Kids Karate Aurora OH

• 4 NEVERS AND ALWAYS YOUR CHILD MUST KNOW - Keep your child safe by arming them with these safety tips.                                                                                                   

• BRING A BUDDY WEEK IS NEXT WEEK - Invite your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to take class with you. This is a great way to get the ones you care about involved in training at Family Martial Arts and gain all the benefits of regular training. We always count it a HONOR to meet anyone you bring...Thank You!

• WEEKLY CHALLENGE - Are you up to the challenge?

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4 NEVERS AND ALWAYS YOUR CHILD MUST KNOW

4 NEVERS

1. Never do something for a stranger. If a stranger does ask you to do something say, "Okay."* Then go get a grown-up a tell them right away.
2. Never get in a car, van, bus, or any vehicle with a stranger.
3. Never go in a stranger's home.
4. Never keep secrets with strangers or with adults other than your parents. If a stranger does ask you to keep a secret say, "Okay."* Then go get a grown-up a tell them right away.

*They say, "Okay" so the stranger doesn't feel threatened that the child will expose them and take action to stop them from telling.

4 ALWAYS

1. Always go to Mom or Dad right away with anything a stranger might asks you to do.
2. Always go to Mom or Dad right away when a stranger asks you to keep a secret.
3. Always go to Mom or Dad right away if a stranger does anything to you that doesn't feel right. You will never be in trouble. (This can be a good time to talk with your child about the private parts of his or her body. Make sure they know no one is allowed to touch those parts for any reason, even close friends or family members.)
4. Always go to Mom or Dad right away with anything that doesn't feel right.

Reviewing the Four Nevers & Always regularly and role-playing is key. If you just "know" these skills they are of little worth. They must become a true skill through practice or nervousness, embarrassment, and fear will be too great a barrier for your child to come to you. Lets keep all our karate kids in Aurora safe by sharing these tips with friends and family.

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Weekly Challenge: Give someone close to you permission to test your awareness at home or work (At school might not be the best idea). Have them put their hand out for high fives and then pull it back so you have to be fast. If parents or family members have blockers, let them try to get you while you dodge or block.

Of course if someone knows how to really trigger you with punches, kicks, and openings then give that a try. Make sure it is not so much that you get overwhelmed. It should be a real surprise and keep it fun! 

Here is how you get a point: you don't get hit, you catch the high fives, or your make eye contact, say, "yes, Sir/Mama", and follow the command the first time without hesitation. Of course adjust for age.

Lastly, be sure to take other types attacks into account like asking your child to make their bed. Try this for the next week and see how it goes. I am excited to hear all our students and karate kids feedback in the comments below. Aurora should be alive with the sound of Ninja this week!

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In This Post: Special Extended Edition

• 50 Great Snack Ideas
• Find out what Shawn Tompkins says about Sensei Shoen's MMA Coach
• Instructors Corner w/ Luke Morris

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MMA Twinsburg -
We want to welcome all of our new Twinsburg students to the Family Martial Arts Blog!  Welcome to the our Family.
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50 Great Snack Items for MMA, Kickboxing or grappling athletes...good for kids too!

I always being asked about snack ideas, so here is a list of 50 snack ideas for you to choose from. Hopefully these will also help get your creative juices flowing to create your own. If you have any personal faves, please leave them in the comment section below… Enjoy!
1. cup raw broccoli or cauliflower/ 1/4 cup  hummus
2. 4 cup  light popcorn/1 low fat string cheese
3. 1 sl. whole wheat toast/1/4 cup  sliced avocado sprinkled with lemon juice
4. 1 apple sliced & sprinkled with cinnamon/2 Tbsp. raw walnuts
5. 1/2 cup  unsweetened applesauce/2 Tbsp. raw pecans

