Thursday, September 30, 2010

Recuperation

What do you do to recuperate after an intense workout? Food? Drink? Stretching?
SUN!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

When?

What is your preferred time for a PaSaRyu workout at home?
I've always preferred going outside after dark, sometimes very late.
Lately I've enjoyed a few morning forms a couple of days a week. (Kind of sets the tone for the day).
SUN!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Master

Have you looked in the Yellow Pages lately to see how many Masters there are? I have found all manner of Masters, Grand Masters, Supreme Grand Masters, Ultimate Grand Masters, International Grand Masters and so forth. If the phone book is any indication then America, from California to the New York Island and from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters, is indeed a virtual Mecca for Martial Arts Masters! It is amazing just how much talent we have right here in the USA. Every berg and village of any size seems to be blessed with a plethora of high-ranking Masters, a cornucopia of national and international champions.

Many styles of martial arts award the title of "Master" at the mid-rank Black Belt level, typically at 5th Dan (PSR is one of these) but some as early as 4th Dan and others at 6th Dan or higher. So I was wondering, what is a true Master? What must one do to be a true Master? Your thoughts---anyone? Everyone?

Thursday, September 9, 2010

New Member

SUN!

My name is Mr. Eagle, Gary Ring. Master Hawk and Master Crane have kindly invited me to join this blog so I will be posting from time to time. I have been involved in the martial arts for over 36 years, yep I'm "chronologically gifted". I live in Arkansas and have been training under Master Rhee for over 25 years, and I have know Master Crane all that time. He has been a great help to me, and I am sure he is for you as well. In my 30+ years I have been fortunate enough to accumulate a few trophies, couple of joints that don't work just right, some scars, and a boat load of experience. Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted, and you usually get it right after you needed it! I've never been on a blog before, I am looking forward to it.

SUN!

Attend the Next Class

Attend the next class.
A simple goal to maintain when priorities and passions collide.
With the demands of family, work, etc., I sometimes find it difficult to attend class consistently.
Interruptions in training can run for a day, a week, or perhaps a month or more.
We all have priorities in life that at times, can distract us from our passion - attending class. The frustration of missing class or classes can become a mental grind of stress and guilt. It can result in delayed goal achievement, delayed skill development and well being. I have talked to others who have expressed similar frustration with missing class for various reasons.
When this happens, I want to focus on managing my absence from class as productively as I can. Not dwelling on what I have missed but rather remaining excited about what classes I can attend in the future. This means that I must first take care of business so I can get to the next class. Secondly, I want to maintain or continue to enhance my skills and well being at home as best I can with the daily goal of attending the next class as soon as possible. This may be nothing more than 15 minutes of daily stretching and floor exercises, or form practice, or sensible dieting - at home or wherever.
If I miss a few classes, even for good reason, I can feel a little down about it. For some, this may even lead to hesitations to return to class. The new class schedule recently published, has re-energized me to stay focuses and build on future class attendance - always looking forward. I hope many others feel the same and maintain and/or renew their passion to attend the next class. If you have any tips or training aides that help you stay on track when you miss class, or tricks that help eliminate any barriers that prevent some from returning to class, please post. Until then - just say - "Attend the Next Class!".
Sun!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Excuses

Few people are able to get through a day without making an excuse, or blaming their problems on someone else. Most people will not admit when they are wrong about something, or make a mistake. My intent for this post is to encourage everyone to take a different approach when it comes to why a task, assignment, or any type of project is not completed.

Let's start with the main reasons people give excuses. One, they just don't want to look stupid....two, they simply forget things or are just plain lazy... and three, they have a hard time admitting they are not perfect. The problem is, people don't understand that others have more respect for those that are honest.

IMO, if we can learn from our mistakes rather than make excuses, we will be happier and more successful. I have noticed that successful people admit when they make a mistake and learn from it and move on, determined not to repeat the mistake.

We need to hold ourselves accountable, instead of pointing the finger at someone else. If something needs to be done, "just do it".

SUN!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Academic Excellence

Well it's that time of year again, the school year has began and the next thing you know progress and report cards will be out. The big question is, will there be trouble when the report card is opened, or congratulations? As most of you know, I/we have always been dedicated to rewarding those students who excel in school. A good student is dedicated, motivated and on a quest to do their best...just like a black belt.

I believe in rewarding such excellence to reinforce the importance of above average performance in the classroom just as we reward above average performance on the mat. I don't think a reward should motivate a student to do well, only condition them that when they work hard, success will follow...hopefully setting them up for a lifetime of achievement.

What do you think about rewarding children for a job well done? Is this a necessity in todays society or is it something that is moving our kids in the wrong direction?

SUN!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Bullying Wrap up

So, what can we do about this problem, "bullying"

For the community, we are offering a bully prevention seminar. (Sept. 11th) If needed we will continue offering these type of community events. I have also been asked to go into the schools and speak with kids about this.
We will continue to train our students to deal with these challenges with bullies in a cool, calm and collective manner. Physical self defense techniques will be a last resort; first we will take a few countable measures that can prevent an altercation. (these are covered in the seminar) Most important is self confidence....this is the most important attribute of defense.
Once kids get into high school, unfortunately it is even more difficult for them. Bullying, peer pressure and social activities can become major obstacles for them. One thing that I have noticed is that the kids who made martial arts part of their life from age 6 on up to high school have far less challenges than those who never trained or stopped training with us. For example, we had a student who made it to black belt and was active until 8th grade when she stopped coming to classes. After that, I noticed a steady disintigration of her self confidence, focus and drive. My point is, to keep the benefits, you must keep active.
Bullying will continue until we reach a level of confidence where bullies will avoid us. There is no quick martial arts technique or trick that can stop it. It is a life commitment of confidence, self control and self defense training that can take years to develop. But, that commitment is so valuable and can pay off in so many ways.