Enhance YOUR Self-Esteem

Side Kicks Family Karate

"Your Family's Personal Life Skills Center"

Develop the inner strength to do what is right!

The way we feel about ourselves has a huge effect on the way we treat ourselves and others, and on the kinds of choices we make. If we are not confident about our own abilities then we tend to not take chances, which mean we limit our success. At the same time, if we are not satisfied with who we are then we often assume we will not be satisfied with others, and that means we do not treat them fairly. To make life even more challenging, when

we do not have self-esteem we often choose the paths that are easiest, and that can lead to breaking rules to get what we want. It makes sense to seek out ways to enhance our self-esteem in order to ensure that we are the best that we can be, and that we treat others well.. As martial artists, we must avoid “giving in” and allowing ourselves to

take a lesser path. Martial artists look at high self-esteem as a duty, a call to action that is necessary to carry on at a higher level. Martial artists consistently strive to accomplish this task, and persevere when situations become challenging. Enhancing your self-esteem will enable you to increase your success, enhance your social competence, and improve your overall life. This is not an easy task to accomplish, but a task that is well worth the effort. Martial artists know the importance of self-esteem and the effects it has on life. As you work to increase your confidence and

positive attitude, you’ll reap the benefits of high self-esteem each and every day.

1.    Develop your talents. Seek out activities that you are

good at and then strive to excel in those activities.

2.    Be your own best friend. Treat yourself well mentally,

physically and emotionally, and act in ways that are

good for you.

3.    Make good choices for yourself; don’t let others

make choices for you.

4.    Take responsibility for yourself, your choices, and

your actions.

5.     Always do what you know is right. Don’t even

consider cheating, lying, or stealing.

6.    Set goals and work to achieve them. Your goals are

your road map; without that map, you will get lost.

7.    Treat other people with respect. Avoid greed, anger,

and jealousy.

8.    Practice forgiveness, even if the other person is

in the wrong.

If you would like more info on this topic or to find out how you can build your child's confidence feel free to contact us @ sidekickskarate@gmail.com.

Side Kicks Family Karate,

Sensei Brian Seetge

www.romenykarate.com

315-339-3928

The Power of Following Through

Side Kicks Family Karate

"Your Family's Personal Life Skills Center"

The Power of Following Through

A great saying that I heard from a fellow martial artist is “a black belt is a white belt who never quit.” What makes this phrase so special? It puts into perspective the power of following through. Those students who persevere through obstacles, challenges, and pressure are the ones who reach the distinctive level of black belt.
Becoming a black belt is a great accomplishment. It takes much effort and continuous follow through to achieve. Reaching the level of black belt is not an easy task, but receiving a black belt makes it worthwhile. By understanding what rewards wait on the other side of the mountain you can complete even the most difficult tasks. Knowing that your hard work will pay off, you gain the strength to follow through.
The power of following through is not limited to achieving goals such as black belt. Successful businesses heavily rely on this power to acquire new customers. By following through and asking for referrals, a small business can flourish. By following through on your promises, you can earn the respect of the people to whom you made the promises. The opportunities are endless, and the world opens up even more once you understand how powerful following through can be.
Next time you are in class, at school, or at your job, seek out ways that you can follow through. For class, you may want to follow through after your session and ask your instructor if there is anything you can work on at home to improve your skills. If you are in school, you can follow through with your teacher to see if there is anything you can study to improve your learning curve. At your job, you can follow through with your boss to see if there are new skills that you can work on to help improve your performance. You are limiting your achievements until you take action and follow through to constantly find new ways in which you can reach your potential.
Following through can also be very powerful in your personal life. By following through with friends and families by saying “thank you” for gifts or special gestures, you can improve your relationships. When you make mistakes that affect others, you can follow through by taking the opportunity to correct those mistakes. It shows that you are a person with genuine respect for others and that you care. Following through in all areas of your life can amplify your success and happiness. Next time you are stressed or under pressure, have the power to follow through and enjoy the success that comes along with it. If you would like more info on this topic or to find out how you can build your child's confidence feel free to contact us @ sidekickskarate@gmail.com.

Side Kicks Family Karate,

Sensei Brian Seetge

www.romenykarate.com

315-339-3928

Building a Child's Self Esteem

Side Kicks Family Karate

"Your Family's Personal Life Skills Center"

Shaping a child’s self esteem takes years and years to develop.  We have some simple tips to help remind us how to create “Champions” within our children.

Tip #1:         Always, always, do what you say you are going to do.

