monkeys and crabs

Are you a monkey or a crab?

Let’s just imagine that you have fallen behind on a goal that, once upon a time, was a lifestyle for you.  Imagine that life has gotten the best of you, and other “commitments” and “responsibilities” are taking away from the things that you once held dear.  Pick any area:  your business, your lofty dreams, your fitness level, your relationship with your spouse…. literally anything.

Now imagine that you voiced your frustrations with yourself.  What would you expect from your friends?  You know, the true friends.  The ones that you hope would tell you that you have broccoli in your teeth BEFORE you go on stage.  What would you expect?

Would you want to be coddled, and told that they understand, that they have way less responsibilities than you, and that you shouldn’t worry about it (whatever you’ve let go of)?

So you’re not sure where I’m going with this.  Alright, consider this story that many authors and speakers use (this particular version is quoted from John Maxwell):

 Business professors Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad wrote about an experiment conducted with a group of monkeys. Four monkeys were placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of that pole was a bunch of bananas.

One of the hungry monkeys started climbing the pole to get something to eat, but just as he reached out to grab a banana, he was doused with a torrent of cold water. Squealing, he scampered down the pole and abandoned his attempt to feed himself. Each monkey made a similar attempt, and each one was drenched with cold water. After making several attempts, they finally gave up.

Then researchers removed one of the monkeys from the room and replaced him with a new monkey. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed him and pulled him down to the ground. After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by the others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb the pole again.

The researchers replaced the original monkeys, one by one, with new ones, and each time a new monkey was brought in, he would be dragged down by the others before he could reach the bananas. In time, only monkeys who had never received a cold shower were in the room, but none of them would climb the pole. They prevented one another from climbing, but none of them knew why.

Are you a monkey?  Do you pull others away from their dreams, goals, hopes, without even knowing why something is a bad idea, just that it is?

No, maybe you’re a crab then?

“if you place a sole crab in a basket, it will climb out, it will escape, and potentially achieve freedom!  However, if you place two or three crabs in a basket, every time one of them gets to the top and is close to escaping, the other crabs will pull it back down.  They will go through this exercise in self destructive behavior over and over until they decide that it is a futile effort to even attempt to escape.  They break each others will to succeed.”

You see, the monkeys and crabs of life may not even know why they’re pulling you back, but they can.  Here’s the thing though, we are smarter than your average monkey or crab, and we have to step back and realize what’s happening.  Some monkeys and crabs realize that if you do achieve that crazy dream that you keep working for, then all of the sudden their inability or lack of persistence and dedication to their own goals, stands out.  They don’t like that!

It’s a whole lot easier to seem to “support you” and squash your goals, than to face the fact that you kept on pressing forward and growing, while they have brushed their dreams aside.

It’s said that “the you that you become, five years from now”, is influenced by the books you read (there it is again), and the people you meet.  If your inner circle is full of crabs and monkeys, it’s time to move to a new basket.

One of our goals at Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers is to surround our students with people that will lift one another.  People that will help you “SHAKE IT OFF” (read this blog for a refresher on a great story), rather than people that will encourage complacency, inactivity, and lack of improvement.

Furthermore, we strive to not only help you achieve, but to raise your expectations for yourself, and help you do things that you never thought you could.  Think of yourself as a rubber band (this is not a flexibility metaphor).  When is a rubber band put to use?  When it is stetched.  When we are stretched mentally, and physically, past our limits, we grow.  We become stronger, both mentally and physically.

Your growth, maturity, and improvement are YOUR choice.  Stop letting the monkeys and crabs of the world pull at your heels.  Instead, look to an environment of success like the one at all Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers to help you stretch and reach your full potential.

initiative

Initiative: Taught, not Innate

Initiative: an introductory act or step; leading action:

“Most homes valued at over $250,000 have a library. That should tell us something.” —Jim Rohn — Readers are leaders!

Recently, we shared some staggering statistics related to reading.

1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives.
42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college.
80 percent of U.S. families did not buy or read a book last year.
70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.
57 percent of new books are not read to completion.

Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to hear Dr. Ben Carson speak. He came from humble beginnings to become one of, if not THE, top Pediatric Neurosurgeon in the world. His story has been documented in the book “Gifted Hands”, which also was made into a movie starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. One of the things that stood out in the story is the fact that Dr. Carson was not always at the top of his class. In fact he was winning the race… to the bottom.

So what caused this failing, underprivileged child of an illiterate, single mom, to eventually graduate from Yale, and become the youngest head of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns-Hopkins Medical Center? Answer, his mother. She knew that her sons had more in them than they were putting out. One of the ways she helped them succeed is by making them read 2 books a week and write book reports on those books. Her young sons did not know that she herself could not read them. She was determined to make them better than she was. (She did eventually learn to read by the way.)

So now, what does this have to do with initiative? Is there an initiative gene? Answer, NO! Initiative is something that is taught, and honed. This month our focus has been INITIATIVE. Our focus anchors are:

Instructor says; “Nobody can exercise…” Students say; “For me, Sir”

Instructor says; “Nobody can train …” Students say; “For me, Sir”

Instructor says; “Nobody can test …” Students say: “For me, Sir”

Initiative is about teaching our students that taking responsibility for what needs to be done starts with THEM. It starts with someone having the foresight to maybe even “make” them do something that they don’t want to do. Sometimes we have to step back and make the positive / negative chart that Abraham Lincoln made famous. To continue the story from above, because Sonya Carson had the discipline (yes, it takes disciplined parents to hold a child to high standards) and required something that her boys weren’t very happy about, they both became avid readers (on their own).

She taught them to seek knowledge by initially setting a rule, and an expectation. At Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, when we applaud a student for taking initiative in an exercise (say for instance, going ahead and getting in their fighting stance, rather than having to be cued) we are helping them to develop the skill of seeing things that need to be done, and actively looking for ways to anticipate the next needed tasks.

Furthermore, as our Focus Anchors imply (and we do explain them as well), taking responsibility for your own improvements (whether they are physical, mental, or spiritual) is something that is individual and YOURS.

what is a black belt

What is a Black Belt?

Superman?  Superwoman?

Technically, based on the definition of a Black Belt given by General Choi Hong Hi, a Black Belt is a martial arts practitioner that can “successfully defend themselves against one un-armed attacker.”  Not quite what you thought, huh? 

We have another definition.  An acronym that lists some of the qualities of a Black Belt, that goes beyond self defense, kicking, and punching.

We all have the capacity to be a  B. L. A. C. K.  B. E. L. T.  

B = Balanced:  A Black Belt is balanced physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Physically, in that they are always looking for ways to improve physically.  Black Belts also balance their mental conditioning.  They read, and look for ways to continually challenge themselves mentally.  Spiritually, Black Belts seek to find inner peace, self awareness, humility, and confidence.

L = Limitless:  A Black Belt has an open mind, and sees limitless possibilities in all situations.  A Black Belt is not easily discouraged.

A = Attitude:  A Black Belt has a positive attitude, and looks to find the good in every situation.  A Black Belt does not look for who or what to blame, but chooses to be positive and proactive. 

C = Considerate:  A Black Belt thinks beyond themselves, and considers how their actions will impact not only those close to them, but also those around them that they do not see.

K = Knowledgeable:  A Black Belt is knowledgeable, never boastful, but driven to continually hone physical and mental skills.

B = Bendable:  In a hurricane, when all solid, rigid objects are obliterated, what is left standing?  The bendable palm tree.  The wind howls and howls, and all around the palm tree, structures crumble.  A Black Belt is like a palm tree.  When the storms of life come, the Black Belt bends, but does not break.   The black belt perseveres.

E = Energetic:  A Black Belt is full of life and energy, and tackles all areas of life in this manner:  not only on the mat.

L = Loving:  A Black Belt cares for others, and looks for ways to show compassion to others.

T = Trustworthy:  A Black Belt should demonstrate upmost integrity.  A Black Belt is one person, is integrated, meaning that the Black Belt is the same at home, at work, in the gym, with their family.   The words of a Black Belt are “gold”.  They are precious, and never spoken frivolously, but always sincere.

________________________________________________________________________________

Now, we have a treat for you!  Some of our instructors have submitted their definitions of what it means to be a Black Belt. 

