Don"t let your emotions get the best of you. Remain calm and rely on your training. You are practicing, right? Be confident in what you know - because you have practiced against real, solid attacks - right? This is probably not the best time to try something new that you haven't practiced. If you`re not working against realistic attacks maybe it"s time to try something else, the real world is not a game.

What are you waiting for? Get off that couch and get started today!

This is a good article talking about mindset Read it and reflect. At that moment, failure is not an option. Today Could Be That Day - Are You Ready?

Jocko's outlook on thigs. It's only about 2 minutes.

"All Over the Map" or "Why Age Matters" As I was looking over some of the posts I put up on this page, I realized they are all over the map. As a parent you might be wondering why I have a post about stabbing and as an adult, you might question why I have stuff about parenting and children. The answer is: because it matters. One of the many things that makes CODA different than other schools in the area is we break our classes down by age. Although this is not always convenient for some of our families (you know who you are), I feel it is key to my teachings. All of my classes are based around Mr Pick's UKF Kenpo curriculum, however I approach the application very differently for each age group. At a fundamental level, adults and children have different threat models that need to be addressed. In each age group, I can help them work through their concerns in a language that makes sense to them. This is also helpful because the students are working with people that are about their own size. That means I don't have adults trying to work on techniques with a child half their size. However the converse isn't quite true for the little ones because many times I will be the one doing the attacking so they learn to deal with adults. Within each class, there are different sizes and shapes so the students do learn to deal with size differences. In addition to physical differences, there are clear mental differences in each age group.

We need to be the role models for our children - what he has to say here is very, very important. This page is worth following if you have children or even if you don't.

This is key! Defense through offense - it's not a back and forth block, parry, thrust. Control, disarm through destruction, solve the problem, and be done. Is this how your instruction and training work? Are you confident your technique will work under pressure? You better be!

"I am not going to show you my art. I am going to share it with you. If I show it to you it becomes an exhibition, and in time it will be pushed so far into the back of your mind that it will be lost. But by sharing it with you, you will not only retain it forever, but I too will improve." - FGM Ed Parker

As both a parent and a teacher, this is something I have thought long and hard about. Without a doubt, there are some things that are different today than they were in the past - namely the internet and social media. People have the ability to have constant communication where you cannot discern emotion or intent - many times the source of problems. However there is also a lot of truth in this. In fact, even the above changes are something that we can and should address with our children to help them learn to deal with it so maybe it really isn't all that different. I firmly believe we do not hold children as accountable as we should. We give them the easy way out and make excuses for then because we don't want to see them struggle. This, unfortunately, does not prepare them for the real world where hard choices and associated consequences await. During classes I challenge my students. I give them tasks that I know will be very difficult for them - usually they are more mentally challenging then physical but I do throw both in from time to time. I do, however, warn my parents that I will do this to their children and ask them to please not help. As a parent I know it can be difficult to watch them struggle but often times, that is where the greatest learning and sense of accomplishment occurs. This is another fine example of why classes are more than just karate. What do you want your students to get out of their time in class?

THREE MONTHS – ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Yes, it’s true – I require all of my new non-adult students and their families to commit to three months initially. After those three months are up, you can then shift off to paying per month. Before you move on from this post or even stop thinking about signing your child up because of this, I would ask you to read on and understand the logic. The main reason for this is that it has been my experience that it takes at least a few months of classes for most students and their families to see the changes taking place. As their instructor, I notice the small changes that occur weekly but for the students and their families it is not always as obvious. It is important to understand that there are two dimensions of changes taking place – physical and mental. It is easier to notice that the students are improving in the physical realm. You can see their movements getting sharper, their balance and coordination improving, their strength increasing. What you don’t often see as easily is their mental growth - their improved self-confidence, willingness to try new things or answer questions, the progress in memorizing names and sequences of motion. All of these changes take time, they do not happen overnight. New students require a lot of additional attention from their instructor. In addition to learning the student’s personality, the instructor has to ensure that they are set up to succeed. This takes a lot of time and planning to get right. Since every new student is different, there is no single approach that works for all students. In addition, the class itself has to adapt to having a new student in the class. Any change in the group has the potential to affect the group dynamic – in both good and bad ways. This also requires careful monitoring and often times mentoring to the students to help them with their interactions. Although this may seem trivial, it is a big part of whether a student is successful and enjoys their martial arts experience or is turned off. Martial arts classes are different than many other sports. There are no seasons, it is an ongoing activity that they may continue for the rest of their life. Martial arts require commitment and dedication by both the students and their parents. When a new student enrolls, the instructor makes a commitment to helping them become the best martial artist they can be. The initial three month commitment shows the instructor that you are willing to commit as well. The commitment requirement is also a great way to talk with your child to ensure that they understand what they are undertaking and that they, too, are willing to put in the work necessary to succeed. Without the commitment of both the parent and student, the likelihood for success is greatly reduced. Three months that can start changes for a lifetime - give us a try today and see what martial arts can do!

Hidden Success Tonight in the 6-8 class I did something different with them. During class, I ask the kids to come prepared with a fact to share with the group - something they learned this week in school, a book, wherever. It's interesting how much they love sharing their facts and interact with each other over them. Normally when they do their facts, they can just share them from wherever they are in line. Tonight, I had the kids come up to the front of the class to share - so it was like a mini-public speaking activity. I do this from time to time with sets or forms and such but have not done it with facts. Most of the kids did a great job. I had one student who was confident coming up but once he had to face the class, he lost his confidence. He had started saying he couldn't do it and was starting to cry. After a little convincing, I was able to have him share his fact with me quietly. Then I asked him to share it with me a little louder and with some trepidation, he did. I asked for a third time a little louder and got it. I had him then face his class and we gave him a round for overcoming his fear and staying up front. He might not have realized the success he had, but I did. It was hard for him but he got through it and next time it will be a little easier for him. Classes are about so much more than just karate.

This is the reason I love my job. Passing this test was based on a lot of hard work not only on his part but on his parents as well. I have seen him grow not only in his karate skills but also maturing and turning into a role model and leader in his class. This is also the reason that I love coming to Condition Orange, we are so much more than just a karate school, we are a community. This family has children in three different classes spread out over two days a week and they are always there supporting not only their own children but also their classmates. I could not do what I do without the support of the parents.