At this time of the year at the Asian Arts Center we start anticipating summer camps, vacations and a lot of hard, sweaty workouts. Some of our students take breaks at various times during the summer, some take the whole summer off. We remind ourselves and our students that there are always opportunities to practice what we have learned, even if we are not in class.
Focus and paying attention to what is going on around us is essential in school, at home and particularly during vacation when we are outside at the beach, a cookout or in our own backyard, in order to protect ourselves from danger or accidents. Our training for adult and young students alike helps us to maintain that habit.
Summer gives us an opportunity to do some cross training with baseball, swimming and many other physical activities. Balance, coordination and discipline that we practice as martial artists helps us in these activities. Core strengthening that we practice with planks in class can also be accomplished by pushing a lawnmower.
We don’t need a classroom to stretch, practice Mooshim or show respect to ourselves and others by continuing the good work and habits we exercise in the dojang. That is truly the sign of a complete martial artist.
Dennis Schaefer is an Instructor at the Asian Arts Center Taekwondo School in Dayton, Ohio. www.aacdayton.com