My Definition:  What is a Black Belt?  by Amanda Mendez-Martinez, Asst. Instructor Team Chip TKD Sweetwater

B - Benevolent: by definition; characterized by or suggestive of doing good. Of, concerned with, or organized for the benefit of the charity. We empower people through the pursuit of personal martial arts excellence. A lot of times we volunteer our time. Not just in classes but, Leadership Abilene, Eastridge “buddies”,  P.E. Classes, demo performances; all volunteered.

L – Leaders: we are taught to take the initiative and lead, never be a wallflower; be the one others want to follow.

A – Auspicious: by definition; promising success. If a student believes in us enough to keep training, and never give up, they CAN and WILL succeed.

C - Compassionate: to continue to train, day in and day out, you really have to have a love for TKD. I feel all Team Chip blackbelts have that.

K - Kind: people hear black belt and think we are all mean and always want to break stuff! Complete opposite, yes we like to break stuff, but we are all kind and respectful people.

B - Buoyant: bouncy, cheerful, bubbly, ADD, whatever you want to call it, we are excited and enthusiastic about what we are a part of.

E - Experienced: we weren’t just handed a black belt. Everyone had to work hard for it, and continue to work hard to keep it. You can guarantee ALL Team Chip black belts are very experienced.

L - Learning: although we are black belts there is so much more to learn. Like Ms. Glyn Ann and Master Chip always say, this is only the beginning. We continue to learn.

T - Temperance: by definition; moderation of self restraint in action, statement, etc. self control. One of the tenets we teach our students every day, self control. We practice what we preach, and have control in what we do, say, and how we react.

__________________________________________________________

My Definition:  What is a Black Belt?  by Ben Parra, Instructor Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers (Abilene, TX)

B – Broad.  A blackbelt is broad in both their physical abilities and mental perspective.  Always a good listener and observer to always show empathy.  Well rounded physically to have a good base in the martial arts.

L – Loyal.  A blackbelt is Loyal to his or her instructor(s), seniors, friends, and subordinates.  A blackbelt is also loyal to the true virtues of the martial arts, and does not abandon them for trends and non-tradition.

A – A blackbelt is Active.  Our physical levels of activity may change, but they never stop.  Our mental Activity is always increasing as we acknowledge our brain is yet another important “muscle” that needs regular conditioning. 

C – Committed.  A blackbelt has invested enough time, blood, sweat and tears to the martial arts to understand that the martial arts is now a way of life.  It is not a casual activity, but a lifestyle requiring perseverance.

K – Keeper.  A blackbelt is a “Keeper” or protector of others.  They have worked hard to develop both physical and mental skills that are empowering, and they use these to protect others they care for who are might not have the power to protect themselves. 

B – Benevolent.  A blackbelt has become a powerful person who chooses always to be on the “good” side.  A champion of freedom and justice.

E – Endless.  A blackbelt is endless.  An individual may make choices that distance themselves from the blackbelt lifestyle, but once a blackbelt heart is lit, the flame never completely dies and has indomitable spirit.

L – Legitimate.  A true blackbelt is legitimate in his/her abilities, mindset, and integrity.  They know the importance of the person making the blackbelt, not the blackbelt making the person. 

T – TENACIOUS yet TENDER.  A blackbelt has “switches” that can be turned off and on, allowing them to be tenacious when necessary, and tender when it is time to be caring.  Their strength is what BUILDS a more peaceful world.

you ARE an example

Positive Role Models

One of the things we strive for at Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, is having black belts, and instructors (and really everyone in a leadership position), work to be positive role models for all of our students.  We expect our leaders to exemplify the things they are teaching, not just the physical aspects, but the life skills as well. 

   

If our focus is listening, our leaders should be working to become better listeners themselves.  If it is being consistent, then the leaders should be the “picture” that students can refer to, to see consistency.  So when the focus is initiative, we expect to see the improvements in initiative EXEMPLIFIED by our leaders!

This is why the rank structure in martial arts is so powerful in the development of leaders.  When you hear an instructor say something like, “for a green belt, you should be doing…” know that this is such a powerful accountability tool.  (Note that, its powerful if the inst leads by example.  Otherwise it is just words from another mouth.