6. 1 cup  cherry tomatoes/1 low fat string cheese
7. 1 oz. non-nitrate deli roast beef/1 oz. low fat cheese slices/alfalfa sprouts
8. ½ cup  warm br. rice/1/2 c skim milk/1 tsp. honey or agave syrup
9. 10 large black or green olives, rinsed/1 oz. low fat cheese
10. 3 rye krisp crackers/1 oz. sliced low fat cheese
11. 1/2 whole wheat Eng. muffin/1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
12. 1 cup  berries/ 1/2 cup  nonfat yogurt/1 Tbsp. sugar free jam
13. 1 medium pear/1 oz. low fat cheese
14. 1 medium orange/ 1/2cup  nonfat cot. cheese
15. 1 cup  sliced red or green peppers/ ¼ cup  hummus
16. ½ cup  rinsed black beans/ 1/2 cup  low fat cot. Cheese
17. 1 kiwi/1 low fat string cheese
18. ½ toasted pita pocket/ ¼ cup  hummus
19. 1 slice sprouted gr. bread/ 1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter/1 tsp. sugar free jam
20. 1 oz. low fat Feta cheese/ 1/2cup  unsweetened applesauce or sliced peaches
21. 1 slice whole wheat bread/1 tsp. light mayo/1 sliced tomato/1 oz. cheese-broil ‘til cheese is melted
22. 1 scoop unsweetened protein powder./ ½ cup  berries/ ½ cup  skim milk/no calorie sweetener-blend
23. 1 cup  Kashi whole grain puffed cereal/ ½ cup  skim milk/no calorie sweetener
24. 1 hard boiled egg/1 sl. whole wheat toast/1 tsp. non sugar jam
25. 1 veggie burger/1 slice tomato/romaine lettuce leaves/mustard
26. 2 large dates/1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
27. 1/2 low fat, low sugar granola bar/1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds
28. 6 oz. can of low sod. tomato or v8 juice/1 wedge light laughing cow cheese/5 whole wheat crackers
29. 1/2 cup  plain nonfat yogurt/1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter, nuked and stirred into yogurt/1/4 sliced banana
30. Low fat string cheese/1 slice whole wheat bread
31. 2 Tbsp. raw cashews/1/2 cup  grapes

32. 12 almonds/1 cup  sliced mango
33. 1/2 cup .nonfat cot. cheese/1/2 cup  applesauce
34. ½ oz. non-nitrate beef jerky/5 whole wheat crackers
35. Apple/2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
36. 1 oz. non-nitrate deli turkey/1 cup  raw veggies
37. Can of tuna/2 Tbsp. low fat dressing./greens
38. ¼ cup  hummus/1 cup  raw veggies

39. 1/2 pb&j sandwich-all natural/whole wheat
40. ½ cup  plain nonfat yogurt/1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed/1/4 cup  unsweetened applesauce
41. Can of tuna/1 slice whole wheat bread
42. 1sm. banana/1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
43. 2 cup  melon/2 Tbsp. pumpkin or sunflower seeds
44. 1/2 cup  jicama slices/1/4 cup  hummus
45. 1 low fat string cheese/ 1 cup  sliced cukes
46. 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter/2 stalks celery
47. 1 cup  snow peas/1/4 cup  guacamole
48. 1 cup  baby carrots/2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
49. 1 whole grain rice cracker/1 Tbsp. almond butter/1 tsp. sugar free jam
50. ½ cup  unsweetened pineapple/ 1/2 cup  nonfat cot. cheese

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Pro MMA Coach Shawn Tompkins Shares his thoughts on Sensei Shoen's MMA Coach, Master Riccardo

Big MMA Seminar Updates:

• New Material - We will be continuing to integrate material from the seminar into classes.
• As a result of the seminar Coach Tompkins has invited Master Riccardo to go out to Las Vegas to hang with him and his team in March and also meet with the Tapout headquaters gym owners and share some of what has made his schools a success.

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Instructors Corner
w/ Luke Morris VCI

Simplicity is Strength
(Sensei Shoen here. Thought you guys might like this article from one of Master Riccardo's students who is now an instructor at one of his academies. It is good to know we are all part of a larger family.)


Let’s do a little thought experiment.  Imagine two grapplers, of equal size, athletic ability, and previous experience, who both train consistently for one full year.  Grappler #1 learns a new submission every month, so at the end of the year he has twelve finishing moves in his repertoire.  Grappler #2, by contrast, trains only one submission throughout the whole year. 

Now answer this question: all else being equal, when they face off at the end of the year, which of these grapplers has a better chance of winning the match?

Contrary to what you might assume, I maintain that grapplergrappler #1 may have learned a bunch of submissions, grappler #2 has mastered his one finishing move.  He can perform his submission in nearly any given situation, from almost any position on the mat.  His timing with his finish is impeccable, and he can set it up in ways that grappler #1 can’t even begin to imagine.

