Saturday, December 13, 2008
SR. Red Belt Test
I want to thank everyone that has supported us in this journey to Sr. Red. I for one would not be here if it was not for the support and understanding of people in my life and the extended family that I have with the academy. I want to thank Mrs. Wilmott for putting us on the right path down the long road that we are traveling now you have been an inspiration to us all. Thanks to Brooke and Cam, believe it or not you two helped me calm down quite a bit. This testing experience will be something that I will never forget and will be a very cherished memory. Thank you all for your support and I will continue to work hard to be ready for the black belt test coming up.
Friday, December 12, 2008
senior redbelt test
First of all I want to thank everyone that came to support Bryon, Cameron, and myself. It was nice to have you all there. I heard you all cheering us on. Thankyou to Mrs. Wilmott for getting us this far. I never knew that I could do this. The test was very long and it was hard to sit on the floor with sparring gear on for four hours. I was surprised to know that we had to break 2 boards at one time, but because of my age they could take 1 board away. I hope to pass boot camp to be able to test for my junior black belt. I now know what to expect. I want to say thankyou to Bryon and Cameron for being there also. I was nervous and you both helped with that. If anyone wants to know anything about the test I would be happy to answer them. I will be working hard these next few months to make it through boot camp. Thanks to everyone who helped support us.
Red belt test
Oh my goodness! I was so nervous at the test, but I was glad to have my sister there. She helped calm me down some. Everyone that tested did a great job. I wanted to say thankyou to Brooke for helping me get through it. And Bryon too. You helped me with my boards. I couldn't find them and you helped us so thankyou for that. I now know what to expect at the next test and wow I hope I make it through boot camp. I will work really hard and if anyone has ideas of what I can do please let me know. To all the people down in watkins class on the 5th you came up to me and gave me encouragement that helped alot too. And thanks to all that stayed to watch us test. It was nice to know I had people in my corner. And to my mom and dad thankyou for being there for me. I love you very much. If anyone has any questions that they want to ask me please feel free I would love to help in anyway I can.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
You Survived!
Congratulations to Brooke, Bryon, and Cameron on a job well done...all the hard work really paid off! Now that you have been there....what do you think? Was it worth it? Are you ready to take it to the next level?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
“Fear of commitment is perhaps the most deadly sin of all..."
"...because it's not simply your failure to commit to yourself, your dreams, your hopes. To be successful, you have to believe that you deserve success. You have to have an image of yourself so tangible that you can reach out and touch it” --Peller Marion
Black Belt Commitment:
"Every martial arts instructor’s goal is to develop black belt students. Our dream is that each of our students will one day earn this honor. Unfortunately, the reality is that not everyone will succeed. While there may be numerous reasons why an individual deviates from his/her path to reach Black Belt, most of them are direct opponents (or enemies) of student commitment. Can you remember instances in your life when you had good intentions of following through on a goal but somehow it didn't get done? This happens to all of us from time to time. Whatever initially causes a student’s commitment to becoming a Black Belt to waver, it is very easy to allow additional factors to compound the problem and jeopardize his or her continued progress. This in turn leads to further decreased commitment. It is actually a vicious cycle of cause and effect. It will be easier to stay committed to your Black Belt goals if you can recognize in advance what has the potential to steer you off the track. Being aware of the possibility will allow you to consciously re-focus and re-establish your commitment to becoming a Black Belt.
No matter what we do, there are only 24 hours in a day. It is not difficult to run out of time to do the things that we have committed to do. Time management is a crucial skill that all people should learn in order to balance and prioritize their commitments. By doing so, you will find that there can be sufficient time to honor your priorities. Think of the benefits you are receiving as a student of the martial arts and how important they are to you. Self-defense, exercise for better health, confidence, and family time are among the benefits that probably rank very high on your list. Time management skills will help you attend your scheduled martial arts classes and continue your training.
