For this past testing cycle our students have been working on lessons regarding self confidence. Their assignment was to list 10 things that they have done right or wrong that has helped build self confidence.
Though all of our students did this assignment, and many of them did a great job, I would have to say that my favorite was Sergio’s project. Here it is!
For our Black Belt students we offer a unique program called “”Lessons in Mastery.” The concept is simple. What is a master? How do masters think? What is the path to mastery?
A Master is somebody who perceives themselves and the world around them in a very specific way. It doesn’t matter what somebody is a master of, what is relevant is what they had to do to get there and what they do to stay.
One of the assignments for our students on this quest is to interview a master of something in an effort to figure out what makes them tick. Here is the assignment.
Porter, one of our Junior Black Belts, choose to speak with a Taiko master. Here is an example of what he discovered.
At the White Oak Martial Arts Center, we do a great deal of things to help kids deal with being bullied. Everything from websites, classroom presentation, to empowerment classes- you name it. One of the things that comes up pretty much every time there is a conversation about bullying is this: what is the difference between tattling and getting help when you need it? Kids are all told not to tattle, so often times they won’t ask for help when they need it because they are confused about the difference.
It’s simple. Tattling is when somebody is doing something that is in no way harmful to you or anybody else and you tell on them anyway. Getting help is when somebody is doing or saying something that is harmful to you or others and you ask an authority figure for help.
Tattling is when the kid next to you in school is doodling and you raise your hand to say, “Mrs. Jones, Bobby is drawing pictures when he should be listening to you.” Getting help is when Bobby calls you a bad name and takes your lunch money, so you privately go to Mrs. Jones and say, “Mrs. Jones Bobby insulted me and then took my lunch money, can you please help me?”
Discuss this with your kids.
This is the kind of thing we teach at our school, if you would like more information about us please click here.
Here are some other resources on the subject.
http://www.metrokids.com/MetroKids/January-2010/Tattling-Versus-Telling/
At the White Oak Martial Arts Center in Asheville, NC our students not only learn personal defense skills (everything from how to deal with a bully, negative peer pressure, or violence) but also how to be an ethical person who contributes to society in a positive way. We want our students to be positive role models for everyone they come into contact with.
In fact, for every belt our students have to be able to apply a physical self defense skill, pass a physical fitness test, and complete a positive character trait task. This past cycle we talked about positive attitude. Here is a short video showing off some of out students assignments, spot lighting Claudia and Bodhi.
Click here for more information about how our school can help your family.
One of the most valuable things that martial arts students learn is self control, the ability to think before you act. We do this through the discipline of managing ourselves, and to be honest, learning to manage force, power, and violence. Most little boys at one time or another turn a banana into a gun, play fight and wrestle, and display other forms of “play violence.” Little girls do as well, but differently. As a father of only girls I was amazed to learn what girl world is like. It’s a scary place:). Basically, girls are violent as well, but it is much more Machiavellian.
My point is this, violence is an attempt to build power and as humans we seek power. This in and of itself is not a bad thing, but this power needs to be honed and focused towards positive ends. This is where a martial arts education in self control is so important. We address force, power, and violence directly and teach how to control these things, this quest for personal power, and how to shape the power we seek into a positive direction instead of a destructive one.
Here is a short video with this lesson as it will be taught in class.
For more information about our school click here.
Congratulations to Zoe Kaplan and Elliot Gualano for earning their first degree Black Belts! Earning a Black Belt with us is unique. First of all, they do have to learn all of the moves, forms, techniques and what not. However, the objective of learning these moves is self defense, not winning trophies. Therefore, our Black Belt physical exam is based on one simple notion. Can this person actually defend him or her self in a real self defense scenario? Can the student improvise and not be forced to do a bunch of dogmatically memorized stuff? It takes more self discipline and self confidence to be creative than to just perform a bunch of memorized stuff.
But on top of knowing what to do, the student must also have a clear understanding of when to do these things. Obviously we don’t want to have a student who is looking for a fight all the time. Therefore we spend a great deal of time teaching a simple philosophy of use- use the smallest amount of force necessary to not get hurt, preferably none, with the objective of escape.
However, though there is the possibility of having to defend yourself against a physical attack, other attacks are much more likely- in fact I guarantee that they will take place. Therefore our self defense curriculum spends a great deal of time working on defense against negative peer pressure, bullies, good nutrition choices, personal fear and self doubt, anger management, effective ways to say no, managing the environment, and many other real life challenges that out kids face every day.
