10 Tips to be a Successful Karate Parent

Charity: August’s Powerful Word

Welcome to August!  Here is short audio preview of our Powerful Word of the Month:

CHARITY

Just click the play button to listen.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Brad Scornavacco

Head of School

Perseverance or Futility?

If Sissyphus were alive today he’d be living in Colorado and, instead of eternally rolling a boulder up a hill only to see it roll back to the bottom, he’d be forced to edit our Phase 2 Self-Defense Techniques DVD in iMovie and have it crash each time it’s about done only to have to start the whole thing over–again. (yes, even with backing up every few minutes)

Perseverance or futility?  Well, I’m teaching myself a new program, Final Cut, so we’ll see if I can get this DVD done and out within the next week or so.  If you see my hunched over my computer with an intense look on my face it’s because I’m more determined (obsessed?) than ever to get this DVD out because I know lots of people are waiting for it.

Wish me luck.

I wonder, how do you react to disastrous setbacks?  Are you like me?  Do you get that emotional rush and overwhelming feeling of “What’s the point? This will never work.”

If this happens to you I hope that’s not the ONLY reactions you have.  I fear that most people react this way and just give up.  I hope you respond like I do and experience the powerful emotions that follow the self-pity.

When I’m done focusing on how unfair it is that all my work was for naught I always get hit with a tidal wave of emotion.  That feeling is a pit bull-like determination that something as silly as this will NEVER STOP ME.  I re-focus and re-double my efforts to break through whatever barrier is in front of me and overcome whatever setback I may have faced.

From experience, I know these setbacks usually wind up spurring me to much higher levels of accomplishment.  That is sweet success.

I hope the same for you.

Karate Saves Biggest Loser’s Life

Our Daily Mission is to change lives and, as you’ll see, Karate has already changed the lives of some high-profile celebrity fitness trainer.  One of the most famous, Biggest Loser Host Jillian Michaels says karate did more than change her life, it saved it.

Now she uses the focus, discipline and lifeskills from the martial arts to help people overcome obesity and get “WarriorFit” as we say.  Here’s a hint–look a little deeper into the lives of the most successful people.  Odds are you’ll find the Karate-Connection.

“Karate saved my life,” she says. “It all stopped the day I broke two boards with a kick.”

–Jillian Michaels, “The Biggest Loser” Star Trainer in Redbook Magazine, June 2010.

To Check out the original article  Click Here.

Lifesaving Gestures

“Everyday Gestures That Can Save Your Life” is the title of a never-completed book by American Kenpo Founder Ed Parker.  As a Kenpo student I was so intrigued by the concept that I eagerly awaited the printing of this book, which never came.

Why am I thinking about a never-finished book?

Because the idea behind the book is so powerful it was featured in a hit movie and now another New Movie.  I’ll give you a clue–“Wax On, Wax Off.”

Yes, The Karate Kid showed the world the principle that martial arts movements are no different from many ordinary, everyday gestures and actions.  The current incarnation is “Jacket On, Jacket Off” in the Karate Kid remake, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.  I’ve already heard people asking how that could possibly apply to self-defense.  I can see many ways.

Mr. Parker got to share some good examples in his book series, Infinite Insights into Kenpo, as well as at seminars.  One example was yawning and stretching.  The action of moving your arms out could easily be a heelpalm strike.  Another example was brushing the hair behind your ears.  That natural movement easily becomes an upward elbow strike.

In the movie, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) says, “everything is Kung Fu,” and he’s so right.  I was taught, “if it’s right, it’s Tai Chi,” and “Systema is just natural movement.” ALL good martial arts seek to reach this same point of unity of action with purpose.

I regularly relate movements to common everyday gestures and have so many examples I may just finish that book!

How often should my child attend karate classes?

Twice per week is a good starting point.  Here’s why:  if your child attends only once per week he will tend to fall behind the other students in class. It is difficult to make progress only training once per week unless your child invests extra time during the week to train.  This is difficult if you are not skilled in the martial arts yourself.

If, on the other hand, your child attends classes virtually every day of the week, like some teams sports require, he or she can suffer from overtraining injuries and not be able to enjoy other activities.