There may be instances during class when the material or techniques are difficult to learn. This can be discouraging and may make you re-think your ability to achieve Black Belt. But every Black Belt has had to overcome these obstacles, and you can too. If you are having trouble, see your instructor as soon as possible. Often, a little one-on-one advice can go a long way. Practicing at home or with a fellow student can also make the learning process quicker or easier. Here’s a simple tip I learned during training that you can also try: teaching! When you break down a technique to show it to someone else, the technique often becomes clearer to yourself. Try it sometime. While many students can attend class or work out everyday, other students suffer from student burn-out. It is important to train at a pace that will optimize your progress. How much? The martial arts is an individual activity and only you can determine your optimal work-out time. Just be aware that you can overdo even a good thing. Remember, an apple a day will keep the Doctor away... but if you eat two dozen apples a day, you will probably need the Doctor!
Achieving Black Belt does not signify the end of your martial arts journey. Instead, the Black Belt is a symbol of your hard work, dedication, and your success in following through on your Black Belt commitment. It recognizes a proficiency of skill you have developed during your training. This achievement will lay the foundation on which you will develop master skills in the future. But, most importantly, your Black Belt is the first step to attaining this higher learning."
C.A.N.I. Commitment to Constant and Never-ending Improvement!
Black Belt Commitment:
"Every martial arts instructor’s goal is to develop black belt students. Our dream is that each of our students will one day earn this honor. Unfortunately, the reality is that not everyone will succeed. While there may be numerous reasons why an individual deviates from his/her path to reach Black Belt, most of them are direct opponents (or enemies) of student commitment. Can you remember instances in your life when you had good intentions of following through on a goal but somehow it didn't get done? This happens to all of us from time to time. Whatever initially causes a student’s commitment to becoming a Black Belt to waver, it is very easy to allow additional factors to compound the problem and jeopardize his or her continued progress. This in turn leads to further decreased commitment. It is actually a vicious cycle of cause and effect. It will be easier to stay committed to your Black Belt goals if you can recognize in advance what has the potential to steer you off the track. Being aware of the possibility will allow you to consciously re-focus and re-establish your commitment to becoming a Black Belt.
No matter what we do, there are only 24 hours in a day. It is not difficult to run out of time to do the things that we have committed to do. Time management is a crucial skill that all people should learn in order to balance and prioritize their commitments. By doing so, you will find that there can be sufficient time to honor your priorities. Think of the benefits you are receiving as a student of the martial arts and how important they are to you. Self-defense, exercise for better health, confidence, and family time are among the benefits that probably rank very high on your list. Time management skills will help you attend your scheduled martial arts classes and continue your training.
There may be instances during class when the material or techniques are difficult to learn. This can be discouraging and may make you re-think your ability to achieve Black Belt. But every Black Belt has had to overcome these obstacles, and you can too. If you are having trouble, see your instructor as soon as possible. Often, a little one-on-one advice can go a long way. Practicing at home or with a fellow student can also make the learning process quicker or easier. Here’s a simple tip I learned during training that you can also try: teaching! When you break down a technique to show it to someone else, the technique often becomes clearer to yourself. Try it sometime. While many students can attend class or work out everyday, other students suffer from student burn-out. It is important to train at a pace that will optimize your progress. How much? The martial arts is an individual activity and only you can determine your optimal work-out time. Just be aware that you can overdo even a good thing. Remember, an apple a day will keep the Doctor away... but if you eat two dozen apples a day, you will probably need the Doctor!
Achieving Black Belt does not signify the end of your martial arts journey. Instead, the Black Belt is a symbol of your hard work, dedication, and your success in following through on your Black Belt commitment. It recognizes a proficiency of skill you have developed during your training. This achievement will lay the foundation on which you will develop master skills in the future. But, most importantly, your Black Belt is the first step to attaining this higher learning."
C.A.N.I. Commitment to Constant and Never-ending Improvement!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Anything is possible!