 When you know that every other person at your level is held to the same standard for things such as focus, effort, and perseverance, you are empowered.  You suddenly develop the mentality of “if they can do it, I can do it.”  (A very powerful attitude that carries over in everyday life.)

We have several favorite quotes, but one of them is from Michaelangelo.  He states, “the greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”  This is why high expectations are so powerful.  When we ask a lot, we get a lot!

I was recently reading a story about Mahatma Gandhi.  His famous quote, “be the change you want to see in the world”, truly sets the stage for his beliefs on being an example to those around you.  He was famous for not saying or claiming anything unless he was practicing it himself.

The story goes as follows:  Once a mother took her child to Gandhi and asked him to advise her child not to eat too much sugar because it was bad for his health. Gandhi asked the mother and child to go and come back in 15 days.  Fifteen days later, they came back.  This time Gandhi told the child:  “My son, please don’t eat too much sugar. It is really not good for your health.”  The surprised mother asked Gandhi: “Why didn’t you tell this statement last time we were here?” Gandhi replied, “Because I could not say something that I had not done myself.  I needed 15 days to use less sugar and see the benefits.  Then I could advise your son not to eat too much sugar.”

According to A. Barbour, author of Louder Than Words: Nonverbal Communication, only 7 percent of the message delivered is from the verbal aspect (the actual WORDS you say).  Furthermore, many researchers argue that 60-70 percent of all meaning is derived from non-verbal behavior (the WHAT you are doing).  Have you ever heard someone say, “do as I say, not as I do?”    Statistically speaking, that’s not going to happen.  Those around you (your children, your employees, your coworkers, your friends) are going to follow what they see from you. 

Just recently, we were at a health fair for children and their families.  At each of the vendor booths, vendors provided games, activities, and different types of health screening for free.  While most of the participants provided healthy snacks (water, string cheese, and yogurt), some gave out candy, all the while promoting a healthy lifestyle.  At the booth next to us, the vendor was providing free blood pressure checks:  FANTASTIC.  The not so fantastic part… for lunch the vendors munched on their enormous burgers and extra large curly fries.  They actually had to move them over off of their main table to perform the blood pressure checks.  (They were also one of the groups that gave out candy.)

With childhood obesity rampant, what example was that setting?  The entire event was fucused around healthy options for back to school. 

Here’s the thing.  Do I think that these people thought twice about having their frie-fest?  No.  That’s the point!  We HAVE to think!  We have to be aware that all day, everyday, we have little, and not so little eyes, watching what we are doing.  

If you want your child to be respectful, are you?

If you want your child to clean up after themselves, do you?

Your employees are always late for work, are you?

Your child always “talks back”, but did they just watch you chew out the cashier at the grocery store? 

“Leadership is action, not position.” – Unknown

eye on the prize

Keep Your Eye On the Prize

At Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, we hold Belt Testings on a regular schedule (every 2-3 months depending on your training location).  Everytime Testing rolls around, we are so proud of the students that diligently train through all types of imaginable activities, distractions, job changes, you name it.

I was listening to a story recently that really made me think about Tae Kwon Do training, and Testing.  The story is about Florence Chadwick.  Born November 9, 1918, Florence was an American swimmer.  She began her competitive swimming career at age 10, but is best known for swimming across the English Channel in 13 hours 20 minutes (setting a new World Record).  One year later, in 1951, she crossed the English Channel yet again, from England to France (in 16 hours and 22 minutes).  These feats made her the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions.

In 1952, Florence attempted to swim the 26 miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline.  Because this was a particularly dangerous attempt due to the shark-infested, rough water, a small boat moved along beside her.  Florence had been swimming for about 15 hours when an unusually thick fog rolled in.  She began to doubt whether or not she could complete the 26 mile swim.  Her mother was in the boat, and everyone in it was shouting encouragment, telling her she was almost there.  Florence swam for another hour, but eventually asked to be pulled in, finally giving up.

When Florence was pulled into the boat, she found out that she was just one mile from the coastline, and from making history.  She said that because the fog was so thick, she just couldn’t picture how close she really was.  The coast seemed too far away.

