MARTIAL ARTS HELPS MAKE PARENTING EASIER

It's amazing how a person one third your size can have three times your energy! Sometimes this "extra" energy can be directed to the wrong areas. Martial Arts training gives children an opportunity to channel energies, even aggressive ones, in a controlled environment where they learn what is and isn't acceptable behavior. This is a Martial Arts benefit that is often the result of long-term reinforcement at home and in class.

We all know that praise can work wonders for a child's self esteem. With a balance of praise and correction, our Little Ninjas and Young Tigers develop their skills and form good technical habits. We understand that while making a correction, it is also good to point out something positive. This helps learning and builds real confidence. This is what we call the Praise-Correct-Praise method of teaching.

If you had the choice, would you want your child to be a great leader or a great follower? As a leader, your child ultimately will make decisions based on his or her judgment (upon which you have had an influence) and not the judgment of others. Leadership is the ultimate defense against the forces of peer pressure. That's why developing leadership skills are essential to our instruction. At Shaolin Kempo Arts, our students learn how to deal with leadership challenges and are given many opportunities to develop this essential skill.

Our goal as Martial Arts instructors here at Shaolin Kempo Arts is to develop strong self defense skills in our students. However, creating an expert Martial Artist involves more than instilling physical skills. We are equally focused on developing the character of our students. That's why so many parents bring their children to Martial Arts training and why it helps make parenting easier. In addition to teaching strong discipline and good manners in a positive social environment, Martial Arts training helps children channel aggression and energy, provides them with praise and positive reinforcement, and develops leadership skills. We firmly believe that our Little Ninjas and Young Tigers today are the leaders of tomorrow.

"Setting goals for the New Year is the is the key to success"

The busy holiday season is upon us, and while the items on our "To Do" list will certainly multiply, we shouldn't forget to take time to review and plan our personal goals. After all, this is the perfect time of year to do that!

I find it easiest to create and manage goals by breaking down into categories the major aspects of my life. (Kids may start with personal and school goals) Decide on two major categories and break them down into as many areas as you can. For "personal," you might consider family, relationships, education, fitness, financial, etc. Make a list of specific goals and objectives you would like to place in each. Next, indicate the current status of each goal.

To dramatically increase your chance at success, you must take action and work toward your goals. As funny as it may seem, not putting any effort into achieving your goal is the number one cause of failure!

At Shaolin Kempo Arts, we like to practice the Three C's of Martial Arts: Commitment, Confidence, and Collaboration. They, in effect, become part of the non-physical benefits of our training. To be a successful Martial Arts student, for example, you must make a personal commitment to your training. You can demonstrate that commitment by attending class when other challenges make it difficult to get to class, including the holidays. The results of commitment yield a strong sense of self-value, which creates a high level of confidence. Confidence promotes action, which is absolutely required to achieve goals. A lack of confidence creates fear, which prevents action! The final "C" – Collaboration, means that success does not come without the help of others.

Martial Arts training can be a powerful ally in all areas of your life. As you reflect on your past and plan your future, remember the Three C's as you set your goals for shaping your life in 2004.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a healthy New Year.

Can Martial Arts training help you live longer?

Sensei Says: Martial Arts students will tell you that their training could save their lives if they are ever faced with a life-threatening situation. The knowledge of self-defense can be a "life saver" in precarious situations and thus a life extender.

Can the Martial Arts help you live longer even if you never need to use your training to defend your life? While there is no scientific proof, there is some interesting evidence that is worth considering.

First of all, if you want to achieve a goal, you may want to model yourself after those who have already accomplished what you want to achieve. Here are some themes documented by the Okinawa Centenarian Study of people who lived to be 100 years of age.

Many say that their current weight is what it has been for their entire adult lives and few are obese. Very few smoke and they drink in moderation or not at all. They have stayed physically active throughout their lives. Older Okinawans garden, walk, and typically practice some form of Martial Arts. They keep active mentally and are open to learning new things. They eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. They have strong social support networks and maintain close relationships with family and friends. They handle emotional stress very well. They tend to be optimistic, have a good sense of humor, and are adaptable to change. They score low on measures of negative emotions, such as anger, fear, guilt, and sadness.

While genetics can also have a strong influence on your life span potential, following the healthy practice of Centenarians and of Martial Artists may very well give you a head start toward reaching 100 years or beyond!