Training Page
This page is dedicated towards training. I will frequently update this
page to share with you my thoughts and experience towards achieving our goals.
Frequent questions are:
Updated 02/06/2007
My child doesn't like to practice, and I'm not forcing them!
This type of behavior is negative. Not encouraging your child to
reach their goal, is negative reinforcement. Goal setting is the corner
stone of this system. Take time to explain that with effort and
determination, anything is within grasp. The martial arts builds this
tool, and gives the student the jump on future challenges.
My child seems to be doing the same technique for the last (20) minutes,
shouldn't he be doing something else?
Yes and no. Certain techniques take less time to learn than others.
But if the child is learning something like Kuzushi, then repetitions are
paramount to enhance the learning process. Again, there are no legitimate
over night Black Belts.
Updated 06/18/2006
I missed pre-testing, can I pre-test during next
class.
This sometimes is a problem. If a child is not feeling well, or on
vacation, a pre-test reschedule can be arranged. Other than that, the
schedule is set for both pre-testing and testing. A part of the discipline
learned by achieving goals is to make sacrifices. Sometimes that other
event needs to take a back burner, in place of the (3) months of hard
earned practice that the student has already dedicated.
My child didn't know his/her Kata on pre-test.
Can they still test?
No. A pre-test is a test. Once the individual passes
the pre-test, they are on to taking the formal test. If the pre-test is
not passed, then the student will pre-test on the next scheduled pre-test, no
exceptions.
The ideology and philosophy are too hard to
memorize. Is it that important?
Yes. It's more important than the kicking and punching. Martial Arts
without philosophy is street fighting. The philosophy will help them thru
out their lives. Learning solid ethics at a young age, is important to an
individual's growth and success.
How often should I or my child train?
The best time to train is immediately after class, writing down what you
remember. Finding a steady time to practice, early morning,
afternoon or evening, is the next step. One should train every day.
There is no advancement without maintenance at home.
How do I remember the techniques in class?
The student actually remembers' a lot, as muscle memory is incorporated into the
learning process. Taking notes after class is very helpful. I still
have notebooks and index cards, going back some (20) years.
I'm watching my child in class, but I don't remember
what they're doing.
Like the question above, taking notes in class for your children is extremely
helpful. This way you can review together after class, and on practice
days.
My child is acting up, so should I take away Karate?
This is putting the carriage in front of the horse.
Karate teaches discipline. Martial Art, literally translates
to "Military Art". An adult or child student learns self
control, and discipline from the lessons learned in class. If this
situation arises, contact me, I'll help. A vigorous workout can do
wonders.
Should we practice meditating at home?
Yes. It's a proven fact that meditating is healthy for relieving stress.
Try meditating with your children. Meditating is great, and you'll
learn to love it.
Is it ok to test now, instead of the scheduled time?
I can go on forever on this one. There are no (30) day wonders in our
system. Maturity in rank and incorporating our philosophy into your
lifestyle takes time. Also, accumulating a certain amount of classes does
not automatically put you onto the next test cycle. Knowing and applying
the philosophy in and out of the dojo, as well as performing your techniques
properly, is a major consideration.
Should I or my child do other exercises to help our
Karate?
Go for it. Running, stretching, swimming are all very healthy.
Karate /Jujutsu in itself, if practiced consistently, will give you excellent
motor coordination, strength and muscle toning. Consistent martial arts
training burns approximately (500) calories per (30) minutes.
My child is a little lazy lately ( who isn't), how
do I get them to practice?
Have some fun. Start by reviewing some basic stranger danger, and go from
there. This is not uncommon, in any endeavor worth achieving. For
instance, many people here run for health reasons. Most runners I
see, (including myself, if you call what I do running) wear an I-Pod or
Walkman. It puts the fun back into it, and you still reap the benefits.
I or my child don't get it as fast as the others do.
Is something wrong?
In the lower ages and ranks, there usually isn't. These students are just
learning how to listen to what's being said, not what they want to hear.
Learning to listen takes time, and is an individual process. Do a test
yourself. Look at the eye's of someone when they speak to you. Are
they turning away as they are talking, or when you are talking?
Where should I train?
I once suggested to a parent that their child needed to practice more at home.
They told me that their child does train, usually when they walk into the
kitchen, or in front of the television, or while brushing their teeth.
This is great, it's what I call additional training. Now, you have to have
something to add too, and that kind of training alone is not enough. Find
a location in the house, in the basement, outside in the yard. Make that
your home Dojo. A folding mat is an ideal addition to that training.
Contact me, I have a pretty good idea where to get them. Go there and
practice hard, everyday.
My child is not paying attention in class.
Occasionally this statement comes up. There are several reasons for this.
A new student needs to learn how to pay attention. This is not a
trait that comes naturally, it takes practice. Our system of Martial Arts
teaches the students to pay attention, its called focus. As the student
gets acclimated to the type of atmosphere they are in, they learn the age old
lessons that have stood the test of time. Encouragement at home to "focus"
is a good idea. I would never hammer a new student at home for not "paying
attention" in class. It takes time to learn these skills. It
may take several classes, or months. Students learn at there own pace.
Once they have this skill, Karate, school, sports and everything they do
improves.
Shouldn't we be playing more games?
We are playing a game. The game is to learn life skills, protect ourselves
and to achieve all of our goals. Our school teaches traditional Martial
Arts. No tag, no ball, no paper punching gimmicks. My time with you
and your children is teaching these Martial Art skills.
This page will be updated frequently. For your added convenience, I'm
adding a special email for your training questions.
Feel free to contact me, as I'm always open to suggestions and am very
happy to help you.
Rest in Peace
January 13th 1941-January 22nd 2005