It’s 2010 and many of us have set some goals for the new year. Some are pretty lofty goals, while others are just designed to get the ball rolling – rather a short or mid term goal.
However, have you ever tried to set a S.M.A.R.T. goal?
I bet you haven’t. Seriously.
First of all, goal setting skills are very difficult to obtain. Mainly because we sometimes do not have an accountability system.
Chief Fitness Instructor, Javier Lozano, Jr. has been training in the Martial Arts for 20 years, has won a World Title and Colorado State Title in fighting, helps others achieve their goals, and owns and operates a successful Martial Arts & Fitness school in Westminster — therefore he knows a thing or two about goal setting.
But, before we talk about our Fitness Boot Camps, we want to give you some S.M.A.R.T. goals and relate them to our Fitness Boot Camp.
So over the next several weeks you will learn not only how you can begin to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, but also start to lose weight and get in shape for the Spring.
The Dojo of Karate has one of the best Adult Traditional Japanese Karate and Modern Fitness classes in Colorado.
All classes are taught by 3rd Degree Black Belt and World Champion Javier Lozano, Jr, guaranteeing the highest quality of instruction.
You will learn the traditional Japanese art of Wado-Ryu Karate-Do, 1 of 4 major styles that Japan has recognized as ‘true Karate’.
During our Adult Karate class, you will work on developing your strength, flexibility, and building lean muscle through various workouts and exercisses. At the beginning of each class, we typically work on a variety of push ups and sit-ups to help spice up normal exercises.
From there you would self defense skills by executing punching, kicking, and blocking combinations. This begins to enhance your muscle memory, and gets both hemispheres of the brain to communicate with each other — allowing you to function at a higher level of performance during class and in normal day-to-day tasks.
You will also begin to develop a stronger core through kicking, balance and coordination drills, and exercises that require the entire body to be stable.
More importantly, you will begin to gain confidence in yourself. You will have the confidence to go for that new promotion, or how to defend yourself.
A few months ago a student of mine sent me a link about kids in mixed martial arts or MMA. Below is the link.
This video was aired on ABC last year and seemed very controversial because of kids were being put in rings by the age of 5 or 6 years old to begin fighting with another child.
The Dojo of Karate appreciates what the Mixed Martial Arts and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) world has brought to our industry in making our art more present to the public.
However, we are more concerned about our students safety, especially children. By the time a child reaches about 16 or 17 years old, their body is finally beginning to develop completely. Doctors say that an adult typically stops developing and growing by about 22 years old.
When kids are taking full punches and kicks to the head and body without proper protection, you are jeopardizing the safety of your child and potentially allowing them to get injured at a young age where they will not be able to recover properly because their growth plates, muscles, bones, and ligaments are not developed yet.
The Dojo of Karate teaches kids self-control, develops confidence, and instructors proper punching and kicking techniques to all of our students while using the latest technology of safety equipment, which involves head gear, chest guards, hand pads, feet pads, shin guards, and mouth pieces. This equipment helps prevent major injuries and allows a child to build confidence in their skills of self-defense. In addition, students are not allowed spar with partners until after 6 months into their training. Why…? Again we are more concerned about the safety of our students.
Plus, let’s face it… no one likes to get hit. Especially if it’s hard. By using controlled techniques you are actually teaching your child better martial arts skills than anything else because it requires them to focus their power and speed when training with partners.
Again, we appreciate what the MMA world has done for the sport, but as parents we all need to make sound judgment in where we allow our children to participate in combat type sports. If their goal is to become a UFC fighter, that’s fine. But risking your child’s safety at a young age… is it worth it…?
I won a World Title in fighting back in 2000. One of my greatest accomplishments. I was a Teenage Fighting runner-up champion in 1998. I got into tournament competition around 15 years old. I know what it takes to win. But, I also can say this…
It’s not worth getting seriously hurt to simply win a title that everyone will forget about in 2 years.
Want to know why training at a Martial Arts school with a World Champion Instructor will make you and your child better?
Now, this isn’t about tooting my own horn, rather a way to look at things differently when you select a Karate studio for your training.
Think of it like this… The New England Patriots are considered one of the best NFL teams this decade. They’ve won 3 Super Bowls, went undefeated during an entire regular season, and broke all sorts of records in 2007. If you had a chance to “train” with Tom Brady, don’t you think that would make you a better quarterback, and you would learn some pretty insightful stuff?
Exactly…
So here are my Top 3 Reasons Training With A World Champion Will Make You Better.
Dedication – Training in the Martial Arts is a ton of fun. You’ll get in great shape, learn self-defense, meet some cool friends, just to name a few. And, if you stick with it long enough, you can potentially earn a Black Belt in a given art. To be a World Champion takes a lot of time and dedication in your training, but also in preparing your mind and spirit. Being a Black Belt in Karate isn’t for everyone. Neither is being a Champion. But, if you want to achieve your goals, you need to have dedication. At The Dojo of Karate we teach our students how set attainable goals, but also stay dedicated in continuing to strive and move forward up our ranks. Many people have a tendency to walk away from difficult challenges, but a good instructor can instill good practices to help their students reach for the stars.
Leadership – This a trait that many people will NEVER have the chance to learn or experience. Leadership skills are tough to learn and more importantly tough to walk the path. As a Leader, you need to always ‘Lead By Example’. People are always looking at you when you are a Champion, therefore one may mimic or copy your every move. At The Dojo of Karate, we teach our kids Leadership Skills by letting them lead a small group of students to learn certain techniques. Why is this important? Students need to understand that helping others achieve their goals and improving their peers in Martial Arts will make them a better Martial Artist and a respectable leader. As a World Champion, I always made sure I exhibited good sportsmanship and respect to others because you never know who may be watching… Plus, this was important to me in becoming a leader because if I learned how to be a leader, than I can teach others how to be leaders too.
Will Power – Now this is a bit different than dedication. Will Power is a spiritual thing that you need to dig down deep into your soul. We all have Will Power, but it’s different for everyone. An example of using your Will Power is when we fall down in life or fall short in something we attempt to go after. It takes a lot of Will Power to pull yourself up and say “I can do this” and try again. As a World Champion, I NEEDED Will Power everyday. There were times where I felt I was in the trenches… Whether it was putting together a bad string of matches, or coming short in a close match – those sometimes hit your ego pretty hard. I pulled out of those “slumps” and made them a positive part of my life. My students at The Dojo of Karate all need to demonstrate Will Power because they will have tough days in class or life. But, if they can dig deep, and they will, they will come out ahead of the pack.
Notice that training with a World Champion isn’t always about technique or athletic skills. It is the intangibles you can not put a price tag on, however they carry more value in developing your Life Skills. Anyone can be a World Champion… but there is more to being a Champion than simply being better than the rest.
If you would like to experience some great Martial Arts training, join us at The Dojo of Karate, where we will teach you about yourself, and how you can unleash your inner strengths to become a Champion in life.
A few months ago a student of mine sent me a link about kids in mixed martial arts or MMA. Below is the link.