On Saturday, a large group of students at our karate school proved that the martial arts are about much more than punching and kicking. Over 20 students and parents joined forces for the Sacramento Creek Week cleanup. We tackled a long stretch of dry creek bed alongside Park Village street near Freeport and 43rd. The most exciting thing about this …
Mushin and Anger Guards exercise
For the most part, the situations in life that make me need an anger guard are when dealing with other people in crowded places. First, I am particularly sensitive to people hurrying me, or even perceiving that people are hurrying me in any public situation. Using verbal judo in these instances is helpful insomuch as I can recognize the situation …
What I Learned from Girl Scouts
Yes, it’s true. I learned something from Girl Scouts last weekend. Let me explain. I was contacted by a troupe leader recently who was interested in getting her scouts into a short, one-hour self-defense class. I explained what my fee would be (a box of Girl Scout Cookies of course!) and we set a date. That day at the center, …
Bullies are in our Sacramento Schools
Bullying is a big problem in our society. If you are like me, your heart goes out to children that get bullied everyday. Many people have been following the case of Pheobe Prince, a young lady that committed suicide as a result of relentless bullying. But bullying is a problem here in Sacramento as well. This story aired recently on …
Hot buttons …
Recently Sensei Oliver asked the Little Dragons to complete a worksheet about recognizing and controlling their anger. The sheet asked them to think about what pushes their “hot buttons” and what they could do to recognize, minimize and counter the negative feelings that arise when anger sets in. My daughter listed two items: her little sister tearing her homework and …
Home Fire Safety – What does it have to do with Martial Arts?
Self-defense is a big part of the martial arts, but it isn’t just about self-defense from people that intend to hurt us. There are many other killers out there, and one of the leading causes of death and injury children in this country are accidents. Just recently, one of our families that train at the dojo had a house fire, …
Week 5- Evidence of Change
Life has blessed me with the same doctor most of life. She knows me from when my four front teeth fell out in two days, when I played sports year round, when growth spurts started, and ended, when I entered high school, when I graduated high school and went to college. So the first visit back after the college hiatus …