Somethimes this happens in our Tae Kwon Do training.  We start classes, we set specific goals, say becoming a Black Belt.  All the while we have Instructors “in the boat” encouraging us along the way, that truly see how far we’ve come.  Yet, we don’t see it ourselves.  We begin to doubt where we’re going.

Two months later, Florence made a second attempt at the 26 mile swim.  This time, when the fog rolled in, she kept on swimming, and reached the coastline.  She later said that she kept a mental image of that coastline in her mind.  She listened to those who encouraged her along the way; who told her she was ALMOST there!

So, as you prepare for Testing, keep your eye on the prize and in the words of Dori (Disney’s Finding Nemo), “Just Keep Swimmin’!”  Your instructors see where you are headed, and how much you’ve progressed.  Our program is structured to keep you progressing, and keep that progress visible.  (For example, stripes as little goals to help you achieve bigger goals.  The colored belts are bigger goals intended to help you achieve an EVEN BIGGER goal:  Black Belt.  The Demo Team and Instructor Programs are for Black Belts only, to help the Black Belts stay focused, training, and achieving to advanced Degrees of Black Belt.)

So, you see, we understand.  We’ve been there, and we are all so, so thankful that we had people in the “boat” encouraging us, and that we didn’t stop swimming… even to this day!

 

 

thanks for the compliment

Thanks for the Compliment

 

A while back, and even a few times since, we’ve found forums, and comments about Team Chip that were intended to be negative.  Through the years we’ve also received ANONYMOUS emails, (which, by the way, as a general rule, if someone does not have the respect to submit their name along with feedback, we trash the emails).

Just recently, a salesperson copied some reviews on Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers.  One of them (one that’s particularly rude) was referring to a commercial we did several years ago.  You can look it up.  (I’ll warn you, we have no control over the comments, since we did not put the commercial up.  It was actually pulled off of our website.)  Anyway, initially our response was to contact youtube and pull it off (again, it was posted without our consent.)  But then we noticed something… over 26,000 views. 

Now, you look at that America’s Got Talent Video of Chip and Team Chip, and you see 277,576 views!   But when the Dragon Commercial was posted, 26,000 views to us was MASSIVE!  One forum had members arguing over the “type” of dragon, and whether it was correct or not.  I even had a sarcastic email questioning me on the safety of teaching children to throw fireballs (I responded, yes, a little sarcasticly myself, that we only taught children to throw fireballs when confronted with a dragon!)  What was even funnier was seeing people actually take the time to write out our jingle (yes, we do have a jingle).  The jingle was supposed to be something that people will remember (even reluctantly so).  HA!  IT worked! 

What’s bad about empowering yourself with confidence, leadership, self defense?  (That’s in the jingle by the way.)

So, just so you know, McDojo is a very derogatory term that some fellow school owners tend to throw around.  The interesting thing is, I’ve never heard a successful school owner refer to another school as a McDojo.  It’s always the reverse.

I thought I would research McDojo a little, and went to the source for everything:  the Google.   If you are a Team Chip parent or student, and on blood pressure medicine, you might want to pause about now.  The following are WARNING SIGNS that you might be in a McDojo!  Very insightful, NOT. 

1. The Black Belts haven’t reached puberty yet and they can rent out the dojo for birthday parties.

Our youngest Black Belt is 9, and we hold Birthday Parties here frequently.  By the way, feel free to ask any parent of a young Black Belt if they feel like their child actually worked for their rank.  You might want to stand back, or maybe even do so in YOUR gear… just sayin’…  But anyway, that’s Strike 1.
2.  You can earn a new colored belt every 1-3 months. Hence, the term “belt factory.”

We hold Belt Testings at regular intervals, all the while having strict stripe and hour requirements.  Instructors are required to sign off for students to verify eligibility.  But, alas, Strike 2.
3.  It’s a Korean art.

Tae Kwon Do originated over 1350 years ago in the Silla Dynasty (in Korea.)  Yes, that’s Strike 3.

Really?

