keeping consistant

Martial Artists are all about making good habits and reaching goals. Taking consistant action is the only way to make a habit and is a part of reaching one’s goal. Changing habits from good to bad or even just getting used to a new habit can become a challenge. However it is not hard to figure out the solution, which would be to remain persistant and never give up! Accepting the challenge and working with persistance promotes growth mentally. If an individual is able to have a mindset for consistancy, the possibilities of self improvement, accomplishment and therefore self-confidence could be endless!

Posted by Kellen Brown

The Challenge Continues by Dennis Schaefer

A few months ago I blogged about wanting to lose weight before my next tournament so I wouldn’t have to fight in the unlimited class. My goal was, and is, to get my weight from 200 pounds down to 174 by July 4th. I am happy to report that I am progressing, slowly but surely and am under 190 for the first time in years. But I have had to examine, and change, some behaviors along the way.
I realize that the whole weight loss thing boils down to a simple equation; you have to burn more calories than you consume. But when you are working out virtually 6 days a week and imagine that you are not really eating that much, the equation seems to fail in the face of a static weight. After a few weeks of just a little less food I was at a wall. Doing the same things would no longer work.
Sometimes a small change is needed in my Taekwondo training. Choshim (beginner’s mind) tells me that I will never be at a point where I stop growing, where it will suddenly become unnecessary to make any further changes.
I have been sparring competitively for many years but there are always tweaks to my technique and training. Research tells me that changes in exercise time and nature will help to break through the weight loss wall. It also tells me that changes in when and what I eat will also help to maintain the success. I am discovering that calories represented by different food sources are not always equal when it comes to weight loss potential.
At the risk of becoming obsessed with weight and diet, I continue to tweak my weight loss program as well as my training. Stay tuned.

Hoshinseool (Self-Defense) by Dennis Schaefer

Even though we practice Hoshinseool, our one-step self defense drills, as one part of our training regimen, everything we do in Taekwondo is for the purpose of self defense.
The ability to focus and pay attention to our surroundings is one of the first skills we learn. When you are focused, you make eye contact with people which can help you judge their intentions and also lets them know that you are strong and confident. Awareness of your surroundings alerts you to any potential danger nearby.
Deep breathing when stressed is another skill we work on as beginners. That habit keeps our brain oxygenated and gives us a second to gather our wits and decide on the proper plan of action. Stress comes in many forms and deep breathing helps us deal with them all.
Poomse (forms) are patterns of kicks, punches, blocks and footwork- a culmination of skills to harden self-defense and sparring. Forms also develop balance, power and coordination which helps us at all times, especially when we are threatened with physical attack.
Kyorugi (sparring) is the technique of practicing fighting skills with a partner. That gives you a sense of timing and distance and a realistic experience of facing someone who is trying to attack you. You learn how to defend and, if necessary, to counter-attack.
Kukupa (breaking) is the breaking of wooden boards or cement bricks with kick and punches. It helps build muscle, coordination, speed and power. Overcoming the fear and anxiety that you might feel when breaking helps you to build courage and become more self-confident.
We also learn in Taekwondo that there are many forms of self-defense. Knowing and following the rules, staying focused and getting our work done helps us to be successful in work, school and everyday life. In turn those practices help us to defend against bad grades, bad attitudes and bad people.
Using our voice to ask for help or to tell others to stop behavior that is annoying or threatening to us is a form of self-defense that can often prevent physical threat or violence. We practice good nutrition, life habits and respect our bodies to defend against bad health.
Last but not least, Do (The Way) is our way of living our life in harmony. By practicing the physical training and understanding the concepts of Taekwondo, life feels more balanced, the ultimate result and benefit of self-defense training.
Dennis Schaefer is an Instructor at the Asian Arts Center Taekwondo School in Dayton, Ohio. www.aacdayton.com

Art Appreciation

Something that I have enjoyed and that has always been a part of my life is art. There are many different forms of art and Im glad to have my profession to be one of those forms. The Martial arts in itself has a lot of different approaches to art. Whether it is expressing the physical form with the practice and demonstrations of the Tae Kwon Do Form movements (poomse), or the art of skills learned etc. Im also glad to know that our school emphasizes being “Renaissance Martial artists”. As Martial artists we not only apreciate our own training but different art expressions such as fine arts, music, dance, cuisine etc. Also, appreciating things in nature and the natural beauty of the world. As artist we see the beauty in the world and then we we are inspired to make more of it!

Posted by Kellen Brown

getting out of the rough

No matter who you are or how much you have done you are still human. You are likely to brake an arm, bruise your head or get sick once in a while. When said things happen, you get stuck in the rough and of course it’s hard to get out of it. I myself am in that state right now and I can tell you teaching little kids is not the easiest way to get yourself out of the rough, however, its my job and I have to do what I have to do. You learn as you go through though that you can’t do the same thing in the rough that you do when you’re in the fairway obviously. In my case, teaching a class requires you to workout somewhat with the class and not teach from the neck up- so to speak. You can’t workout too hard if you’re just getting over being sick because you would fall right back into the sick state that you were in before. So what I have to do is pull back on working out with them so much and still maintain a good class workout. For example, maybe I do fewer kicks with them but I run with them more or vice versa. It’s a give and take but the end result is you’re not dying by the end of the first class and you still look like you’re working hard, which you are just on a different plain.

