Black Belt Attitude - - Be Positive !!!

Sometimes we say negative things about ourselves to others. While some people seem to get away with it without really hurting themselves, others can cause a lot of damage to themselves by being negative. The reason behind people not hurting themselves when they say negative things about themselves is that they either don't believe what they are saying, or else they are so talented that they can say anything and get away with it.
For most of us, saying negative things about ourselves is a very bad idea. Success is built one moment at a time.
You have to aim for excellence all the time.
The ancient philosopher Aristotle said,

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
Thinking negatively can affect our actions negatively. Thinking positively can have a positive impact on our actions.

In reality, the number one key to success in anything is the attitude and perseverance that one maintains during the development and implementation of strategies and tactics during your goals. This is true in business, relationships and yes, even self- defense. Seasoned instructors can identify quickly those people that have heart or a passion in their training. These are the people we recognize as having the ability to become very good in the martial arts and also have the best chance of surviving any real threat in their lives.

The Japanese call this trait Kokoro which means heart. Having Kokoro is the foundation of excellence in the martial arts. Let's talk about a few of the variables or traits that are signs of a person that has heart in what they are doing.
The first indication is a quick tempo in their actions. Fast tempo seems to go hand in hand with all great success. Developing this tempo requires that you start moving and keep moving at a steady rate no matter what you are doing. In martial arts, if you are going to train, train hard; don't just go through the motions. A person with heart is action oriented, always moving forward towards the next step or goal. When you become an action-oriented person, you activate the "Momentum Principle" of success. This principle says that although it may take tremendous amounts of energy to overcome inertia and get going initially, it then takes far less energy to keep going. Training hard in the beginning allows you to maintain a high level of ability with less work in the future. A person with heart has a high level of energy and works hard. The good news is that the faster you move, the more energy you have. The faster you move, the more you get done and the more effective you feel. The faster you move the more experience you get and the more you learn. When faced with something that needs to be done, they attack it right away without complaints. One of the simplest and yet most powerful ways to get yourself started is to repeat the words, "Do it now! Do it now! Do it now!" over and over to yourself. A modern warrior identifies what is important in their life and then attacks those goals with a passion and a positive attitude. Having Kokoro means that your desire to accomplish your goals is unwavering and that you give it your best each and every time. This is a key ingredient to black belt excellence.

When They Choose thier Friends - They Choose Thier Future.

Most likely you have heard it stressed that Martial Arts is more than just a physical discipline; that develops both the mind and body. The presence of mind that Martial Arts demand helps us to make wise and thoughtful decisions.
Often these decisions involve choosing others as friends -and all of us would like to choose good friends, people we can consider real "team players".

It is sometimes very mysterious why we choose who we do as players on our life team. Often we like a person right off the bat based on some intuitive thought or feeling.Other times we observe someone for a while with admiration, and build up to a formal introduction.
Friendship is a wonderful thing, often beyond words, and is sometimes sparked by what we commonly call "vibes," or a strange and electric power of attraction. This is what gives it such a terrific and seemingly magic power to tie people together so closely.

Make sure your kids have a criteria for choosing friends. Talk to them about the most important qualities you should look for in a friend. Remember - If a surgeon happens to be sitting next to you on the plane and he seems awfully nice. Based on this, would you pick him as your doctor? Your cousin's brother-in- law's nephew is a lawyer. Is that a reason to have him represent you?
We do not select our doctors or lawyers haphazardly. We make sure the person fits the bill. This is the way we choose our hairdresser; it should certainly be the way we choose our friends.
Choosing a friend is serious business. You become attached to them. If you were covered with super-glue, you would be extremely careful whom you rubbed shoulders with. Friends have an indelible influence on your life and must be chosen carefully and parents should know who's shaping thier child's life and how.

To know who thier friends really are, Parents and experts alike say you have to make the effort to get to know that other family better, whether your child is very young or in the teen years. Introduce yourself to the other parents, ask questions about supervision and safety, and even discuss some of your own house rules.

Since your kids are now elementary-school age, tweens (between elementary school and teens) or teens, you're probably acutely aware that they prefer to arrange their own get-togethers with people of their own choosing.
Kids who've hit the ripe old age of 11 may already be asking for a ride to the corner near their friend's house - and balking if you suggest meeting the parents.
But meet them you must, say plenty of parents and parenting pros. For safety's sake, and your own sense of security, you need to know that the parents of the other child are home, will continue to be home and are supervising both their child and yours. And you need to know that the home your child is entering is a safe, secure, comfortable place to be.
It gets harder the older your kids get, to be sure. As tweens and teens become more independent - and less enamored with their parents' involvement in anything they do - parents say they're often more likely to drop their adolescent off in the driveway of a friend's house and pick the youth up in the same location, never even getting out of the car.
"You have to take the first step to introduce yourself to your child's friend's parents," says Michele Borba, Ed.D., an author and lecturer who specializes in the topic of building children's character. "You have to make it your house rule that, no matter what, you will always introduce yourself before dropping your child off for a party or any other gathering. Just don't expect your child to send you a thank-you card."

Breaking the Ice
Outwardly, you might begin that meet-and-greet by offering a phone number where you can be reached if needed. But what you're really trying to do is size up the other parent, Borba says. "Tell them that you just want to verify their house rules because you assume that they'd want to know yours."

The key is to convey to the other parent the notion that you have strict rules about supervision and acceptable activities. Mention the obvious, like peanut allergies or fear of dogs, Borba advises, then toss in a few of your own house rules: time limits on video games or prohibitions on Web sites such as MySpace.
Tell the other parent that you never leave your own child in the home unsupervised during a play date or party. Ask if there are rules about swimming pool safety or if there's a gun in the house and whether it's locked up.

