NW School of Martial ArtsA provisional black belt is a probationary rank. It falls in between the highest colored belt and a full-fledged 1st degree black belt. In other styles of Tae Kwon Do, this rank may be called “poom belt” or “recommended black belt.”
Poom is a junior black belt rank, used in Korea for holders of black belts who are under 15. “Recommended” gets closer to the idea of “candidacy for black belt.”
As for why it exists, it’s very, very complicated, grasshopper.
Saturday, June 8, 2013, NWSMA will be hosting two guest instructors from TMA Overlake to give a board breaking seminar.
Look at any martial arts website, and you’ll often find a list of benefits of martial arts. No matter the source, the lists of benefits are usually pretty accurate.
However, something I have never seen mentioned is the benefit of learning a foreign language.
In martial arts, often, it is required for the student to learn vocabulary in a foreign language. The actual language depends on the art. It can be as simple as learning to count to ten, or as complicated as learning to recite dojo creeds in another language.
Granted, the instructor may not be a native speaker. But generally speaking, exposure to a foreign language at a young age does cool stuff to the brain.
Additionally, martial arts is a kinetic activity, involving movement. By learning in a way that connects language with movement, children may also become more flexible learners.
**Happy Mother’s Day!**
Martial arts moms, we know it’s not always easy to get the kids to class. We and they appreciate all your hard work!
Yesterday’s women’s self-defense class was a big success! Thanks to all the ladies who showed up, we were able to make a donation to the Mason’s Bikes for Books fund!
We are planning a follow-up self-defense class for this summer. Please make sure we have your email address & we’ll let you know about that one in advance.
Instructors are always telling their students, “Be aware.” Today, I have 5 martial arts awareness drills that focus on doing awareness, not just telling it. Let’s first talk a bit about the importance of awareness.
We all know that awareness is a key part of basic self-defense. Knowing what is around you and sensing intention are easy ways to avoid bad situations. Any long-time practitioner of martial arts knows this, and probably practices it pretty unconsciously.
For your students, though, this may not yet be part of their routine. As an instructor, it is your job to convince them of the importance of habitual awareness.
I was lucky enough to have a terrifying instructor as a white belt. I was 11, and taking Mr. U’s class always made me sore the next day. One day, he sat us down and gave us a lecture that, 13 years later, I still remember vividly.
Saturday, June 1, 2013: Arnis Tournament at TMA – Pine Lake in Sammamish! If you like playing with sticks, stick fighting, or stick forms, then we highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity! 😛
Summer is tough for martial arts students and instructors alike. It’s hot. It’s sunny. And guess what? There’s no school! It’s so tough to sleep in and–
Wait, what’s that you say? No school? NO SCHOOL!
No school = more time to spend practicing martial arts and working hard for your next rank…….right?
Your instructors would love to see you in class over the summer. We’re not telling you to skip family vacation, (as much as some of you teenagers might like to). Family time is important, and *short* breaks are good for rest and re-focus. Or practicing your forms in an exotic location.
Let us explain why summer martial arts training is so crucial.
Instructors with summer martial arts programs: I just had an awesome idea, and I want to share it with you.
Everyone loves playing bingo, right? And everyone loves taking the summer off from martial arts.
We all know that taking the summer off from martial arts can set students back. We all forget things when we don’t do them often enough. It’s disheartening to watch students slide back multiple belt ranks because of sketchy summer attendance.
You know that summer martial arts training is a great time to focus on achievement and building skills. But this isn’t always enough to convince your youth students.
I came up with a “Summer Martial Arts Bingo” game to help get students involved in the dojo over the summer.
“Understands the importance of a proper diet” is a mental requirement for our Tae Kwon Do students.
Each TKD belt level has 4 mentals, and students must memorize and recite them at tests. We also usually ask each student to talk about what they mean, and occasionally ask for a short essay if a student has not been displaying the values contained in the mental requirement.
But back to the importance of a proper diet. If you train like an athlete, you should eat like one.
People who are looking to take advantage of others can spot a lack of self confidence a mile away. Lacking self confidence screams, “Victim!” to bad guys and bullies, who are looking for an easy target.
It’s hard to quantify something like confidence, but we can all tell who has it and who doesn’t. Harder still is gaining self confidence, which often means defeating negative mental habits.
Here are 3 easy tips for increasing your self confidence and self-esteem.