Help!

Is it hard for you to ask for help? Me too. Being independent and not wanting to bother others will often be my deterrent from asking. I’m slowly learning that it’s okay to ask for help. In fact, it actually can be healthy for you as well as others around you. Let me explain.  

How do you feel when you help others? Amazing, right? Whether it is a simple or complex task, it feels great knowing that you benefited another human being. It’s a wonderful way to show that you care, and will help your relationship with others.  

When we don’t allow others to help us, we are actually denying them the opportunity of that amazing feeling. By the way, it’s perfectly fine to do things on your own. I’m simply shedding light on the beauty of giving and receiving help.  

My encouragement to everyone is to help others around you. If needed, ask for help too. Giving is living. Allow the joy of giving and receiving help from others fill your heart with joy this week.

Fun

Do you ever catch yourself being a little too serious? With the various stresses of life on your shoulders, it’s not that difficult to forget to have fun. Here are a few ways we can start having more fun in our daily life.

What’s Your Fun?
Define what fun is for you. It’s different for everyone. Been awhile? Think about the last time you felt real joy when doing something. Do that. Still struggling? Try going for a bike ride, throw or kick a ball with the kids, play hide and seek, play tag, play a video game with your kids, build a fort, go for a scavenger hunt.

Make the Time
If you are all dried up in the fun department, you’re going to need to be creative and make the time. Make it apart of your daily goals. The crazy thing is that fun will start becoming one of your positive daily habits.

This is your journey. Get out there and discover what is fun for you. Be creative and make time for your peace of mind. Ready, set, time to have fun!

How’s Your Posture?

Outside of Tang Soo Do, I enjoy quite a few other activities to help me stay healthy. One of them happens to be ELDOA. It’s a wonderful activity for improving flexibility and body awareness. Proper posture is everything in this activity.

In our society, many of us our spending countless hours on our mobile devices and computers. As a result, many of us are suffering from poor postures.

Here are a few simple things that you can do to help you not end up like the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

When you sit:

  • Sit up straight and tall
  • Relax your shoulders
  • Take brief walks
  • Keep your elbows in close to your body

When you stand:

  • Stand up straight and tall
  • Pull your shoulders back
  • Bring your stomach in
  • Keep your head level
  • Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart

As you know, gravity is already working against us. Fight with everything you’ve got, and work on having better posture.

Belt Promotions

Students that recently tested will be promoted this Wed., March 3rd or Thurs., March 4th at the beginning of class. Following the brief promotion, we will have our normal class.

Congratulations Everyone! Tang Soo!!!

ITF Event in Louisiana – April 10th

We are excited to announce that Central Karate (Louisiana) will be hosting the next Masters/Black Belt examination along with Masters, Black Belt, and Gup Seminars. The event will be held on Saturday, April 10th at the the Life Tabernacle Church Gym (9323 Hooper Rd, BR, LA 70818). If interested, please see us for registration forms and fees.

Event Schedule
Check in 8:00 am – 8:15 am
Opening Ceremony 8:15 am – 8:30 am
Masters Seminar 8:30 am – 10:00 am
Masters Test/Recert 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Lunch Break 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
White, Yellow, & Orange 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
All Green Belts 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Red & Cho Dan Bo 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Judge/ Referee Seminar 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
All Black Belts 5:30pm – 7:00 pm
Black Belt Test/Recert 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

I was afraid of…

One of my biggest fears as a child was dogs. I love dogs now, but when I was knee high to a grasshopper I would stay away from dogs like the plague. 

My fear stemmed from a horrible experience when I was 3. While petting a poodle, I was bitten. From that day on, man’s best friend turned into man’s worst enemy. My fear kept me from enjoying the connection with these lovable animals. 

Finally, my parents helped me overcome my fear by getting me my own puppy. I realized that the situation I experienced was not going to be the same with every dog. Through time, I understood how to read and interact properly with them. My greatest fear and anxiety turned into a wonderful source of joy and connection.

Do you have a fear that’s stopping you from enjoying life? A lot of times, fear stems from the unknown. Replace the unknown with facts and knowledge. You may not entirely overcome it at first, but you begin to develop respect and understanding. 

When you overcome your fear, you will have a new sense of confidence. It will open up new doors of opportunity and growth. Don’t let life pass you by because of fear. Franklin Roosevelt sums it up perfectly when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Martial Art Picture Day!

Martial Art Picture Day is Tuesday, February 23rd! There are a few places left. The sign up sheet is available in the lobby area of the dojang. USMA Photography has reasonable packages and do a great job. We will have our normal classes on Tuesday during picture day.

Perseverance

Life is beautiful, but can also be really tough. Developing perseverance is an essential part of personal progression. In our instant society, it can be difficult to have the patience to keep going during tough times. Here a few simple tips to help improve your perseverance.

Start With the Little Things Try going a little further in your workout or holding a challenging stance in class. To make the break through, we have to endure. It might just be one more time or doing something for a few more seconds than before. Small consistent gains = big rewards.  

Attitude Makes All the Difference To push through personal barriers, we have to have the correct attitude. Having a positive attitude will take you a lot further than a negative one. Start with I Can and I Will. Believe and achieve.  

Know Your Why When you hit the proverbial wall, return to your purpose to help you move forward. This will provide you with inspiration and a source of needed strength.   Life is an adventure, and is full of beauty and challenges. To not give up, we must endure. Progress yourself further in life by starting with the little things, having a great attitude and knowing your purpose.  

Best wishes in your pursuit of being the best version of yourself!

Smile

Growing up, I was exposed to some of the best comedy teams of all time. They include Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, the Marx Brothers, 3 Stooges and my all time favorite is Charlie Chaplin. 

For many of my younger readers, Charlie Chaplin’s early movies were in black and white and without sound. He was a master of communicating through his expressions, mannerisms, and physical comedy. In addition to being a talented actor, he was an equally talented musician. 

A song that he wrote that has been a source of personal inspiration through the years is Smile. It’s a wonderful reminder to keep smiling though the tough times.

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it’s breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You’ll get by…
If you smile
With your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you’ll just…
Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying?
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you’ll just…
If you smile
With your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you’ll just Smile…
That’s the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what’s the use of crying
You’ll find that life is still worthwhile
If you’ll just Smile.

When life’s storms come your way, remember to just smile.

New Class Schedule!

We are excited to announce our new class schedule beings Mon., Feb 15. Our big adjustment is with the Orange Belts & higher. We have been trying to balance safety with numbers, time and efficiency with the classes. It’s not been an easy task, and we appreciate your patience.

As you can see, we are combining Orange & Green Belts and Blue & Black Belts. We feel this new schedule will help provide a better service for our students.

New to the schedule is Private Lessons. They are offered on Tuesday & Thursday by appointment only. 25 minute session is $50.