Hi Team! Today we ran 4.1 miles in Special Training. I'll bet you didn't think it was possible for you to run this far when we started on this incredible journey did you? Just think of the amazing things you can accomplish if you continue your quest to be your best!!!!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Community Service
We didn't know that it got cancelled so we ended up getting up @ 6 a.m. and going to Ira-Davenport hospital for community service. It was raining when the people were signing up. Cameron and I carried chairs, handed bags to the people when they signed up. Then we went to a water station. We had to fill cups half full of water for the runners and the walkers. As they ran by we held out the water and if they wanted some they would grab it. We told everyone as they went by that they were doing great. Then they would thank Cameron and I for volunteering to do that for them. That was really cool to be told thank you for that. It did stop raining and they gave us shirts too. I had a really good time on Saturday. Mom put our names on a list to be called if they need help for other events and they thanked us for that. I felt like I did something really important that day and it made me feel really good inside. I also want to thank my mom for supporting me and taking the time to take us. Thanks mom! You are great!!! If anyone has any questions about the community service feel free to ask us.
Community Service
Wow was it wet. We didn't know that it got cancelled so we went to the hospital. At the begining it was really boring, but then we got put at a water station. Man was that fun! My mom went back up to get someones phone number and she came back with doughnuts and a shirt for us. When we went back down we had to fill up cups with water only half way. Then the runners started coming by. I would pick up a cup and hold it out and as they ran by they would grab the cup. Some of the water would dump out then they would drink it or pour it over their head. That was really funny. The time went by really fast. We were there for four hours but it didn't seem that long. I was glad that we didn't get the message that it was cancelled. Thanks mom for taking me there. I love you.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Food for Thought....
- Tom Callos
"Your black belt test, in any style of martial arts, is your Olympics. From the first day you stepped on the mat, you began preparing for your test, whether you were aware of it or not. On the day you test for your black belt, you want to be at your absolute best, your peak; and going through the test should be like crawling through a long tunnel between one world and the next, like a birth; a rebirth. When you come to the other side, you should be changed; from that day on you are a new person.
When you practice your martial arts, whether you’re in your first week of lessons or a veteran of a thousand classes, knowing your test is coming up, that you are preparing yourself, that that day’s training session is connected to your test, gives you direction. You train with intention, with purpose and a sense of mission.
Every part of your life, every relationship, everything you consume, every thought, every action, every movement contains in it something that has to do with your test. You are in training. You are preparing yourself.
Getting ready for your black belt test requires that you become a representative of the martial arts. You represent the truth of it –or its frivolity. You represent every master teacher of every style of every school since the beginning. To everyone around you, you should represent the seriousness of the undertaking. It is more than your formal education, it is more than a contest, it is more than getting your degree, passing the Bar or getting married or any other event in your life. This is your black belt test, this is the event that requires you to practice ten-thousand repetitions, to dig deep, to be consistent, to train and train and train until the connections in your brain are so strong, so time-tested, and so automatic that the space between thinking and doing is eliminated.
Every toe knows its exact place. The foot is aligned, perfectly, as is the knee, the hip, the torso, the shoulders, the head, and the eyes. Like a master carpenter yielding a hammer, your hands, feet, elbows, and knees follow an exact path; they hit their targets with exact precision, with surprising force, with confidence that can only be born from practice. Your movement isn’t just movement, it is integration, it comes from your center, and your balance is perfect. You could do it all backwards, blindfolded, against one or more people, in the dark, on the grass, in the water, or anywhere, anytime, with or without a proper warm up.
When you test for your black belt, you are what you have shaped yourself to be. You have adjusted for any limitations and injuries. You move with a confidence that comes from repetition, from practice, from awareness, from intent, and from your breath. No stone has been left unturned. You ran the extra mile, you eliminated the unhealthy from your diet, you studied the best of the best, and you shaped and forged and worked on your movement. For you, it is all about the technique and nothing about the technique. Something drives you that is not your muscles.
