Today in class Mr. Oliver described karate as 90% mental and 10% physical. How many times have I made it easier on my body physically because my mind it necessary? It’s as simple as relaxing a horse stance during star blocks kata, or not bending as deeply in the last squat, or throwing a punch at half power to “save …
Video: Kristoffer Inspires over 325 Acts of Kindness in Sacramento
Kristoffer is a student at Zen Martial Arts. In order to test for their green belt, every student must perform a community leadership project. Kristoffer chose to do inspire 100 acts of kindness. He is just one of many Sacramento karate kids that are acting as leaders in your community.
Little Dragon diaper drive
Little Dragon Naomi Piper-Pell is currently holding a diaper drive for Wellspring Women and Children’s Center as part of her black belt project. Wellspring is a safe and welcoming place for women and children in need to receive meals and essential services each weekday. Please bring packages of disposable diapers, any size, during any of Mr. Oliver’s karate classes and …
What does karate mean?
Mr. Oliver often asks the Little Dragon class. The translation is empty hand. That’s only one meaning though. I was talking to someone the other day about what karate meant to her. She was trying out some dojos in the Sacramento area since she moved her recently from the bay area. She liked karate because it stimulated her mind and …
Local Boy Tackles 100 Acts of Kindness for His Green Belt
Local boy demonstrates that the martial arts are about much more than punching and kicking by taking on a city-wide “acts of kindness” project Sacramento, CA Aug 21, 2010 – Kristoffer Brown, a 9 year old Sacramento resident, has been studying the martial arts for 14 months now. Five months ago he successfully tested for his orange belt by demonstrating …
Verbal Judo Founder Comments on our Work
Verbal Judo founder George Thompson developed Verbal Judo years ago as a way for police officers to deal with verbal insults and assaults as well as getting voluntary compliance without getting physical. With the help of ‘Doc’ Thompson and other Verbal Judo instructors we have incorporated these same lessons into our martial arts curriculum. Many of your kids have already …
Help Me Do 100+ Acts of Kindness!
Our son Kristoffer has taken on a “100+ Acts of Kindness” community service project in preparation for his green belt test in Sensei Oliver’s Junior Karate Class. With each person committing to 10 acts each, he hopes to achieve “way more” than 100 acts of kindness and make a global impact with our extended family and friends here in the …
States of Awareness
Its a nice, easy walk from my house to the dojo. A scant 10-15 minutes of peaceful exercise through the well landscaped UC Davis Med Center. This little exercise has been wonderful. The time allows me to release the day, warms the legs up for seiza, think over the week’s lesson and generally prepare for the class ahead. Mr. Oliver’s …
My Best Cure for Carsickness
Recently, I went on a long car trip. It was several hours of infamous German roads. Beautiful green landscape, 120+ kmph autoban, transportation trucks in spades, and me, being carsick, enjoying not a single moment. We still had a ways to go and needed to get the gymnastics in my stomach settled down. That’s when I thought of it. Mr. …
Safe from Assault: Are you Oblivious or Aware?
In our classes last week we talked about awareness and how real self-defense happens long before violence actually occurs. The U.S. Marines have a system for coding and identifying the various mental states that one can be in. We can apply these same color codes to our own awareness levels so that we stay safe. Condition White – Oblivious In …