The reason for the second competitor’s likely victory is simplicity.  Grappler #1 has overloaded his mind with a dozen different techniques, and while he understands them all intellectually, he has not had the time to ingrain each one into his game so that he can flow into it effortlessly and unthinkingly.  He has complicated his style with multiple imperfect attacks.  Grappler #2, on the other hand, has kept it simple by perfecting a single attack, and he knows that he can get that submission every time.

In competitions between elite-level black belts, the most successful submissions are basic chokes and joint locks that all white belts know.  Likewise, the most common knock-outs at the pro MMA level come from simple punches that students learn in their first few months of training.  

Now, I am not recommending that you become a ‘one-trick pony’.  A fighter who has mastered two finishes is twice as dangerous as a fighter who has mastered one.  But keep in mind what it means to master something.  Before you try to complicate your game with a bunch of flashy moves, make sure you have perfected the fundamentals.  You should know the basics so well that you can do them in your sleep. 

Remember: keep it simple, and keep working on it.  When you begin getting bored with a technique, you know you’re just about to start learning it.

Please Share your Insights from this article in the comment section below.

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Aurora OH Kickboxing

In this Post:

• NEWS & EVENTS

• THANK YOU FOR OUR HUGE BRING A BUDDY WEEK - There are so many new faces at the academy because of all our students bringing their buddies to train with them in class. Thanks to: Ben Andexler, Jayden Julian, Collin Sapochetti, Alex Shaffer, John Bender, Kalynn & Kris Radzanowski. Special Thanks to: Tony Migler, and Sarah Case.
  

• KICKBOXING FOOTWORK UNVEILED - I see so much on footwork at different seminars, but I have never seen Maui Thai footwork correctly explained. It is not the same as boxing or other sports which promote the idea of being on the heels for hitting and the ball of the foot for quick escapes. 

Maui Thai works the idea that you are always striking, kicking, elbowing, and kneeing. To make this happen the foot is used like a wheel which makes it both fast and powerful. So here is how to do that when stepping.

Forward: Land heel-toe and roll down the foot while always pulling up with the foot toward your shin.
Backward: Land toe-heel and roll down the foot while always pulling up with the foot toward your shin.
Moving Side Ways:  
Outside Foot - Land Inside Edge of your foot then roll to the outside.  
Inside Foot: Land Outside Edge of your foot then roll to the inside.

While at first this may seem difficult and slower, long term it creates the best of both worlds and allows you to always be firm on your feet, hit hard, and move fast.

Enjoyed this article on Kickboxing then find out more at our location in Aurora, OH.

• SOME STUDENT AWARDS - STUDENT OF THE MONTH: Katie Williams, MOST IMPROVED: Charlie Custer, IRON MAN: Nick Cowoski Way to go to all! Sensei

• WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW STUDENTS:
  Jayden Julian
  Katie & Joshua Williams
  Stephanie Lubin
  Adam Nowak
  Norm Fisher
  Dylan Austin
  Ettienne & Ronan Waroquet
  Sanika Marhmel
  Viraj Jain          We are looking forward to all you success at the academy.

•   Congratulations to all our New Black Belt Club & Leadership Students:
  Michael Kuznir
  Zachary & Maxwell Goldston
  CJ & Josh Delaney,
  Kaleb, Gabriel & Noah Powlison
  Jonah Forte         Great to have so many setting their sites on Black Belt Leadership & Beyond.

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SHAWN TOMPKINS WORLD FAMOUS MMA COACH AURORA OH

• THANKS TO ALL OUR STUDENTS WHO BROUGHT A BUDDY LAST WEEK!
• 10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS HEALTHY DURING THE WINTER
• WEEKLY CHALLENGE - Bonus: HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO STOP DOING SOMETHING?
• PICTURES FROM MY WEEKEND TRAINING WITH WORLD FAMOUS MMA COACH SHAWN TOMPKINS

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THANKS TO ALL OUR STUDENTS WHO BROUGHT A BUDDY LAST WEEK!

We enrolled 13 new buddies this last month at the academy thanks to all the students who keep bringing friends and sharing the benefits of martial arts training. Thank you all of you so much. This year is turning out to be amazing.

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10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS HEALTHY DURING THE WINTER

Kids love winter time but getting sick can put a big damper on all that fun. Here are some tips that you can use to keep your little ones healthy.