Here’s some amazing insight from the same site:  “There used to be a time where a black belt meant something, back in days where it took years upon years of intense training, pain, and sacrifice.  Those who wore a black belt around their waist had earned it, and they knew how to fight.  Those days are gone though, and honestly, having a black belt anymore is useless.”    They go on to criticize “wheelchair bound people with black belts.”  and state that “We have hundreds of thousands of black belts under 12, … and a society that believes they earned them.”  Really, you’re questioning my babies!  REALLY! 

Then they go on to say that, “All of these people are essentially ballet dancers with gi’s on: they’ve taken the martial arts and turned it into a dance.”  And, say that “Kid black belts: the younger the black belt, the worse the school is.”   

Yep, according to this, we’re a McDojo, and a Belt Factory:

1. Belt Factory: If students are promoted quickly, such as reaching a new rank every two months, and/or reaching black belt in less than 3 years.

2. If the instructor is a master, yet under 40.  (Chip is 38.)

And finally, my personal favorite:

3.  If the school has many students, such as over 100, or if there are many black belts (we have over 80 that CURRENTLY TRAIN IN our 4 LOCATIONS.)

National Association of Professional Martial Artists CEO, Stephen Oliver, posted an article recently about this subject, and his post along with those reviews I shared earlier… I got to thinking.  He said in his article, The Money Guy, that a lot of times it “…..comes back to the old adage of ‘most people would rather have a good excuse, rather than good results.’  [Meaning that if you're struggling as a school owner] it’s easier to rationalize that it’s because you are ‘pure’ and haven’t ‘sold-out’ rather than realize it’s from either ignorance (not knowing what to do), or laziness (not willing to get [busy] and go do what needs to be done).”

Before I share some feedback from students, parents, and educators, I thought I’d share some quotes from Mr. Ray Kroc.  Whether you like the food or not, it’s not about that, his points are clearly stated:

“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.” -Ray Kroc 

“We take the hamburger business more seriously than anyone else.” – Ray Kroc

Now, don’t take our word for it, check out the following links to see what REAL Team Chip parents and students have to say about our McDojo:

http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2011/apr/03/a-prosperous-strategy-focus-on-discipline-artist/

http://www.yelp.com/filtered_reviews/qFS0OFET61-vNxZ6_hS4hw?fsid=bhs35Z6-DBlyCla0Luweow

 

does your child have TKDitis?

Does Your Child Have TKDitis?

 

A little tongue in cheek time here….  We are going to discuss a common “illness” that occurs in the training life-span of all martial artists.

This post is focusing on the child version of the “illness”. (Which just as commonly happens to adults)

Original post was made by Earlene Martinez, owner of Martinez Children’s Academy, and certified Child Educator, via facebook.  Because this is a common “illness” we thought we’d elaborate a little.  We love Mrs. Martinez’s insight on the “cure”, as she has been around Team Chip, and martial arts for over 14 years, we feel that she is very qualified to make the “diagnoses”, and offer “treatment” options.

Does your child have TKD-itis?

Illness:  TKD-itis

Signs and Symptoms: 

• Sudden onset of unconfirmed illness (ie. headaches, knee pain, or stomach aches).
• These illnesses DO NOT include signs of fever, vomiting or any type of excretion from any body orifices.
• Individual shows signs of droopy bottom lip, sad, sad, SAD faces, and eyes closed in “pain”.
• Sure sign of TKD-it is:   sudden cheer that develops in the child the moment that time to attend class has passed and/or permission to miss class has been granted.

Treatment options:

• Completely ignore and drive straight to TEAM CHIP where upon arrival, you kick the child out and drive away.
• Keep numbers of Team Chip, Glyn Ann, Chip, Karen and/or Kiki programmed to phone. Hand phone to suffering child to explain to one of the above his/her ailments. Put on speaker phone so all can hear.
• And if necessary: confine straight to bed once at home: no tv, no books, no games, no entertainment whatsoever. TKD-itis requires complete and total bed rest and only foods of clear liquid, plain sandwich bread, boring broth types.
• If TKD-itis is allowed to succeed even ONCE, it will reoccur.

Outcome of Immediate Treatment:

• The child that was so terribly “ill”, is smiling in class.
• Their dedication to, and stick-to-it-ivness reaps major benefits in other activities. 
• They become a better leader, better students, and excel in athletics, school, and at home.