2 days per week is ideal to ensure steady progress and prevent burnout.  It also allows your child to participate in other worthwhile lessons, like music classes AND have unstructured play time, to just be a kid.  In this way your child’s martial arts and lifeskills training easily integrates with the rest of his schedule.

How Big Are Your Classes?

This is a great question.

After all, if there are too many students in your child’s class he won’t get enough attention from your instructor.

You don’t want your child to be lost in a sea of 30 to 40 kids with only one teacher. And you shouldn’t pay top dollar to get little or no attention in class.

There are inherent dangers in martial arts training so you want to make sure your child is being properly supervised… and you want to make sure your child is not developing any bad habits.

The ideal teacher to student ratio is one teacher for about 8 to 10 children.

This doesn’t mean that the class should only be 8 to 10 children, for example if there are 20 children in the class then there should be two qualified teachers. The class can be divided into two groups with each teacher having 10 children or less.

This is especially true if your child is younger, about 4 to 6 years old. Children of this age should be taught in smaller groups because they need to learn how to focus and develop the discipline necessary to operate in class. With too many kids in class, younger children will be distracted easily and not given a fair chance to develop their focus.

Classes that are too large for younger students are counter-productive, so look for smaller teacher-student ratios, like 6 students or less per teacher.

What martial arts do you teach?

People often ask this question because someone told them that a particular martial art was good for kids or good for them or you’ve seen it in the movies, especially if you don’t know anything about the different martial arts.

There are as many martial arts as there are languages if not more, but they can be divided into a few broad topics.

• There are the striking martial arts like tae kwon do karate,
• the grappling wrestling martial arts like judo jujitsu and sambo,
• there are weapon specific martial arts like Filipino escrima, and Japanese kenjutsu.
• Then other reality-based martial arts at Russian system or Israeli krav maga.
• Finally there are the hybrid martial arts that it seeks to combine the best of many different martial arts.

Just as our bodies are more or less similar, so too are there common movements and techniques in the martial arts.

A couple things are more important than the name of the martial arts you will study.  First, there is a general focus of the school you are entering.

• The school may focus on tournament competition or trying to go to the Olympics, these are called normally sports martial arts.
• There are the traditional schools that seek to infuse an Asian culture into their training and heritage,
• There are the cage fighting martial arts,
• the self-defense and personal safety martial arts
• and martial arts that focus on teaching character development, classical virtues and life skills.

Therefore, as you look for a martial arts school, know that all schools aren’t alike. If you don’t want your child to learn just fighting you might want to choose a different school.

Most martial arts teach some form of self-defense and physical fitness, but for your child it’s critical that you find a school that will teach him good character, the martial arts virtues, discipline, focus, respect and the many life skills that are so important for kids to learn these days. You also want school that is specially trained to teach children. At our Academy my wife, Dr. Karla, a PhD in Education, oversees our instructor education program.

How much do karate classes cost?

THE most frequently asked question people ask me about martial arts is “How much are your classes?”

Here’s a quick ballpark figure for you.  Schools charge anywhere from $50/month on the low-service “kick/punch” school end up to $1,000/month on the high-service Professional end.

A simple rule of thumb is, The higher tuition you pay, more service you should receive, such as more student attention, a smaller teacher-student ratio, private training options and mentoring programs, as well as a better facility and ample training equipment.

You should also expect FULL-TIME INSTRUCTORS who are specially trained in the latest educational strategies, how to teach children with ADHD, focus issues, sensory integration challenges and teach a complete Character Development Program.

While tuition is important, you obviously want the best school that you can afford.  So find a school that fits your family’s values, one that you feel comfortable in and then focus on the tuition.

The New Karate Kid

I just watched the previews for the New Karate Kid movie starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith after watching the Original Karate Kid with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.

So, what do I think so far?

The Original Karate Kid is that rare Perfect Movie.  The portrayal of the bullies and the bullying Daniel goes through is spot-on, including the reactions of everyone around him.  The heart of the story is Daniel’s relationship with Mr. Miyagi as he mentors the boy.  This is what will either make or break the New Karate Kid.  Can they recreate that touching teacher-student relationship without making it seem derivative?  Can they interject new life into this classic story?

I can say that after watching the previews, I think Chan and Smith will pull it off.  I sure hope they do and am excited to see it when it hits the theaters.

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