Alex Tienda 3rd Dan at the Asian Arts Center

Forming Good Habits Through Taekwondo by Dennis Schaefer

Practicing Taekwondo helps us to rid ourselves of some bad habits but also encourages us to form new ones as well.
Just by showing up we break the bad habit of inactivity. We begin the habit of eating at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day and drinking lots of water. Focusing the eyes, body and mind begin the habit of being aware of our surroundings; knowing where we are supposed to be and what we are supposed to be doing. Being focused is essential for effective self-defense.
Taking a deep breath, or two, when we are stressed helps us to reach a state of calm so the situation can be assessed and proper action taken. In our beginning classes we form the habit of responding “yes sir” and “yes mam” when we are spoken to in order to show respect and show we are listening.
When practicing forms or self defense we practice slowly, with attention to detail, so proper technique and speed grow together to the level of habit.
We develop the habit of meditating before and after our training so we can achieve an empty mind (Mooshim) before, and take time to internalize what we have learned afterwards.
All the good habits we form in Taekwondo become part of character, heart and our success as true martial artists.
Dennis Schaefer is an Instructor at the Asian Arts Center Taekwondo School in Dayton, Ohio. www.aacdayton.com

Awarness

The problem with not going to school anymore is that you feel somewhat dumber at first. Yeah, not having any homework, or papers, or tests is awesome, but I started feeling like I was loosing touch with what was going on around me. Most throw themselves into work or their families or some even go back to school. As for myself, I went the work path for a while and then I realized I can stay in touch with the world by reading about what’s going on. Since then, I’ve been listening to more of news radio shows, I’ve started to read articles that I never thought I would read out of magazine that I thought were for the old or more geared to intellectuals rather than myself. Then it occurred to me that an intellectual is someone who keeps up with current events and doesn’t ignore them. Everyone can be intelligent if they just start being aware. Then I thought of what Matt said a couple of weeks ago. He said, “Being aware of what is going on around you is half the battle.”

Alex Tienda Third Dan at the AAC taekwondo school

Another good start

I have felt pretty good about classes this week! The weather has been a little warmer this week so it’s great to feel the energy in class from that. This week I began an introductory course at the Oakwood Community center. I am pleased to say that i’m excited to continue teaching the group because those enrolled there are great canidates for our program. The first session was fast paced and the kids paid attention very well. It’s always rewarding for me to see the students enjoying the class and giving excellent effort. The goal for the classes at the O.C.C are to get those students in to our regular program at the main school. I hope to see them all there!

Posted by Kellen Brown, 3rd degree

Look Well to this Day by Dennis Schaefer

One of the most important lessons we learn in Taekwondo is “Innae” (patience.)
Today in training we talked about Innae; how long we have been working on timing, distance technique and strategy. I have been sparring competitively now for almost 12 years and, at age 60, I feel like those days are coming to a close. I am envious of my younger mates, how much time they have, how much promise the future holds. But it is hard to be at the beginning too, impatient for the future. I remind myself to be patient to be grateful for all of the tournaments and rounds I have left.
For junior belts, the student has to have 18 to 24 classes between promotion tests. Senior belts have to wait 36 to 48 classes. When you reach first gup it is at least 6 months before you are ready to take the Black Belt test. Even if you learn everything on the first day, you still have to be patient. It is a life lesson to be patient, to work very hard with the goal of making the most of each training day.
The past few days have been warm and thoughts of spring come to mind. Even though it is still February, most people would probably have spring tomorrow if they could, just ignoring the next 23 days of winter. But, be patient.
A famous Sanskrit proverb says:
Look well to this day, for it is life. In it lie all the realities and verities of existence: the bliss of growth, the glory of action, splendor of beauty. For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day for it alone is life.
Dennis Schaefer is an Instructor at the Asian Arts Center Taekwondo School in Dayton, Ohio www.aacdayton.com

meditation

In order to become a black belt I had to go through a grueling 12 hours of meditation. I, by no means, was meditating at any point during.  Don’t get me wrong, I really thought that half-way through I was clear minded. Sadly, however, I was not.  My mind jumped from one random thought to another, from wondering what I would have to eat after I was done, to the pain that was throbing and tingling in my legs and feet.  After I was done I never wanted to go through it again.  That is until I met a very beautiful person who had been a teacher of my girlfriend’s back in high school.  It wasn’t her body nor was it her hair that I thought was beautiful but it was her persona.  She gave off an aora of kindness, love and understanding.  What we were talking about I have no idea but what I do remember is that she saw that my mind was eclectic. She told me that if I meditated more then I would feel better than if I had just done a marathon. That was six months ago and I still did not take her advice until just a few moments ago when I went upstairs to meditate.  I came back down stairs feeling refreshed for only a few moments but I was hooked.  If I had started this months ago then I would be refreshed after every class ready to take on the next challenge, but I haven’t.  Meditation is key for dealing with your life.  Mrs Warren taught me that and now, after months of talking, I finally am listening.

Alex Tienda 3rd dan at the Asian Arts Center