 

I have to admit that I LOL’d….  Yes, I really did LAUGH OUT LOUD at the suggested treatment options.  For one, they’re absolutely spot on!  Secondly, we’ve actually done most of them with many of the Black Belts that you train alongside at least once, and sometimes more. 

When do students typically contract TKD-itis?  Typically after a sudden, unexpected break in attendance the “aches and pains” occur.  No matter the reason (illness, injury, job change, etc.) and regardless of the great intentions to get back on track, the TKD-itis sets in.  It helps you take note of all of the extra housework you were able to finish.  You see that you were able play outside a little longer. 

Somewhere in the middle of all that rationalizing, you forget that just a few months ago (when you were training consistently), you were doing better in your classes at school, you were more respectful at home, you were learning the priceless skills of goal-setting, and achieving. 

In the 26 years that we have been here, operating Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, we have NEVER had someone that developed TKD-itis, and was ALLOWED to QUIT, come back to visit us later in life (and many do) and say “I’m so glad my parents let me QUIT!”  It’s absolutely the total opposite!  We hear, “Wow, I wish I had never given up.”  So, do we understand having other interests?  Of course.  Do we think, or rather know that TKD will help you excel in those other activities?  Most definitely!

So parents, be strong.  Keep YOUR eye on the prize.  Your child is truly your pride and joy.  You want the best for them.  Don’t let those little “stomach aches” turn into a stumbling block to quit and allow them to develop a pattern of giving up on things that your child has started.  Don’t let the sad, sad faces Mrs. Earlene describes sway you from what you know is best.

play on expert

“Empowering people through the pursuit of personal martial arts excellence.”

That is the motto of Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, but what does it mean?

I watched a video recently (Minute with Maxwell).  For those of you that don’t know, we are huge John Maxwell fans here.  We even have one of his books as required reading for our Instructors.  Anyway, I was watching this video, which was a short clip on empowering people. 

In the video Mr. Maxwell tells a story about how he and his older brother would  have living room wrestling matches after dinner when he was a child.  He goes on to tell how his brother, being older, bigger, and stronger always won.  Then one Monday night, his dad (who was bigger still), said “tonight we’re going to wrestle.”  Mr. Maxwell tells how he was so unsure.  He knew that if his brother always beat him, how would he ever beat his dad? 

Well, after much struggle, Mr. Maxwell did in fact, pin his dad.  He raised his hand in victory each and every time he pinned him.  His older brother looked on in amazement, and a little disgust.  When the folllowing Monday rolled around (just one week later) the living room was cleared, and the match was on.  This week, again just one week later, John Maxwell, the younger brother, pinned his older brother.

So, did his dad “let him win”.  I don’t know.  Does it really matter?  The point is, that little piece of success made all the difference.   When he was then paired with an opponent that he percieved as less challenging, he WON!  Did he get stronger in one week?  No.  He became confident in himself.  Every time his hand was raised in victory, he became stronger on the inside. 

Flip this analogy over to Tae Kwon Do.  How many times have you heard Chip tell about playing video games on Expert level as a child?  It’s a fantastic metaphor for how we can improve. 

Time to date ourselves here; the games he’s talkng about were the old Atari games.  The ones where when you “died” you had to start the game all over, from the beginning.  There were no checkpoints.  You started over! 

Chip tells about what he would do to figure out how to beat a certain level that was stumping him.  He would flip the game over to expert where the game moved faster, there were more bad guys and monsters, and the level was way harder.  After trying (most times unsuccessfully) he would flip it back to the normal mode, and BAM… he could complete the level.

The envirnment at Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers is just like flipping the video game to expert.  I actually watched this happen just recently at a Belt Testing at the Team Chip San Angelo school.  An orange belt student was paired with a 3rd Degree Black Belt Instructor for Mount and Guard.  Mount and Guard is a submission game where two people sit back to back.  In grappling, the phrase “position before submission” is key.  Mount and Guard focuses on controlling your partner, and the winner is determined by who achieves a mounted position, or a guard position. 

