KICKIN' IT! BLOG

Why is earning a Black Belt so hard?

Inevitably, every martial artist at one point asks…Why is this so hard? Why is training so hard? Why am I not getting better? Why is earning a Black Belt so hard?

One of the things that I think holds most martial artists back is trying to work on too many things at once. They’re trying to learn too many skills, practicing too many drills and running in too many different directions at once and because of that their training becomes muddled. When that happens, they don’t get better…just more confused.

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All Sports One Day Event

Ever wanted to try a new sport?

“All Sport One Day” is a new multi-sport event that lets people of all ages and skill levels try a new sports in a ‘playful’ environment with trained instructors from different Sport Aurora organizations.

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What are you willing to give up?

I’ve got a goal, but I have to give up what!? Yup…What are you willing to give up?

Last week I had a conversation with a student about them achieving their Black Belt and it really changed how I think about achieving my goals. After the conversation, it really made me stop and ask myself “What am I willing to give up, to achieve my goals?”

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Stop picking fights you can’t win!

I have some simple advice…stop picking fights you can’t win.

If you’re fighting a fight that can’t be won, you’re wasting time. You should be spending time on fights that you can win. One of the things that you quickly learn in martial arts is which fights you should or shouldn’t be fighting.

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How to succeed in the martial arts.

How to do I become a great martial artist? That’s a big question that I’ve been asked more than once. It’s hard to answer, but there is one skill that I’ve realized every successful martial artist has. If you can master it, not only will you be a great martial artist, you’ll be great at everything you try. That’s what this week’s message of the week is all about.

The one skill that every successful martial artist needs is flexibility and I’m not talking about touching your toes. I’m talking about being able to adapt and adjust to new situations and events. Rarely does something go smoothy and you get it on the first try so you need to be flexible.

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What’s your SUPERPOWER? What are you truly capable of?

https://youtu.be/8N1NgjU27Jg

We all have hidden talents. Superpowers that we just haven’t yet discovered! What’s your superpower? What are you truly capable of?

I was speaking with a parent this week and they said “You had to totally reinvent your business,” and I said “Yes I have. I have never run a martial arts school during a global pandemic. It is definitely something that I am new to.” As we talked about that it got me thinking about this week’s message of the week.

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What was the moment that changed your life?

Do you know the moment that changed your life? We all have a moment. A single event that shifted our journey. Want to know what moment changed my life? My moment happened when I was nine. It’s one of my proudest moments. I think it affected the rest of my life and that’s what this week’s message is all about.

Some background. My uncle taught me how to play chess when I was seven. From then on, and for the next 4 or 5 years, I played multiple games a week. When I was eight, I got into a class and our teacher encouraged us to play every day. We played a ton and I just loved it.

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What’s the most important thing in the world?

What’s the most important thing in the world? With everything that’s been going on lately, it’s hard not to ask some big questions. Inevitably, the mother of all questions gets asked.

For me and I’m pretty confident that it’s the same for most of you, there has been one solid constant. One thing that has that got me through all the ups, downs, the “I’m not even sure’s”… and that got me thinking about this week’s message of the week. This week’s message of the week is really simple…

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How Tip Testing Works

The great thing about the martial arts is that it helps people build confidence. With a built in set of goals, as students work their way through the ranks, inevitably their confidence grows. One important thing that we teach our students is that if you break up a goal into smaller pieces, it’s makes achieving your goals a lot easier. How we do that for our students, is with tips.

Most students have the opportunity to earn their tips in the 3rd or 4th week of the month. To earn their tips, they’ll need to meet certain requirments that include:

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Why it’s important to smile

With so many restrictions this year, some of the things that I love doing and that keep me active have been limited. Now, I don’t deal well with not being active…when I’m active, I can’t stop smiling. One night last week I had a great experience that made me smile and that got me thinking about this week’s message of the week.

This week’s message is very simple…

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