And finally, out students learn a great deal of becoming an effective person. A Black Belt Leader with us is the kind of person who is not negatively influenced by those around them, rather is a positive influence on those they come in contact with. Out students learn about honesty, integrity, a positive attitude, gratitude, discipline, respect, self confidence, and a whole lot more. These topics are taught in every class just like techniques are. Not only that, but out students are required to actually do things to apply these lessons to their lives for each belt. We call these tasks.
For Black Belt there is a community leadership task. This time around Zoe lead a team to clean up the overpass bridge next to an elementary school, while Elliot lead an effort to raise money for gifts for the less fortunate.
Now that they have both earned their first degree Black Belt (and both did an amazing job on every challenge I threw at them) it is time for them to get to work on their second- with a whole new set of challenges!
If you would like more information about our school please click here.
After one of our students earns a Black Belt, there is still continuing curriculum. In fact, getting a black belt is kind of like getting your drivers license. You can drive- but now it’s time to really learn how to do it! Along with kunging and fuing, the first lesson our Black Belts learn about is Compassion.
Here is what Abir had to say about it. Please note that he chose to approach this topic from the context of comparative religion but we do not discuss religion in class. With that said, this is an excellent paper discussing the concept of compassion from different perspectives. I guess it helped him out a little bit that his mother teaches philosophy at UNCA.
Dear Master Croley,
To me compassion is the Golden Rule that is, Treat Others The Way You Want To Be
Treated. Compassion is important in the religions because each religion has the
common value of compassion. For example in Hinduism compassion stands for non-Harmfulness.
In Christianity compassion stands for loving even one’s enemies. In Buddhism
compassion stands for the ability to fully appreciate one’s own suffering and
the suffering of others. In Judaism compassion says, ‘Kindness gives to another,
Compassion knows no other.’ In Islam compassion stands for helping and
supporting everyone.In every religion compassion requires
humility and self-control. So if you have humility, self-control, and
compassion altogether you are a good person. You learn these virtues and other
virtues in the process of becoming a black-belt.EX AMPLES:
- When I help my best-friend build
lego sets.- Helping my friends learn to swing
on the monkey bars at recess.- If somebody needs help washing the
tables at lunch I help them.- If a classmate needs help with
reading I go and help them.- If a friend has fallen down I help
them up.Sincerely,
Abir
I really like how he looked at this topic from several different angles and then applied them to his life. Well done Abir!
For more information about our school, click here.
It is easy to get hung up on all of the negative things that are happening in your life and in the world around you. It is important to remember that your focus is your reality. What you focus on the most is what will grow in your mind, and thus will guide your perspectives and your actions. What it boils down to is that if you think about negative things you help those negative things grow within you. If you focus on positive things you help those things grow within you. Whatever you are helping to grow is what you are contributing to your life and how you are influencing the people around you.
One of the very best ways to keep your mind going in a constructive fashion is to do an exercise that you probably learned as a child called “counting your blessings.” It’s simple. When you are upset about something, write down that event. Then on a different sheet of paper write down all of the things in your life that you are grateful for. You will find that the things to be grateful for list is vastly larger than the bad things list. When you begin to think in these terms you also start to notice the things that other people are doing that should go on the things to be grateful for list. The world begins to become a pretty amazing place.
I’m not suggesting that you should ignore nor hide from problems, but with a grateful mind you will be able to think in a positive, solution oriented way instead of anything else.
Here is a video lesson about Gratitude. This is the material we have been discussing in class for this testing cycle.
Click here for more information about our school.
For his first tip on his Junior Black Belt, Porter had to read the Charter of Compassion and discuss it a little bit. Here’s what he came up with.
[imagebrowser id=7]
Hi Master Croley,
Summary of Charter of Compassion:
Compassion is to treat all other as we wish to be treated. To always speak respectfully to others and do not show hatred to one another. Not to be selfish to one another and always be kind.Compassion helps us relate and work better together. Compassion is the way to the creation of justice. That is what I think Compassion is.
What is Compassion and what does it have to do with being a good black belt and person?:
Compassion has to do with being a good person or black belt because if you have no respect to others you will not be liked.You have to display positive attitude towards other because if you do not do this you will not be respected.To be a good black belt or a good person you need to have good leadership and responsibility.That is what I think being a good black belt and person is.
Thank you,
Porter
For more information about out school please click here.
School is about to begin! One of the issues that inevitabley pops up when school starts is bullying. With this in mind, for our students self defense project this testing cycle they will be turning in a drawing, photo, or written report on ten ways to effectively deal with a bully. Many of these suggestions can come from www.StopBulliesinAshevilleNOW.org.
Turn in your project soon for a prize from the prize vault!
      |