The instructor has been training longer, is in great shape, and is very good at Mount and Guard.  The leader of the Testing said go, and after some struggle, the orange belt WON!  So what happened?  Is this a bad thing for the instructor?  Of course not!

What everyone doesn’t know is that this orange belt has been training his Mount and Guard skills at “expert level” two to three times a week with Chip for the past 6 months.  So, when he was paired with someone else, he already had it in his mind that this would be a piece of cake.  A challenge yes, but something he could handle, ABSOLUTELY! 

Now, how do you take these stories, and apply to your training and your life?  When you are faced with a set of kicks, a set of push-ups, or something new at your job, face the challenge head on.  Know that the experience you gain, the skills you develop, and the tools you hone will make what you’re doing now seem like, yes, a piece of cake!

Remember this quote the next time you’re wondering WHY in the world that instructor beside you is pushing you, and know that they can SEE what you have inside you!

“‘Come to the edge’, he said.  They said:  ‘We are afraid.’  ‘Come to the edge’, he said.  They came.  He pushed them and they flew.” – Guillaume Apollinaire

I encourage you to sign up for the Minute with Maxwell.  You will receive an email a day with FANTASTIC on minute lessons to encourage and EMPOWER you!  http://johnmaxwellteam.com/empower/

it takes practice

“He comes in every day like a 17-year-old, and he’s playing something for the first time,” said Carl Schiebler, the orchestra’s longtime personnel manager. “It’s a great gift, and also for the people around him, to see the enthusiasm.”

Schiebler is feferring to retired New York Philharmonic clarinetist, Stanley Drucker, who after a career of 62 years, 7 months, 1 day, set the Guiness World Record for Longest Career as a Clarinetist.

Interresting Trivia:

From the New York Times, 2009:  A SCHEDULING mishap left the New York Philharmonic in a pickle last month. With the players onstage and audience members shifting in their seats, there was no one in the first clarinet chair for Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1.  Stanley Drucker, the orchestra’s principal clarinetist, was not scheduled to play. When word of the problem reached him, he rushed from the players’ lounge, took his place and quickly flipped through the technically demanding part… Though he hadn’t performed the work since the 1950s, Mr. Drucker nailed it. 

Judith Nelson, Violinist, recalls that the day after that concert, she “talked to Stanley about him filling in [the missing violinist].  ‘Wow,’ I said, ‘that was really amazing. And with almost no preparation.’ He said, ‘I didn’t want to tell them, but actually I didn’t have the right clarinet for it. I wasn’t playing on my clarinet.’  And that sort of sums up Stanley.   Nothing is a problem.”

Consider these thoughts from successful folks in all walks of life:

• ”No one can arrive from being talented alone. God gives talent; work transforms talent into genius.” – Anna Pavlova, ballerina.

• ”I know the price of success: dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” – Frank Lloyd Wright, architect.

• ”The way to learn to do things is to do things. The way to learn a trade is to work at it. Success teaches how to succeed. Begin with the determination to succeed, and the work is half done already.” – Mark Twain, writer and humorist.

“Unless the cheers turn to jeers, I’ll do it till I drop.”  - Stanley Drucker

need a flea trainer

Need a flea trainer?

confidence /ˈkɒnfɪdəns/–noun  :  belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”  Abraham Lincoln

Be yourself then… who else is better qualified?

So many times, we question our own abilities.  Our confidence can falter based on past failures, discouragments, or limits that have been placed on us by others.  But, as Peter T. Mcintyre states, “confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” 

When we succomb to the negative impulses of other people (SNIOP is an acronym used by Zig Ziglar), we become a flea.  I heard a story about training fleas.  The story sounds great, but is it true?  When you put fleas in a jar, and put a lid on it, do they eventually stop trying to jump beyond?  Check out this video!

 

At Team Chip Tae Kwon Do Centers, our mission is to empower people.  So what does empower mean?  It’s interesting, what empower doesn’t mean.  It doesn’t mean to GIVE.  It means to enable or permit.  Not, to give.  When you empower someone, you permit them to use the power, the tools, the abilities that they already possess.  In essence, to take the lid off of the jar, and help them leap to the heights they are meant to. 

Get rid of the lids in your life.  Be confident.  You were born with the tools to succeed, to achieve.