When you test for your black belt, even your mistakes are polished. When you fall you flow, when you get hit, you embrace, when you tap, you win with a smile. You’re not hard on yourself, you don’t get angry; you cope, you adjust, and you accept. You have worked through the mistakes. You have worked through the frustration and the anger and the injuries.
The earlier you recognize the value of training for your black belt test, the better. The earlier you begin, the better. Preparing for your test shapes your experience; it makes you a better person. When other people are easily distracted, you are focused. When others eat without purpose, you choose a diet that prepares you for your training. When others give into anger, you see it as a chance to practice your control. You’re in training to be a black belt.
A professionally trained dancer carries with her a sense of center, of style, of confidence that lasts her entire life. A West Point graduate has a certain posture, an attentiveness and sense of confidence that shines –regardless of the time that has passed since graduation. A black belt who approaches his or her training with mission and seriousness –carries the experience to the grave.
You prepare for your black belt test with everything you have. When you do that, the experience serves you, it is rich, it is life-shaping, and it brings to you skills that you might never have acquired any other way.
Approach your black belt test, starting today, with these ideas in mind. When you step on the mat, remember where you are headed. Make your practice go deep –and then deeper, and then deeper yet. Put as much focus and energy into your hour of practice as you put into anything you do in your life."
"Your black belt test, in any style of martial arts, is your Olympics. From the first day you stepped on the mat, you began preparing for your test, whether you were aware of it or not. On the day you test for your black belt, you want to be at your absolute best, your peak; and going through the test should be like crawling through a long tunnel between one world and the next, like a birth; a rebirth. When you come to the other side, you should be changed; from that day on you are a new person.
When you practice your martial arts, whether you’re in your first week of lessons or a veteran of a thousand classes, knowing your test is coming up, that you are preparing yourself, that that day’s training session is connected to your test, gives you direction. You train with intention, with purpose and a sense of mission.
Every part of your life, every relationship, everything you consume, every thought, every action, every movement contains in it something that has to do with your test. You are in training. You are preparing yourself.
Getting ready for your black belt test requires that you become a representative of the martial arts. You represent the truth of it –or its frivolity. You represent every master teacher of every style of every school since the beginning. To everyone around you, you should represent the seriousness of the undertaking. It is more than your formal education, it is more than a contest, it is more than getting your degree, passing the Bar or getting married or any other event in your life. This is your black belt test, this is the event that requires you to practice ten-thousand repetitions, to dig deep, to be consistent, to train and train and train until the connections in your brain are so strong, so time-tested, and so automatic that the space between thinking and doing is eliminated.
Every toe knows its exact place. The foot is aligned, perfectly, as is the knee, the hip, the torso, the shoulders, the head, and the eyes. Like a master carpenter yielding a hammer, your hands, feet, elbows, and knees follow an exact path; they hit their targets with exact precision, with surprising force, with confidence that can only be born from practice. Your movement isn’t just movement, it is integration, it comes from your center, and your balance is perfect. You could do it all backwards, blindfolded, against one or more people, in the dark, on the grass, in the water, or anywhere, anytime, with or without a proper warm up.
When you test for your black belt, you are what you have shaped yourself to be. You have adjusted for any limitations and injuries. You move with a confidence that comes from repetition, from practice, from awareness, from intent, and from your breath. No stone has been left unturned. You ran the extra mile, you eliminated the unhealthy from your diet, you studied the best of the best, and you shaped and forged and worked on your movement. For you, it is all about the technique and nothing about the technique. Something drives you that is not your muscles.
When you test for your black belt, even your mistakes are polished. When you fall you flow, when you get hit, you embrace, when you tap, you win with a smile. You’re not hard on yourself, you don’t get angry; you cope, you adjust, and you accept. You have worked through the mistakes. You have worked through the frustration and the anger and the injuries.
