February 2013 Newsletter

Wise Words from Sifu Rick!

Temper is what gets most of us into trouble. Pride is what keeps us there.

AASD ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Friday Feb. 8th 2013 6:30pm, Belt Test (Little & Junior Dragons)
• Adult Belt Saturday Feb. 9 11:00am in Class
• LEADERSHIP CLASS Saturday Feb. 9 8:00am
• Saturday Feb. 2 20th annual Kenpo Tournament Granada Hills, CA

Finding Your Inner Strength

Many people think that being bigger is being stronger. If you’re wise, however, you know that some people develop inner strength, which makes them just as powerful, if not more powerful, than those with physical strength.

Some of the most famous martial arts practitioners were actually small in stature, but they still possessed a great deal of strength with their hearts and minds. For instance, Bruce Lee was below average in height and weight, but he was one of the best martial artists ever. Bruce Lee possessed great inner strength, which made him larger than life.

Having the power to believe in yourself and your abilities, regardless of size, is an important lesson that martial artists learn through their training. This is why martial arts is so popular with all types of people.

You may have inner strength and not be aware of it. Answer the following statements as true or false to determine if you have inner strength.

1. T or F: When I feel tired during my martial arts class, I find the inner strength to keep training.

2. T or F: When someone picks on me, I find the inner strength to ignore him or her.

3. T or F: When I have much work to do, I find the inner strength to complete my work.

4. T or F: When I am afraid to try new activities, such as water skiing, I find the inner strength to give it a try.

5. T or F: When I have a bad day, I find the inner strength to be cheerful.

6. T or F: When I must tell the truth, even though I know I am wrong, I find the inner strength to admit it, regardless of the consequences.

7. T or F: When I have the opportunity to serve my community, I find the inner strength to follow through on my duties.

If you answered “true” to all of the statements above, then you have found your inner strength. Keep in mind that you must practice to find and maintain inner strength. In some cases, it may be easier to give up and allow your weaknesses to control your choices; however, with some practice and conscious attention, you will find opportunities to use your inner strength. As you do, you will notice yourself becoming stronger and living a happier life, due to your strong heart and mind.

Listen to Your Instincts

Your instincts are your best early warning system for your body and surroundings. Listen to your inner voice. Don’t dismiss your gut feeling. The world is an imperfect place. There are dangerous places and people. Err on the side of safety and your instincts may save you from danger. It is foolhardy to do otherwise.

Bill FitzPatrick is a 5th-degree Black Belt, holds a Master’s Degree in Education and runs the non-profit American Success Institute at: www.mastersuccess.com.

Martial Arts Success Stories

Personal Profile

What Martial Arts Has Done For Me!

By Marian Hjelmgren, age 12

My name is Marian and I am in the seventh grade. I’m a Brown Belt, and have been training for almost four years. I joined because my older brother joined two years earlier, and martial arts looked really cool. Since then I have learned that martial arts is much more than just flips and kicks. It takes self-discipline, self-control, focus and respect (for yourself and others), but, most importantly for me, it takes self-confidence.

When I started martial arts, I saw the other kids doing basic techniques, such as five swords and clutching feathers, but, to an amateur like me, those moves looked scary. I never thought that I would be able to make it look easy like they did. With the help of my instructor, I gained the self-confidence I needed just to go out there and try.

Now, it’s me helping the newer students, giving them that little push to succeed. I probably wouldn’t have done many of the things I have done if martial arts didn’t give me the self-confidence it has. Since I started, I tried to make the volleyball team. I didn’t make the cut, but I had the confidence to audition for other things, such as speech, drama and jazz band. Self-confidence is just one of the many things martial arts has done for me.

Marian Hjelmgren trains at Jay Larkin’s WhirlWin Martial Arts in Northlake, Illinois.

Student of the Month

Kai Seta

Kai is the student of the month for February 2013. Kai started with AASD back in April of 2010. Kai has shown great perseverance and Honesty in class to always do his best no matter what.

Kai started in the little dragon classes and has now moved up to Junior dra¬goon , even though he is on 6 years old. In the beginning Kai would struggle , as many of us do with forms, however through true determination and persever¬ance Kai as made it all the way to 3rd de¬gree Brown Belt. Sifu Rick wishes to sa¬lute Kai’s parents Keiji and Diana, for all their support of Kai and our Black Belt school.

Healthkick

More Matters

By Jennifer G. Galea MS RD

During 2007, “Fruits & Veggies – More Matters” is the food message that will replace “5 A Day” (servings of fruits and vegetables).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) and a number of national “partners” began the “5 A Day” campaign years ago to encourage the public to consume at least five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. At least 50 percent of adults know they should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables, but only 20 percent actually do.

In fact, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended 13 daily servings of fruits and vegetables (an average 1/2-cup per serving). The most important message, however, is to strive to improve and make long-term enhancements to a diet you can sustain.

Your goal should be to increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, regardless of your current level of consumption. If your daily meal plan is breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and a second snack, then you could have three servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal and two servings at each snack. It is easy to see that you’ll need to give some careful consideration to meal and snack planning, with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, to achieve this goal.

You goal may be easier than you might initially think, considering all the interesting and tasty fruit and vegetable options. For example, put fruit on your morning cereal (a great way to receive recommended fiber); pile veggies on your lunch sandwich; snack on yogurt with fresh fruit; serve a double portion of vegetables with dinner; eat raw vegetables sticks as an afternoon snack; enjoy dried fruit compote as a desert…I’m sure you can think of many more. With the wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as an abundance of interesting recipes online, there are many tasty opportunities to enhance your diet. The goal is to make positive changes: remember, “More Matters.”