LEADERSHIP: September’s Powerful Word

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

LEADERSHIP

Just click the play button to listen:

Dedicated to Your Success,

Brad Scornavacco

Head of School

New School Slide Show #2

Here’s the second in a series of slide shows documenting the progress of our New Scornavacco Martial Arts Academy at 1830 Boston Avenue in Longmont:

New School Slideshow #1: “Before”

Here’s a short slide show featuring “Before” shots of our new location on Boston Avenue:

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.

Next Page »