Category: Endeavour Blog

As a martial artist it is often believed that YOU put in the hard work YOU pass the gradings & YOU turn up for training … so surely that means to be the best YOU can be it’s all down to YOU???

WRONG!!! 

As a sport/hobbie/lifestyle martial arts cannot be done with out a huge team effort and support. 

So who is in your TEAM…

PARENTS/FAMILY 

Without the love, support and encouragement from your parents & family you wouldn’t be the person you are today, and it is that person you are today which makes you the martial artist you are today!! Your parents raised you, fed you, clothed you and set you on your way towards your goals and dreams in life. Martial Arts helps to add life skills into your makeup, such as; focus, discipline, drive, determination & confidence. With the support of a strong, loving family a martial artist has the best chance possible to smash life’s challenges and obstacles. 

INSTRUCTORS

An instuctor helps you build the door, they open it but it’s down to you to stride through it! Your instructor doesn’t just teach you to defend yourself, keep fit, pass grading or kick higher. They also give you goals to aspire too. They inspire you to become the best you can be, both on and off the mats. Your instructor shouldn’t be just seen as the person at the front of class, they should be seen as a role model, someone who can help you improve, achieve & succeed every time you step on the mat. They have their own martial arts journeys and they want to make sure yours is as successful & fulfilling as theirs. Want to know how your instructor became the martial artist they are today??? They had an awesome team!! 


Class mates/Training buddies 

You’re not on the mat on your own, there are people training with you who are on the same journey as you. You cant possibly reach Blackbelt and beyond without the friendship, support, competition & togetherness your class mates give you. Imagine training your Sparring technique without a partner. Imagine having a pad workout without a pad holder? … it just wouldn’t work!! Whether it be physically or mentally your class mates support you and your journey each day, just like by being on the mats and being yourself you are helping and inpsiring others around you too!! 

Martial Arts the best Individual Team Sport there is!! 


Tom Thorpe – 4th Degree Blackbelt & Chief Instuctor at Endeavour Martial Arts. 

WANT TO BE A PART OF OUR TEAM??
KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES??
WHY NOT LEARN MORE ABOUT ENDEAVOUR AND OUR PROGRAMMES …. CLICK HERE

Am I advocating revenge? Do I think the world is going to be changed by bullied kids uniting in retaliation against their tormenters? By no means! Rather, I take that old sports-ism to encourage parents to fortify their kids with specific skills that help young people stand-up for themselves and stop bullies in their tracks. In other words, I sadly don’t hold out hope that the world is going to change for our kids. I optimistically do believe, however, that our kids can change their own world by developing a set of skills that makes bullying unrewarding.

Skill 1: Stay Connected
Bullies operate by making their victims feel alone and powerless. Children reclaim their power when they make and maintain connections with faithful friends and supportive adults.

Skill 2: Create Awareness
Sometimes kids feel like adults never do anything–so why even bother to tell them about incidence of bullying? While there are cases when adults fail to acknowledge the seriousness of a situation, it is more often the case that grown-ups are not aware of what is going on. Bullies use relational aggression to inflict their violence in subtle, socially acceptable ways that tend not to register on an adult’s radar. Teach your child that it is her job to create awareness. Be clear in teaching kids that telling an adult about bullying is not a mark of cowardice, but rather a bold, powerful move.

Skill 3: Re-define Tattling
My daughter came to me yesterday, worried that if she told the bus driver about a boy who was spitting on her, then she would be labeled as a “tattletale.” I told her that this is exactly what the bully wanted her to think! Isolation is a bully’s method of intimidation. In fact, it is only by telling an adult that kids can begin to re-balance the power dynamic. When a bully realizes that he will not be able to keep a victim isolated, he immediately begins to lose power.

Skill 4: Act Quickly
The longer a bully has power over a victim, the stronger the hold becomes. Oftentimes, bullying begins in a relatively mild form–name calling, teasing, or minor physical aggression. After the bully has tested the waters and confirmed that a victim is not going to tell and adult and stand up for his rights, the aggression worsens. Teach your child that taking action against the bully–and taking it sooner rather than later–is the best way to gain and retain power.

Skill 5: Respond Assertively
The more a bully thinks he can pick on a victim without a response, the more he will do it. That’s why an assertive response is so effective in countering bullying. Kids who master the skills of assertiveness are comfortable in the middle ground between aggressive comebacks that up the ante for the next go-round, and passive responses that invite further abuse.