Your children learn from EVERY encounter with you, even if it’s not what you want them to learn!  If you tell a child that a certain behavior will cause them to be punished, you MUST follow through, otherwise, you are teaching them that “Mom & Dad” don’t mean what they say”.

If a child, for example, is being disruptive, and you say, “Michael. Please stop that,” and then allow Michael to continue, you have effectively taught Michael to disobey!  Being consistent with children is the key, so they get used to when a certain behavior is expected of them and helps them to be confident rather than always “getting in trouble.”

Tip #2:         Show your children the positive effects of self-discipline.

The best way to do this is to lead by example.  Be on the lookout for people who are becoming successful as a result of their self-discipline.  Families, athletes, famous people, even fictional characters can be great examples.  In the same way, show your children the results of the lack of self-discipline.  Discuss people who are in trouble, or people who don’t get the results they want, and show your children how the breakdown in their self-discipline led them to trouble. 

Tip #3:         Paint an exciting future for your children.

Inspire them to dream big dreams, to think boldly about their future.  Help them to visualize what achieving a “high goal” would be like and help break down the steps so they can see how they can achieve it.  Depending on your child’s age, setting a “family” goal and working together is a great way to start.  By doing this, you are show them the opportunities that become available to people who have great discipline! 

These tips are based on the philosophy we teach in class.  If you would like more info on this topic or to find out how you can build your child's confidence feel free to contact us @ sidekickskarate@gmail.com.

Side Kicks Family Karate,

Sensei Brian Seetge

www.romenykarate.com

315-339-3928

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN EXAM

Side Kicks Family Karate

"Your Family's Personal Life Skills Center"

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN EXAM

Getting ready for testing can either be a time of joyous anticipation or undue stress.

 1. Mental preparation

A.   Set goals: write your goals down.  Decide what you want, the steps that are needed to get you there, and your target date.  Keep track of your training in your black book, and note down any tips that you receive from your instructors.  Draw pictures if it helps you.

B.   Use visualization in meditation: imagine yourself performing a particular skill.  This will help you to do it better and increase your levels of concentration, relaxation, and self-confidence.

2. Physical preparation

A.   General conditioning

-Aerobic activity-skipping rope, jogging

-Push-ups, squats in sets

-Flexibility training

      B. Specific conditioning

-Kicks: practice all necessary kicks, a certain amount each leg

-Kata

-Epon kumite

-Shadow boxing - to improve hand techniques

3. Technical preparation

A.   Long-term – start getting ready at least one to two months before you test.  Practice on your own outside of class.  Remember: practice doesn’t make perfect: perfect practice makes perfect!

B.    Short term – ask for feedback on any subtle movements in your technique that might enhance your performance.

On test day eat well and get enough rest.  Milk nervousness is normal but your preparation will give you the self-confidence you earned.  Look sharp and feel sharp.  Remember: you deserve success!

If you would like more info on this topic or to find out how you can build your child's confidence feel free to contact us @ sidekickskarate@gmail.com.

Side Kicks Family Karate,

Sensei Brian Seetge

www.romenykarate.com

315-339-3928

BEAT CHRONIC STRESS

 

Side Kicks Family Karate

"Your Family's Personal Life Skills Center"

BEAT CHRONIC STRESS

Martial Arts is a lot like life in general.  To succeed, you need to manage your surroundings as well as wear really cool outfits.  You need a calm mind and the physical and mental skills to deal with the stress around you.  "People confuse problems with stress," says Philip Holder, chief instructor and Grand Master at the North American Wing Chun Association, in Gainesville, Florida. "We all have problems, and we can choose either to let them stress us out or to do something about the situation."

Elementary advice, maybe, but Holder has adapted his martial-arts training to help his students cope with chronic stress.

Here's the routine:

Set aside a time every day when you won't be disturbed.  Find a quiet place, and lie down on your back with pillows under your head and knees.

Breathe deeply and evenly, in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Each time you exhale, think, ‘I am relaxed’ and picture any anxiety, tension and stress leaving with each breath.
 
Starting with the soles of the feet, consciously relax each area of your body, imagining a warm feeling washing slowly from your feet to the top of your head.
 
Once you're completely relaxed, picture yourself handling the problem that's causing your stress, running through an entire scenario of how you'd like to deal with it. 

"If you do this every day, you'll find you gravitate more to that behavior." Holder says.  "You're really just doing a behavior modification on yourself."

 If you would like more info on this topic or to find out how you can build your child's confidence feel free to contact us @ sidekickskarate@gmail.com.

Side Kicks Family Karate,

Sensei Brian Seetge

www.romenykarate.com

315-339-3928