Archive for category: Blogs

As adults, why do we play scrabble, monopoly or video games?  Apart from the entertainment value and the social aspect of getting together, we do it because we want to see how good can we get when we are up for challenge and even compare ourselves to others.  If we seriously want to get better, we observe others who are good at them.  In a martial arts school the student develops largely with the instructor's guidance.  However, the more keen and forward thniking students always look at the persons who are good at something they might want to learn.  It is just a matter of asking that person which is a compliment to those who have something to offer.

The martial arts school is like a challenging playground of obstacles to develop skill.  I like the idea of students getting in early and working on something.  Socialising before class just drains energy and enthusiasm.  We can learn something from kids who waste no time when they drop in at McDonalds and go straight to the playground.  They see it as a challenge, game and fun. The dojo should be no different.

Don't waste precious time when you're at the school.
GA

It’s amazing when friends used to tell me if I would open a school near their home they’d sign up immediately (that's how Olympic champions are born, ha, ha)!  One student ran into friends when we were setting up the new school.  They were excited about the place about what it had to offer and were even more excited the fact they were living across the road.  Needless to say, we did not hear from them.  That resembles some of the people who have been living, all their lives, below the famous historical landmark of Greece (Parthenon) and have never visited it!  I feel sorry for these people.

Sacrificing a little time, effort and travel is an indication of how much you really want something.  It makes it more challenging because of the little sacrifices you have to make. 

The martial arts are constantly growing because of the many of the many valuable components associated with them.  Parents have become aware their children should, at some stage, train in the martial arts.  The kids today are lucky because the parents support them.  My time as a kid was difficult because our parents did not know much about the martial arts so the support was not there.  Each time I got graded I had to run out and buy dye to change the colour of my belt because that was the best I could do at the time.

I had to sacrifice a lot of time, travel and effort in order to get I wanted.  Travel involved 2 buses and a 2 kilometre walk, which took about 1.5 hours each way just to do one training session.  Nowadays, people complain they might get wet from the carpark to the school only a few metres away.  It is hard for me to understand that when I think of the 'good old days'.
GA

While the combined figures of various ball games (soccer, volleyball, football) may make them the most popular sport in the world, it is only for a short time because kids grow out of it and adults seem to lose interest because of no further use fo the game, apart from fitness.  What they don’t tell you is the average life span in football is far less than in the martial arts!

Team ball sports (with no disrespect) are always competing with the martial arts because organisers and coaches are always pushing youngsters with their own personal interests and agenda.   As some parents have told me they would rather have their children doing the martial arts because of the many life skills being taught.  One classic example is the ‘bullying’ aspect.   Martial arts instructors are best equipped in this area so I cannot see anybody trying to grass cut us in this area because it would be foolish if they tried.

It is amazing to see the kids in the martial arts grow into good role models.  Adults seem to pick up new skills and confidence making them feel better both mentally and physically.    In my opinion, when it comes to a decision between ball games and martial arts, the choice is clear.
GA

Bullying has become has become the most talked about subject, worldwide, over the last couple of weeks as a result of the recent youtube posting of a bully being slammed onto his back in a Sydney school playground.  Bullying is real and it is not just confined to schools; we actually have an 'Anti-bullying' policy in the Police Force which indicates this sort of thing can happen in any environment.  Most parents will not be aware if their child is a bully or is being bullied.  Children are far less likely to report it because they don't know whether they should or shouldn't so the problem can go undetected for many years and accumulate irrepairable psychological damage.  I can relate to a couple of incidents in my younger days as a bully victim.

In primary school, I was getting bullied by one particular boy and I thought, one day, I would go straight to the Principal and report him.  The Principal told me to call that bully to his office (which was stupid but I did it anyway)  and he got severely caned.  As he came out he looked like he was going to attack me but instead he shook my hand.  Maybe, he thought he deserved it.

Another time, I was being bullied by several persons which started off with a push and a shove in the playground.  Every day at lunch time, walking in formation, they would gather around and try to provoke me.  One day, enough was enough, and I unleashed myself onto them all.  They never bothered me again, it was over!  That was they way I handled those situations because that is all I knew back then.  Now we have more informed solutions to choose from.

Even if the parents become aware of their children being bullied, what are they to do?  From a martial arts point of view, the solutions have to be based on both oral and physical skills they attain from their training; Instructors have a lot of influence over their students so it makes sense for them to be facilitators of this programme.  In other words, a DIY kit (do it yourself).  Remember, parents are not going to be around for their kids especially when they grow up; they need to learn to handle bullies from an early age because bullying can continue in the adult years in any environment.
GA

Actuallyy it's ok to make mistakes – it's all part of the process of learning.  Sometimes it’s good to remind students that martial arts teachers, can get a little emotional in front of the class, but for all good reason.  It’s because they care and want the students to learn and get results, which is their form of gratification.  On the other hand, if they didn’t care, they would probably ‘turn a blind eye’ to the things you do wrong, and that’s not good teaching.

As a young student I always looked forward to see if my Instructor would notice me in the classroom.  Being corrected showed that my instructor cared.  In a way it was disappointing when I didn’t mess up because my Instructor would just move onto the next person.  In a weird sort of way I wanted to make mistakes, just so somebody can show me what to do.  

But students need to learn to be their own teachers by trying to solve the little obstacles that stand in the way of reaching their target or next level.  What better way to learn and progress by trying to sort things out yourself.  A teacher is like the driving instructor next to you in the passenger seat observing and correcting your mistakes but you are actually in control of the vehicle.  With experience you become more independent; this will happen with the help of the Teacher.  Make no mistake about it.
GA