Welcome to the 2nd part of Kids, Martial Arts, And The Valuable Lessons They Learn. If you missed the last section of this article, please click here to catch up.
Patience With Self And Others
One of the most important lessons that children learn from martial arts classes is patience. It is not uncommon to observe students who have learned hapkido, Taekwondo, and other styles to take a methodical approach to problem-solving. Part of the reason is due to increased self-confidence. Kids who have studied certain disciplines are more likely to be confident in their abilities. As a result, they’re more likely to be patient in their interactions with others.
Another reason for their patient, methodical approach is the calmness they learn during instruction. Far from chasing immediate gratification, they learn to appreciate the value of waiting.
Perseverance Toward A Goal
Dojo instructors often emphasize to their students a continual pursuit of perfection in their technique. This is one of the reasons accomplished black belts seek perpetual instruction. Likewise, kids’ martial arts classes focus on advancing toward a goal. Sadly, children are seldom given the opportunity to enjoy personal accomplishments. In a dojo, young people are encouraged to perfect their moves and concentration in order to advance to a higher level of proficiency.
There are several advantages kids enjoy by participating in martial arts classes. Each of these advantages offers lifelong value and will likely be drawn upon over and over throughout the years. For parents, providing their children with the opportunity to learn karate, judo, or any other style is a gift that may outlast every other.
If you would like your child to train at a safe and exciting martial arts school that is family oriented, than contact The Dojo of Karate & Fitness at 303.920.4500 or email at info@TheDojoOfKarate.com.
They are located in the Safeway Shopping Center on 128th Ave and Zuni St. in Westminster / Broomfield.
Children can gain unique value from learning the martial arts.
Parents often enroll their kids into classes in order to teach them how to defend themselves. While self-defense is certainly one advantage to pursuing any given fighting style, it is the least among several benefits. Kids are at a stage in which they absorb everything around them. They’re deeply impressionable. They adopt others’ influences into their own perspective of the world and those with whom they interact. Kids martial arts classes play an important role in that development.
In this article, we’ll describe the powerful lessons that young people learn as they pursue the martial arts. If you’re a parent and are considering enrolling your son or daughter, you may be surprised by the valuable lifelong lessons to which you’re giving them access.
Discipline And Focus
Teachers across the country complain that the attention spans of their students have plummeted over the last several years. Whether this is due to the fast-paced environment in which these kids live or other reasons, they lack the focus of the previous generation. Instruction in karate, judo, aikido, and similar systems can help young people regain the discipline they need. The repetition of moves encourages a deep focus as children struggle to master those moves with precision.
The discipline and focus they gain from the instruction has value far beyond the classroom. Eventually, they’ll use these traits when performing their jobs and interacting with their families.
Physical Fitness And Coordination
Obesity continues to spread and people are living more sedentary lives than ever. Making matters worse, many public and private schools have eliminated physical education due to budget cuts. Parents are observing their children, dismayed that they would prefer to sit inside and watch television rather than go outside. This trend has led to a weight problem among young people. The lack of exercise has taken a toll on their physical fitness.
When parents enroll a child into martial arts classes, that child is able to take advantage of a rich source of physical activity. It improves their cardiovascular health as well as their coordination. What’s more, dojos offer year-round instruction. While Little League and other team sports are seasonal, martial arts classes provide a source of physical fitness throughout the entire year.
If you would like your child to train at a safe and exciting martial arts school that is family oriented, than contact The Dojo of Karate & Fitness at 303.920.4500 or email at info@TheDojoOfKarate.com.
They are located in the Safeway Shopping Center on 128th Ave and Zuni St. in Westminster / Broomfield.
The Dojo of Karate has been fortunate enough to have a great Wado Karate practitioner, Sensei Robbie Smith, teach a seminar on Tuesday, June 15th from 7:30PM to 9:00PM at our facility.
This is a great opportunity for students to learn new skills & fundamentals, as well as improve their current techniques.
Sensei Smith is considered by his peers as one of the best Wado Kai Karate-kas that is not based in Japan, where our founding style was created.
He operates a dojo in New Zealand called New Zealand Wado Kai. He is a 6th Dan Black Belt with more than 30 years of experience.
To train with Sensei Smith will be an opportunity of a lifetime for many students pursuing to become a Black Belt at The Dojo of Karate.
Seminar Cost
This seminar is by invitation only. No exceptions. Only students that are a minimum rank of Purple belt will be invited to attend.
Since this is extremely last minute, The Dojo of Karate will be covering most of the cost for this seminar.
There may be a small fee to participate, such as $10, but that has not been determined.
To train under an accomplished martial artist such as Sensei Smith would cost significantly more in other situations. But, Sensei Lozano would like for most students to experience this opportunity.
**All students must wear a full Karate uniform, gi tops and bottoms, as well as their current ranking belt.
We look forward to seeing you guys on Tuesday, June 15th at 7:30PM
Westminster, CO — June 3rd, 2010 — Martial Arts students at The Dojo of Karate & Fitness show how they can help kick and punch breast cancer by wearing Pink Karate Belts in class during the week of June 7th to June 11th.
This is a new fund raising program created by owner and Master Instructor, Javier Lozano, Jr.
He decided that their Karate school needed to demonstrate their support to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, taking place in the Rocky Mountains from June 25th to June 27th, 2010.
