It takes a bit of momentum to get up and get on with things, and since this particular year has lacked a certain busy-ness for many of us, the absence of all that to-ing and fro-ing to give us some of that momentum has very likely impacted how much we are (not) getting done. This [...]
…began in the noughties, when I started teaching children from five years of age. While I might look back and cringe a little at how I did things then, I must have been showing some potential because happily the class grew in popularity. Prior to that, my background was many years in corporate training [...]
There is quite a bit of focus these days on ensuring bullied children have the tools to remedy their situation. That’s all very well, but it seems very little is said about what should be done about the bullies themselves. The outcome is that it is the victims of bullying who have to shoulder [...]
This book is a follow-up of the excellent Boundaries by the authors Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend, and was recommended to me when my children were younger. I found it invaluable, both with my children and with the other relationships in my life. As a martial arts instructor, the principles learned from this [...]
Very recently I was listening to Dr Michael Carr-Gregg speaking about the fact that, through his work with families over the last three decades, he is seeing an unmistakable increase in disrespectful and contemptuous behaviour in some boys. Amongst the worst manifestations are the “prince boofheads” who turn their aggression towards women in general, [...]
Ku: Emptiness. Nothingness. The void. Ku is about allowing oneself to sense surroundings and act without thinking. It is a core element of what we try to convey in our teaching and manifests in many different contexts. One is the emptiness that one seeks when disappearing or becoming invisible within a technique. Another is the [...]
There’s much good material published in both in books and on the internet about that thing called positive thinking, and it’s likely you’ve read at least some it, so you probably already know it’s healthy to experience the full range of emotions, including everyone’s great old friend guilt. But while there’s no question that submerging [...]
In martial sports, competitors are awarded points for practices such being able to demonstrate complex techniques and flawless katas (choreographed movement), or for fighting with strict safety rules to avoid permanently disabling one’s opponent. The martial sports such as taekwondo, Brazilian ‘jiu jitsu’ (BJJ) or karate teach important skills of course, and those who [...]
Over the years we’ve found that one of the key things parents are looking for in a martial art is ‘discipline’. For parents of younger children, this might mean improved focus or more physical control. Of course, we model what’s expected as far as behaviours go, and by default demonstrate the self-discipline required to persevere [...]
Spring is just springing and the joys of the season are upon us. This happy season is a wonderful, visible reminder of renewal, and the pleasures that this can bring. The changes brought by this season seem to bring along with them the need for us to get on with our spring cleaning, which usually [...]