The earlier you recognize the value of training for your black belt test, the better. The earlier you begin, the better. Preparing for your test shapes your experience; it makes you a better person. When other people are easily distracted, you are focused. When others eat without purpose, you choose a diet that prepares you for your training. When others give into anger, you see it as a chance to practice your control. You’re in training to be a black belt.
A professionally trained dancer carries with her a sense of center, of style, of confidence that lasts her entire life. A West Point graduate has a certain posture, an attentiveness and sense of confidence that shines –regardless of the time that has passed since graduation. A black belt who approaches his or her training with mission and seriousness –carries the experience to the grave.
You prepare for your black belt test with everything you have. When you do that, the experience serves you, it is rich, it is life-shaping, and it brings to you skills that you might never have acquired any other way.
Approach your black belt test, starting today, with these ideas in mind. When you step on the mat, remember where you are headed. Make your practice go deep –and then deeper, and then deeper yet. Put as much focus and energy into your hour of practice as you put into anything you do in your life."
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Fitness Update!
Keep up the good work team! The conditioning exercises must be completed in 4 minutes and some of you are on your way to success. Hopefully you all know where you stand now and have an idea of what will be required of you over the next several months to pass the test. You should be running EVERYDAY by now so that you can reach your goal of 1.5 miles in 13 minutes...don't wait until the last minute or you will get left behind!
Diet is important too now that you are training hard. Knock off the junk food and sugar and keep to fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lots of lean protein! Remember, processed is BAD, natural is GOOD!!!
Diet is important too now that you are training hard. Knock off the junk food and sugar and keep to fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lots of lean protein! Remember, processed is BAD, natural is GOOD!!!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Just A Quote
I wanted everyone to tell me what they think about this quote it really made me think : " The black belt is not a mark or symbol of the end of the journey to ones mastery of the arts; rather it is the mark that one is done packing for their journey and may now take the first step in their true journey. This a journey which can not ever be complete, only traveled..." Although I was unable to find the author of this quote I thought it was a quote that could make us all as black belt candidates realize that we are just at the beginning of the road that there are many more valuable lessons to be learned from this journey that we have started.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Fun Day
I went to the Masters Cup today. It was a great experience. My favorite parts were doing the team form and sparring. I also enjoyed watching everyone else compete. We had 13 gold medals 15 silver and 5 bronze over all for our school. I think we came in fourth. It was a long day but I had alot of fun. Thanks to all that cheered for us. So far my journey as a red belt has been challenging but fun. I love special trainning. I have worked very hard to get to where I am today. I will continue to work hard and to reach my goal to become a black belt.
Tournament
Wow what a day! I went to the tournament in Elmira and it was a long fun day. I has so much fun competing. I did 3 things. Staff form, team form and sparring. I enjoyed watching all the other people too. My favorite part about today was my staff form. I wanted to say something to Jessica. You are doing a great job. Maybe next time you will compete. Thank you for your support. I will support you when you do a tournament. Everyone that competed today Great Job!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
It's Time!
It's time to evaluate your progress and renew your goals...the test is right around the corner and you don't want to get caught unprepared. Remember that Special Training is mandatory if you are planning on testing so make sure that you plan accordingly. Keep us posted on your progress Team!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Power Camp November 9, 2008
Final fitness testing for all Red & Black Belts will be October 25th. Black Belt's and Senior Red Belt's must complete all requirements to be eligible for Power Camp and Red Belts must pass the Fitness Test in order to attend the Senior Red Belt Test.
Sr. Red and
Black Belt Requirements: 1.5mile Run in 13 minutes or 3mile run
Conditioning Exercises under 4 minutes
Red Belt Fitness Test: 1.5 mile Run
25 pushups/25 situps
Sr. Red and
Black Belt Requirements: 1.5mile Run in 13 minutes or 3mile run
Conditioning Exercises under 4 minutes
Red Belt Fitness Test: 1.5 mile Run
25 pushups/25 situps
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