Author: Master Dufour

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Focus

Did any of you put on your parents glasses when you were a kid? Wow! What an experience, right? Everything was so blurry. How did they see anything. As adults, we understand how they could not see anything without them:)

Focus is such a big part of the martial arts and life in general. Do you ever feel like life is getting blurry and your focus is all over the place? We all do at times. There’s a saying that helps remind me about my focus. It goes, Where our focus goes, our energy flows.

What really matters to you? Focus on that. When we start to feel the pull of life, stop and take a breath. Remind yourself about what really matters. This idea tends to get us on the right track.

It’s like being a kid again. We can take off the glasses or put them on to help us find the focus needed on what is important.

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Healthy Mind

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve focused a great deal on having a healthy body. Greatly needed, right? Even more important is to make sure that we maintain a healthy mind. It’s all connected.

Here are a few quick tips to get us on the right track.

• Stay Active – when the stinking thinking starting to set in, get up and get moving. Be sure to have a regular exercise routine to help your mind feel as equally fantastic as your body.

• We are what we eat– having a balanced diet has a direct impact on how we think. Eating food that promotes positive brain function is a great idea. Go green:)

• Talk It Out – do you have a good network of friends that you can talk about your challenges? Nothing feels better than to talk about your challenges that you’re facing. Unburden your unneeded baggage by talking with friends and/or a professional that can help you navigate through your challenges.

Our mind and body are connected. By spending just as much time on our mind as our body, we will feel more equipped and excited to face each day with a smile.?

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Love

Over the course of world history, we have experienced countless changes. Some for the better and others not so better. We are currently in the middle of a lot of change. You can see it and feel it. Hopefully, our world can come out the other end of all this for the better.

When you look at the news and social media, it can quickly arouse different emotions for each of us. Many divisions are being created.

I’m simply using this platform to encourage everyone to simply love. Hate brings about more hate. We are all one. Nobody is superior to anyone else.

One of the many things that I love about the dojang is that it acts as a sort of utopia. It doesn’t matter your skin color, religious choice or income bracket, you are treated equally with love and respect.

This week, I’m encouraging everyone to chose love over hate. Kindness over being right. Let’s all be the change that we desire to see in our changing world.

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Training Tips

We are excited to see more families starting class and/or working out. Keeping our mind and body in great shape is a wonderful goal. Here are a few tips to help us keep on the right track.

  • Start Small – motivation is high when starting a new exercise. It’s the honeymoon stage. Enjoy it. However, try to avoid injury and/or burn out by taking it easy. Baby steps:)
  • Be Patient– we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing this will help us to avoid the pitfall of comparing ourselves to others. Try simply enjoying the process of struggling at times. Keep telling yourself, I can and will do it.
  • Mix It Up – try changing up your workout routines. Swimming, yoga, martial arts, weight lifting, cycling, etc. The variety is great for your mind and body.

Working out and the results from it are wonderful. Start small, be patient and mixing it up will help you stay on track with living your best life.

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Balance

Balance is such a big part of what we do in Tang Soo Do. When we start class, we have a moment of silence. This time is to help us get balanced for class. Taking deep cleansing breaths helps us to focus our mind on the task at hand.

With our mind focused, we will easily detect when our body is not balanced. With this awareness, we can calibrate ourselves so that we are more centered.

When we close class, we finish with another moment of silence. This time is great for reflecting what we completed.

Try starting the day with a moment of silence and ending it with the same approach. This is one of many ways to help us be more balanced in our daily lives. Best wishes!

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Phase 2 is Here!

We are excited to share the great news that we will be starting in person classes by appointment on Monday, June 8th. At this time, we will continue to offer virtual classes (Facebook Live and ZOOM) side by side with our in person classes.

Please check your email for details on class times, procedures to enter and how to schedule your class appointment. If you do not currently receive emails from us, please fill out a request form on our home page of our website.

We can’t wait to see everyone in class next week! TANG SOO!

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Get Outside

Health professionals agree that getting outside is a wonderful way to boost our well being. Here are a few scientifically proven reasons why we should get outdoors.

  • Relieve Stress – High blood pressure and depression have been linked to stress. Studies have shown that spending time outdoors decreases stress and increases rejuvenation.
  • Live Longer– Longevity has been connected to being outdoors. Getting outside helps improve your heart and mental health.
  • Weight Management – Getting outside regularly for a walk, bike ride, swim equals shedding those unwanted pounds.

I agree to use caution when going outside, but let’s not let our fears over ride our ability to get outdoors and enjoy all the benefits of nature.

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Discipline

Who doesn’t want more discipline in their life? Having discipline in our life is like a super power. With it, we can accomplish just about anything.

How do we improve or find it? My personal philosophy with discipline starts with mindset. I have to commit to my goal. Then, I develop a simple system to keep me on track.

Another big tip with improving discipline is by starting small with low expectations for immediate change. Making it fun and being consistent is key. Let’s not wait to receive bad news with our health, relationships and careers to motivate us to develop more discipline in our life. Start small and be consistent. You’ve got this!

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ITF World Championship Postponed

Due to COVID 19, this summer’s ITF World Championship has been postponed until July 29 – Aug 1, 2021. More information will be relayed to you once we receive it. We look forward to everyone participating at this exciting event!

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Summer Sun – Summer Fun

Living on the Gulf Coast, we have many opportunities year round in the great outdoors. Whether you enjoy playing at the beach, kayaking on the river or visiting a local park for a hike, we have it. As it starts to warm up, here are a few tips to beat the heat and stay healthy.

  • Screen Up – lather up and avoid becoming a piece of bacon. Reapplying throughout the day to keep your skin healthy and happy.
  • Hydrate – try switching sugary drinks for good old fashioned water. Take a bottle wherever you go and drink up throughout the day.
  • Eat Healthy – enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables. They are delicious and nutritious.
  • Watch the Heat – keep informed on heat advisory warnings.
  • Early or Late? – do your more strenuous outdoor activities earlier or later instead of when the temperatures go through the roof.

Looking forward to having an awesome summer. Stay cool, stay active, stay healthy everyone:)