“As a business owner, I feel it is my responsibility to get our school together as a community and stand up for something that is important. Breast Cancer is something that affects friends, families, and loved ones”, says Lozano. “In my opinion, business owners have a moral obligation to their clients to give back to the community. We are in contact with so many people who live different lives, and we have an opportunity to influence our community because of the small degrees of separation among various people.”
Martial Arts students at The Dojo of Karate and Fitness will be purchasing Pink Karate Belts for $15 per belt, with $10 of the proceeds going towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
During the week of June 7th to June 11th, Sensei Lozano has designated it as Breast Cancer Awareness Week, where students will be exchanging their current Karate Belts for Pink Karate Belts. And, students will give up their earned ranks of continuous martial arts training to become a unified rank of Pink.
All students will be learning how health and fitness can help prevent their chances of disease, such as breast cancer. And, by maintaining an active lifestyle that incorporates healthy eating habits, this will allow students and their families to live a more prosperous life.
More importantly, though, it gets the Martial Arts studio together, like a community.
“People want to be apart of something that is bigger than them. They want to be able to give back in a way that actually affects their community. We all want to be proud of something and fight for it. By getting our school together with this new fund raising event, our members feel more empowered than before, and that’s exactly what Martial Arts is really about. It’s not about the kicks and punches, but about how you can help someone else achieve their goals”, says Sensei Lozano.
In addition to the sense of community The Dojo of Karate has created, Sensei Lozano is also creating the future leaders of America through martial arts training.
In every class, students are challenged to become leaders by working hard and leading by example. If someone is having a hard time learning a new technique or move, it’s their responsibility to teach the students who are struggling.
If they have a new child trying out Karate classes, it’s a current students job to teach them the ropes and shadow them during their 1st couple of sessions.
Why?
That way students begin to take pride and ownership in their training, at every level.
Those are character traits The Dojo of Karate is always looking to develop in every child because eventually they will have an opportunity to lead a group to follow a common goal. Or start learning how leadership can translate over to great causes in society, such as raising money for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
Lastly, The Dojo of Karate & Fitness will be hosting a Breast Cancer Boot Camp on Saturday, June 12th from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. This is how parents and members of the community can get together and help raise money too.
Westminster, CO — May 18th 2010 – Breast Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women. There are several organizations out there, such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, and many more, that put on weekend long events where the entire country, regions, states, counties, and towns, can gather together to raise money and find a cure for breast cancer.
Local martial arts expert and certified personal trainer, Javier Lozano, Jr. is the owner and chief instructor at The Dojo of Karate & Fitness in Westminster, and plans on hosting their 1st Inaugural Breast Cancer Boot Camp on June 12th, 2010.
However, Coach Lozano plans on approaching this fundraiser a little different.
He wants to get all of his martial arts and fitness members involved too, even though some of the students may be too young to train in a boot camp session.
His plan of attack…? pink karate belts.
Coach Lozano says, “We will be selling pink karate belts to students for them to wear during the week of June 7th to June 12th during their martial arts classes. This way, they can show their support in finding a cure for breast cancer. When we brought up the concept a couple of months ago, students were extremely excited about the idea, and couldn’t wait to signup.”
The pink martial arts belts will be on sale for purchase at $15 per belt, with approximately $10 of the proceeds going to the Avon Walk For Breast Cancer.
Than, on Saturday, June 12th from 9:30am to 10:30am The Dojo of Karate & Fitness will be hosting the official Breast Cancer Boot Camp. A 1-hour boot camp session where participants will have an opportunity to workout in the popular fitness boot camp class.
Their boot camps really focus on variety.
“When someone asks what a typical boot camp consists of, I sort of tell them we do not have a normal routine or workout” says Coach Lozano. “Now if they want to know what people are saying about our programs and how they feel after the workout, the best example is that they leave feeling like jelly, sweating like pigs, and hurting… while having a big smile on their face.”
The Broomfield Fitness Boot Camp, as it’s known by locals, train with a variety of exercise equipment. This way, it keeps the workouts interesting, and the athletes on their toes.
For instance, they use resistance bands instead of dumb-bells because it becomes more difficult to control the bands. There is resistance on both the pushing / pulling motion, as well as the retrieving motion.
In addition, Coach Lozano teaches them how to use sandbags. It’s an unorthodox way of training because the sand will shift in all different ways, making it difficult to maintain control. This forces athletes to use their stabilizer muscles too.
“Plus, I tell them they can put on their resume that they are professional sandbag movers, incase an employer is trying to set apart candidates” says Lozano jokingly.
And, the ever so kettlebells are another piece of equipment they train with too. Kettlebells are beginning to gain popularity because of its functional type movement, strength and cardio exercise, and great results athletes are gaining.
After the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, Coach Lozano invited a local chiropractor from Countryside Health and Wellness, to discuss ways to prevent breast cancer — from diet and nutrition, to physical fitness and exercise.
This will be a 30 minute educational class, in order to teach all of the participants on how they can help prevent breast cancer.
The cost to participate in the Breast Cancer Boot is only $30 per participant with approximately $20 of the proceeds going towards the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
And, if you decide to signup for the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, than Coach Lozano will apply a $30 discount to your 1st month of training.
To signup or learn more about the Breast Cancer Boot Camp, please contact The Dojo of Karate and Fitness at: 303.920.4500 or email Coach Lozano at: javier@TheDojoOfKarate.com.
