December to get them in to the top 10!

1) Text: 103810 to the Pepsi number - 73774

2) Pepsi Site: http://bit.ly/cedarway (vote for CWE and their playground partners!)

3) Facebook Pepsi Application: http://bit.ly/cedarwayfb

The Martial Arts Minds - The Key to Success

One Characteristic that separates the martial arts from other sports is that the martial arts combines both physical and mental training. Beginning students are taught to think of themselves as becoming future Black Belt leaders. This vision helps them be focused and motivated to come to practice every day. Each class and new belt rank brings them one step closer to their goal of Black Belt.
Every martial artist is able to visualize success and tap the power of her or her mind. You will be amazed at your accomplishments when you use a few minutes every day to see yourself achieving your goal. Follow these steps.
Step 1: Pick a goal that you want to achieve.
Step 2: Find a quiet place and spend a few minutes every day visualizing yourself achieving your goal.
Step 3: Don’t just picture it, live it! You must experience the success in your mind as though it is really happening. You should envision all of the actions and emotions of accomplishing your goal.
Step 4: Repeat steps 1 thought 3 again and again every day until you achieve your goal.
Your mind is your most powerful weapon. Visualization is the art of seeing yourself succeed repeatedly until you believe success is possible. The process of visualization helps the body to accomplish what the mind has already seen.

See it, Believe it, Achieve it!

Congratulations to the 12 Tae Kwon Do graduates on November 20, 2010!

Yellow Belt: Christopher Marley, Tyler Conrad, Brandon Wood.
Orange Belt: Keenan Stollov, Tulam Quach, Mustafa Balikci, Audrey Wofford.
Green Belt: Avery Leonardo, Kaleb Placek-Wickersham, October Deputy.
Purple Belt: Orion Halliburton.
Midnight Blue Belt: Daniel Vega.

Are you ready for an emergency?

Four years ago this month, we were struck with a weather storm that left many with out power, gas or food. The east side was without power for almost 3 weeks. This year the forecasters are saying our winter is going to be colder and stormier than ever. Part of the martial arts is being prepared for all situations. We want to learn not only self-defense, but self-preservation as well. This cold streak reminded many of us how ill-prepared we are for a natural disaster. Over the past couple of years our country has faced hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. We must plan ahead and prepare so we can face these emergencies with confidence. We have complied a list of suggested items to be stored for emergencies. We highly recommend that you have a smaller kit in your vehicle and a larger kit at your home (your workplace is also a good idea). You should tailor your kit to your individual needs. You can be very basic or very comprehensive in your kits. You are the only one who can decide exactly what you and your family needs. Not all the items are necessary but the more you are prepared in an emergency the better off you and your family will be. Be sure to store your kit in a convenient place that all family members know and can get at it quickly when the lights go out. Keep items in airtight plastic bags and containers. Change your water supply every six months so it stays fresh. Replace stored foods by their expiration dates. Check you kit and replace batteries yearly. Remember he who fails to prepare prepares to fail!

Here is a basic list of items to have on hand in your emergency kits:

• Water, 1 gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking & sanitation.
• Food, at least a three day supply of non-perishable. (We recommend M.R.E.’s, freeze dried foods, ration bars, energy bars or other non-perishables).
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio with extra batteries.
• Flashlight with extra batteries. (We recommend that you pre-place one in each room of your house)
• Light sticks (Great for kids and safer than candles, plus they are water proof so they can light up a shower)
• First Aid Kit—Don’t forget to take CPR/1st Aid Training at Seattle Tae Kwon Do
• Whistle to signal for help or to let people know where you are.
• Dusk mask, to help filed contaminated air.
• Plastic sheeting or tarps.
• Duct Tape
• Moist toweletts, toilet paper, garbage bags & bag ties for personal sanitation.
• Multi-tool, wrench or pliers for turning off utilities or for repairs. SOG Tools are sold at Seattle Tae Kwon Do.
• Manual Can Opener
• Prescription medication and classes.
• Infant formula and diapers in you have a small child.
• Pet food and extra water for your pet.
• Copies of important family documents such as insurance polices, identification and bank records in a sealed waterproof container.
• Cash, preferably in small bills
• Emergency space blanket (Lightweight Mylar type). You should also have one in your 1st Aid Kit for shock victims.
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person.
• Complete change of clothing.
• Extra pair of warm socks.
• Water-Proof Gloves (latex and warm)
• Hat
• Long underwear
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper. When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water. Use 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Lighter and matches in waterproof container.
• Emergency preparedness and or first aid manuals. Seattle Tae Kwon Do sells AHA First Aid Course Manuals.
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene products.
• Tube Tent
• Mess kits or paper cups, plates and utensils.
• Paper and pencils.
• Comfort items such as books, puzzles, or other activities for children.
• Disposable hand warmers and or foot warmers.
• Emergency poncho or rain gear.
• Small folding pocket knife. Seattle Tae Kwon Do sells quality SOG Knives at the front counter.
• Map of the local area (For Shelters)
• Emergency Candles. (It is wise to pre-arrange decorative candles around the house so when the power goes out it is easy to set-up.)
• Compass
• Aluminum Foil
• Needle and thread
• Signal Flares
• Plastic Containers
• Soap
• Trioxide or sterno type fuel.
• Sunglasses
• Fire Extinguisher
• Ziploc Bags
• Hatchet and Shovel
• Drinking water tablets.
• Water filtration system and bottle
• Fingertip Saw.
• Pepper Spray or other home security item. Seattle Tae Kwon Do sells law enforcement quality spray at the front counter. It is also good to have a can in your car and by the front door.
• Walkie Talkies (One in each car so you can communicate with missing family members when land and cell phones lines don’t work)