Every one should have friends, it's really good to have them. Though the wrong friend can be a curse, the right one can be a blessing. And though trials may come to put your friendship through tests, If you could just hold on through the storm, then you might find it was the best thing. There's nothing better than a good friend who will stick by your side. Through the good times and the bad times, and in tough times won't try to hide.
A good friend is like a jewel and much more valuable than gold A good friend can not be bought, nor can one be sold. Everyone should have friends, or at least just one good one. Some one to chill with, talk to, or to just have fun. If you have a good friendship, you should do all you can to keep it. Because good friends are hard to find, to let one go would be a shame. Everyone should have a friend, but make sure they be careful to choose a good friend, then they will have something special.

HYDRATION: Summer is here - - - Don't forget the water!!

Introduction: Water is our essence, our very lifeblood, the most important nutrient in our body. It makes up 70 percent of our muscles and 75 percent of our brains; oxygen is the only thing the body craves more than water. Yet every time we exhale, we lose it, as much as two cups a day. Water evaporates invisibly from the surface of our skin too, an additional two cups a day; and each time we urinate, we lose even more- probably as much as 2 pints in a 24-hour period.

During the course of a regular day, a healthy adult can lose eight to ten cups of water, and that is before working out at the gym. When we fail to replenish the losses, we set up a physiological chain reaction. Reading a "water shortage" (dehydration) message, hormones tell the kidneys to conserve water by urinating less; the urine passed is amber-colored (healthy water intake produces light-tinted urine). At a 3 percent loss of body weight, muscular endurance diminishes; at 4 percent, dizziness occurs, and physical labor capacity drops by as much as 30 percent; at 5 percent, mental concentration is reduced, drowsiness, impatience and headaches occur; at 6 percent, the heart rate increases and the body's temperature regulation system starts to fail; at 7 percent, there is a good chance of collapse.

Hydration is one of the single most important factors in performing at your best level. Proper hydration in preparation and during competition & training will improve athletic performance and reduce the potential for thermal injury and speed recovery.

When you work up a sweat ... you work up a thirst. Why? It's your body's way of telling you to replace those fluids lost in sweat. Unfortunately, the thirst mechanism is like that little red warning light that goes off in your car - it indicates a problem only after it has already developed.

"Even when fluids are readily available, most people only replace 1/2 to 2/3 of their sweat losses," explains Bob Murray, Ph.D. of the Gatorade Exercise Physiology Laboratory.
"People don't drink enough because too often they rely on thirst to tell them how much to drink. However, thirst is not an accurate measure of your fluid needs. By the time people become thirsty, they already are slightly dehydrated. It is best to drink until thirst is quenched and then drink several more gulps."
What to Drink Before Activity and Exercise Ideally, you should be fully hydrated when you begin your activity or exercise. Approximately two hours prior to physical activity, you should drink at least two cups (16 ounces) of fluid.
Many sports drinks accomplish this and unlike water, they quickly replace fluids and electrolytes that are lost in sweat while providing energy to working muscles.

During Activity and Exercise
For optimal performance in a workout, all sweat/fluid lost during activity should be replaced. The goal is to replace fluids during the activity, but fluid consumption after exercise is also important. According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), a general guideline during physical activity is to drink 20- 40 ounces per hour of a cool, palatable, non- carbonated beverage. More practically, drink 5-10 ounces of fluid every 15-20 minutes. A helpful hint: an ounce equals approximately one "gulp".
"Research shows that fluids that are flavored, lightly sweetened and contain some sodium help stimulate voluntary drinking, more so than water alone. Besides enhancing flavor, the use of carbohydrates as the sweetening agent can also help active persons maintain their physical performance," explains Dr. Murray. Dr. Murray advises against carbonated or caffeinated drinks or drinks with too much sugar (e.g., fruit juices). Fruit juices or soft drinks have approximately twice the amount of sugar of sports drinks, and if consumed during active occasions, can slow absorption and can cause cramping or stomach aches.

After Activity and Exercise
Diligent fluid replacement practices after workouts can have an enormous impact on your recovery time and subsequent performance. Drink at least two cups per one pound of body weight lost during activity.
Experiment while you exercise to determine how much fluid you can tolerate. It's important to remember to replace fluids as you go instead of letting fluid replacement needs accumulate until after exercise.

Hydration is always good
Research indicates that when you're active, you should drink at least 10-12 cups (80-96 ounces) of fluid a day. Two quarts of fluid per day is a bare minimum. Many physically active people lose more than five quarts of fluid each day, and some individuals will require in excess of 10 quarts.

Hydration Tips
1) Drink on a schedule, not just when thirsty.
2) When you feel thirsty, you've already lost important fluids & electrolytes and may be dehydrated.
Drink fluids before, during & after exercise. Take a squeeze bottle filled with a sports drink or water to your workout.
5) Check your hydration status: a clear light-colored urine means you're well hydrated.

Gracie Diet Hydration tips:
· Drink lots of water
· Start each day with a full 12oz glass of water as soon as you get out of bed
· End each day with a full 12oz glass of water right before you go to bed.

DRINK UP !!

We'd like to remind everyone
that Friday --- 15 June 2007
We will be holding our next belt exam.
Please review the testing schedule, exam roster, and upcoming events to see how it may affect you by visiting our website
@ http://www.athensmartialarts.net and clicking on the "Student Corner" icon.