Board Breaking

Everyone loves to watch board/brick breaks. I mean c'mon, you find me somebody who doesn't think that's cool! That first time you have to break one though, "uhhh when's that class so I can skip it," runs through some people's heads I'm sure.

The first time I had to break a board was awful. I spent the entire week before hand getting sick just thinking about it. I psyched myself out before I even had the chance to try. I think it was because I hadn't had a chance to practice before the demo. My first time was during a break-a-thon. It took me 6 times to break my first board. Humiliation station!

Gene started the kids on breaking last night, and the way he did it was awesome! He bought a pine board and prepped it early so each kid would have one and then he took part of class time last night to give them all a chance. Every kid was successful, including one of our brand newbies Mr. Chris Henry who was only on class number two!! :)

It was a great experience for the kids, and really boosted their confidence. I can't wait to continue watching them grow.

 

1st Annual Kenpo BBQ

Saturday July 7th was an ungodly hot day with a temperature high of 115!! We had planned for a picnic in the park with our karate school and honestly considered postponing it. :) But our students are troopers and everyone had a blast with good food and fun.

It's one of those moments where you realize just how much of a family you are. Nine months ago I didn't know any of these people, and most of them didn't know each other. I would not have gone and spent hours in the gross heat to hang out with strangers and I'm sure they wouldn't have either. But we're a family. :)

Mr. Braden chose a different uniform for Saturday. (Also he's playing the Captain America theme song on Kevin's phone)

I enjoyed Saturday, despite the heat, I loved seeing all the kids playing together; chit chatting with the parents. It makes me so happy to see how far we've come in such a short amount of time. Gene and I were terrified when we took the plunge and opened those doors for the first time. Now we know it was the best thing we've ever done, and we never stop wanting to do it!

Stop Abusing Facebook

I have a serious love/hate relationship with Facebook. I moved away from my hometown and everything I knew the day after I graduated High School to the middle of nowhere Missouri. So most of the time I love Facebook, I love keeping in touch with my family, and my friends, my godson; it's a fantastic tool for communication with them and the many martial artists I've met and admire. However, sometimes I feel like people abuse Facebook and the caps lock button. Just so everyone knows, when you write in caps you're yelling. There's no reason to shout.

 The martial arts are like any other organization; there are wonderful genuine people that have fantastic impact on those around them. But there are also those that I feel abuse Facebook. This blog idea was sparked by multiple Facebook statuses that I've witnessed over time. Statuses that are so grossly surface value it's sickening. I'm all for promoting your school, but in a positive light. I've witnessed people that speak of vague interactions with students and parents and what comes out of it seems downright ugly. Yes, absolutely, I believe that every student no matter the age should put the time in to earn the rank they wear. However I don't think it's proper to bash an individual for questioning the time it takes between belts and assume this means they expected their rank handed to them. Especially a new parent/student. The majority of people have no idea how a karate school is ran, and most karate schools are ran differently. Just because the question was asked doesn't necessarily mean they expect a belt to be handed out, it's most likely merely a search for information.

I see nothing wrong with a parent asking; "How long will it take my child to earn their Yellow Belt rank?" This question doesn't have to be answered with a time frame, answer it with the requirements. "Ma'am we require the first 10 techniques in the system, Short Form 1 and Blocking Set 1 along with the Creed to be memorized and performed to the quality of a Yellow Belt before said rank can be earned." Send your parents home with literature, encourage them to watch their children during the class so when the child is practicing at home the parent can assist in a small way.

At our school we don't have defined time slots for rank promotion, everything is based on the individual. And yes, we get asked that question, but not as much as you would think; because we try and communicate often with our parents. Letting them know how their child is doing and how far along they are in their progression. Also one of the first things I tell new students as they are filling out the initial paperwork is; "karate is hard, but the harder you work for it the more you will earn."

I am an extremely goal oriented individual; I don't go out and just run until I'm tired. I map out what I want to do, how far I want to run before I need to turn around, then I push it just a little further. Information is a fantastic tool and asking questions is the best way to get the information you need.

So the next time a parent/student asks you, "How long will it take for my child/myself to earn my next rank?" Give that person something to work towards, build them up and present them with goals, rather then ranting about it IN CAPS LOCK on Facebook making that interaction so terribly negative, please.