KICKIN' IT! BLOG

T-Shirt Design – 2019

Got a great idea for this year’s AFMA t-shirt?  We want to see it!  Just this blank t-shirt template, draw your design and submit it at the Pro Shop.

Stop chasing happiness and try this.

The measure of success is happiness and peace of mind. – Bobby Davro  

Remember that time you accepted the new job, finally got that raise, took a vacation, hit your ideal body weight and still, you weren’t happy?  The knotted balls of stress and discontent in your stomach that made you want to stay in bed forever, still lingered.   

Ontario Provincial Martial Arts Championships Registration Form

Tournament Team Members,

If you’re planning on attending the Ontario Provincial Martial Arts Championships, please download the registration form below.

Want to relieve some stress in your life?

What we are really matters more than what people think of us. – Jawaharlal Nehru 

Remember that time you met that person and they thought you were a snob?  A jerk for not even giving them the time of day.  Probably not.  Remember that time you met someone and thought the same?  Maybe. 

How does Karate build confidence?

One of the greatest things about the martial arts, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu and all the others is that it helps people (kids and adults) build confidence.  I get asked a lot about how it does that and so I started looking around, reading articles and here’s a good summary of what I found.

1. It gives you the confidence to socialize with others. Because martial arts is taught in a group setting, as practitioners, you will often come across many different students at any given time. Even if you prefer to have a small group of friends with similar interests, you will inevitably be exposed to a bigger group of people who share the same love for martial arts. At its core, martial arts teaches us the importance of socializing with others and it increases our social circles tenfold.
2. It gives you the confidence to perform under pressure. When you train martial arts, you will eventually find yourself joining competitions. Everyone is aware of the immense pressure one feels whenever one competes. The fact that you are competing shows the world how much you believe in yourself and your skills. It also proves that you are OK with whatever the outcome may be, because you know that win or lose, you will learn something from the experience.
3. It gives you the confidence to defend yourself against an attacker. Imagine being able to walk down a dark alley without fear, or being a woman that has the ability to take control over any situation. Any martial artist will tell you that the confidence they feel knowing that they are able to defend themselves in any compromising situation is incomparable. The self-defense skills you learn in class – from sparring to the techniques, prepare you for real-life situations.
4. It gives you the confidence to know you look great. There’s no greater feeling than being able to fit into those skinny jeans you’ve been eyeing or showing your six pack abs at the beach. Martial arts helps you look great without you noticing it. While you’re busy doing drills and sparring, you’re actually burning hundreds of calories at the same time. Looking great is just one of the few perks you get from practicing martial arts.
5. It gives you the confidence to achieve anything you set your mind to.  When you start martial arts, you may feel daunted by the number of techniques that you must learn as well as the strength of your opponents. But the more you practice the more you realize that you are capable of matching your opponents in strength as well as technique – or sometimes, even do better than them.The fact that you are able to do so gives you the confidence in knowing that you can achieve anything as long as you train hard for it. You realize that nothing is impossible – it is just a state of mind.

To your success,

What’s the trait that successful people and martial artists must have?

Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into a failure. – James Altucher

How I challenge my anxiety.

With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt. – Zig Ziglar

Don’t want to change just in January

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Use dissatisfaction to drive change.

Think slowly, act quickly.

Years ago, during one Christmas break, I remember losing my mind and temper over having to go out to another house, for another meal.  It had been a busy week with lots of family, friends, late nights, travel and more and I had had it.  Within minutes, I jumped to a conclusion, made a rash decision and created some regrets all within a 5 minute period.  I don’t mind sharing this with you because I’m pretty sure we’ve all done it at some point.