1. Wash your Hands Frequently: Both parents and children can help stop the spread of germs by washing your hands. Help your children learn the proper technique for washing your hands: Wash with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Dress in Layers - It helps children to feel comfortably and warm. Staying warm helps your immune system to function at its best. Use a positive frame for children when layering as many may think it is not cool to wear all those layers. I like saying that wearing your hat will let you stay out and play in the cold longer.
4. Cover your Mouth - My two year old daughter, just learned this one. Covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing does help stop the spread of germs. Use your arm instead of your hand, makes spreading those germs less likely.
5. Keep Tissues Handy - Keep a small boxes of tissues open and ready.
6. Let Kids Rest & Stay Home when Sick - Extra sleep and staying home from school helps kids recover quicker and stops other children from getting ill.
7. Get your Children Vaccinated - There are many worries about vaccinations in today culture and yes some children are injured by vaccinations. However, this is very rare and the benefits out way the risks for almost all vaccinations.
Some of you may have moral concerns about vaccinations and the way they are made. This is a different matter and is something each family can look into before using a vaccination.
8. Keep Children Safe Outdoors - Watch for dangers when playing in the snow like cars at the bottom of a sliding hill. If you are aware of these dangers kids can play outside safely with small adjustments. 
9. Exercise - Exercise boosts immunity and lets you recover more quickly from being ill.
10. Playing Outside - One of the main reasons people are ill more in the winter is because they are outside less. Germs build up in closed spaces and new homes are so well insulated that they can add to this effect. The solution is simply to layer and spend more time outside so you get sick less.

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Weekly Challenge: Renew your commitment to something that you know is good for you or your children. Even if you feel you're getting bored, overwhelmed, just don't seem to like it, or are feeling tired and exhausted. Usually this is a sign that you are doing something right. No one gets really good at something unless they hit plateau, get really bored, and then push through. 

Training with Shawn Tompkins (World Famous MMA coach) this last weekend in Chicago reinforced this idea. He see this happen with almost all his fighters and considers consistence to the point of boredom and beyond, key to success. For me this is one of the main lessons I have learned from martial arts that as really benefited me. 


So how do you know it is time to stop something or if you are just feeling the effects of doing something for a longtime?


1. Give it some Time. That might mean 3 months, 3 years, or 30 years depending on what type of benefits are at the end of your goal. I know learn a language can take many years of frustration. Being married long term almost always includes long periods of difficult. These are just a few examples.


2. How do you Feel After: Feel like giving up on your new year resolution to workout? Ask your self how do you feel after you do the workout? Usually it is great. Same thing with going to church, eating right, or studying. 

3. Slow and Stead Wins the Race: Don't go crazy on the next workout program or fade diet. Instead think about improving over years and you will be amazed by how much you can accomplish over time moving at a steady pace.


4. Don't Trust your Feelings, instead do what is Right and then what Makes Sense: Our feelings are very unreliable and are not good indicates of what is best for us. Instead look to what is right first. So if a promise has been made, keep it if at all possible. Then if you see multiple options which are right use reason to try to make the best choice. Be careful to check what is right first as we tend to justify our feelings using logic. This can get us into a lot of trouble in life. By placing morality above reason we make sure are feelings don't control us through the back door of reason or logic. 

My favorite quote on this is, "Educated beyond their intelligence.". Basically this means you are so "smart" and educated that you find a perfectly reasonable argument to do something that is completely wrong and totally lacks any common sense. For example, when doctors decide that it would be best for babies to have no contact with other people so they wouldn't get sick. Of course this had deadly consequences, but it sure seemed to make perfect sense. 


I hope these give you some food for thought and aid you in making the best choices for yourself and your family.
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PICTURES FROM MY WEEKEND WITH WORLD FAMOUS MMA COACH SHAWN TOMPKINS

 SCOTT SHOEN WITH INSTRUCTOR AND COACH DION RICCARDO

  BRYAN KAUTZMAN (FELLOW INSTRUCTOR AND SCHOOL OWNER) WITH SHAWN TOMPKINS

  BRYAN KAUTZMAN WITH INSTRUCTOR AND COACH DION RICCARDO

 SCOTT SHOEN WITH SHAWN TOMPKINS

I am so looking forward to sharing more about the seminar in class and on the blog. Stay tuned. 


P.S. THANKS SHAWN FOR THE AMAZING TRAINING. YOU DEFINITELY TOOK MY GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND LEFT ME WITH AN AMAZING EXAMPLE OF PROFESSIONALISM AND SUCCESS!

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