Skill 6: Use Simple, Unemotional Language
Assertive kids use simple, unemotional, direct language to let bullies know that they do not intend to be victimized. Why should you teach your child to use responses that are “unemotional?” Indications that a person can be emotionally impacted signal a bully that he will be able to wield power easily. By encouraging your child to respond without angeror fear, you teach her how to portray confidence. The bully, in turn, detects less potential for wielding control.

Skill 7: Use Body Language to Reinforce Words
When coaching your child in the skills of assertive communication, it is helpful to practice using body language to reinforce words. Teach your child to employ these simple, non-verbal assertive strategies that indicate to a bully that your child means what she says:

• Maintain eye contact
• Keep your voice calm and even
• Stand an appropriate distance from the bully
• Use the bully’s name when speaking to him
Teach your child that emotional non-verbals, such as looking away, raising her voice, or shrinking back are all dead giveaways that the bully has gotten to her.

Want your child or a friends child to boost their anti-bullying skills and learn fun & exciting martial arts then click HERE to register for a free trial with Endeavour Martial Arts.

Living the black belt lifestyle

Our past three blog posts talked about the differences between getting a Black Belt and “becoming” one. We shared stories and analogies to help you see the importance of “living” the black belt lifestyle as opposed to just “getting” a black belt. Here is a quick review:

The stories of the BONSAI TREE and the GREAT SEQUOIA TREES made us realize that we get to choose who we want to be, and what we become with our lives. Unlike these two trees that have no choice in what they are – we get to choose! We can choose to be mighty and great like the Sequoia trees or we can choose to stop growing and waste our potential for greatness.

The story of the old man who was challenged by the two boys that had a bird in their hands reminds us that where we end up in life is “in our hands”. You are responsible for you! The decisions you make will move you closer to your goals or further away. You have the power to choose – so choose wisely.

Finally, we talked about the Loser’s Limp. When people fall into negative thinking, they tend to make a variety of excuses for their behaviors. It’s easy for us to make an excuse as to why we aren’t giving our best to become our best. We can say; “It’s too hard, or, no one else does it”. But excuses don’t make you better. When you make excuses you’re not being honest with yourself and the only thing you are doing is stunting your own growth.

A true Black Belt is one of the Heart. It’s someone who demonstrates that they live the black belt lifestyle of excellence on and off the mats.

If you enjoyed this message please share it with your friends and family.

According to KidsHealth.org children 6 – 12 years of age need physical activity to build strength, coordination, confidence — and to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle.
They’re also gaining more control over how active they are.

School-age kids should have many chances to participate in a variety of activities, sports, and games that fit for their personality, ability, age, and interests. Brainstorm with your kids on activities that feel right. Most kids won’t mind a daily dose of fitness as long as it’s fun.
Many parents choose martial arts for a structured activity because Martial Arts teaches kids a lot.

1. The fitness includes strength training with aerobic benefits as well as flexibility.

2. According to martial arts professional Scott Dolloff “Martial Arts is a transformational instruction sport. It’s about developing people from the inside out using their sport or the art they love.”

3. Kids like the kicking, self defense, and parents love the “Transformation” of their kids with more perserverence, confidence, self esteem, courage, respect and courtesy
Physical activity guidelines for school-age kids recommend that each day they:
Get 1 hour or more of moderate and vigorous physical activity on most or all days. Martial Arts 2 – 3 days a week keeps kids on a schedule

Participate in several bouts of physical activity of 15 minutes or more each day
Avoid periods of inactivity of 2 hours or more unless sleeping. Once again a scheduled martial arts class will give them something to look forward to a couple of days each week.
To learn more, click HERE or call our school to arrange a tour or free trial session.

Rubberbands are useful only when they are stretched!

What separates a great martial artist from a mediocre one? Is it talent? Is it athleticism? Sure all of those things play a part but the real difference between someone who is good and someone who is outstanding is discipline, determination, and drive! They are willing to stretch themselves and push beyond their comfort zone. Great black belts show up on a consistent basis ready to give his or her very best each and every time.

When is a rubber band useful? Only when it is stretched. In many ways, people are the same way. For each of us to reach our true potential we need to consistently stretch ourselves.

Alan Cohen, author and contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series ,says “To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny.”

In the dojo that could mean working on some advanced techniques that have proven difficult in the past or it could mean training with someone in class that really challenges you. Successful people get comfortable at being uncomfortable!

Your attitude plays a big part in this. You have to have the drive and desire to stretch yourself to become more. It all starts with knowing what you want and why you want it.

“If you won’t be better tomorrow than you were today, then what do you need tomorrow for?” What can you do to grow to the next level? What can you learn? Who might motivate or push you to grow?

I hope you enjoyed this week’s message on the Law of the Rubberband. Please share it so we all continue to stretch ourselves to become better human beings.