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Issue: # 1
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Friday 23 May 2008
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Factor10 E-MartialNews
Greetings!
I've been wanting to email you for some time now to catch up, say hi, and just let you know the Academy is still going strong. We're teaching some great martial arts, and just having a great time doing it.
As you know Martial Arts training is my life and it has helped my through so much - those ugly stressful moments when I've wondered if things really would get better - and also those great time when I've just feel bullet proof, full of confidence and ready to tackle anything. Martial Art training is one of life's great levelers.
I really would like to stay in touch with you with our newsletters and I was planning on including in this E-MartialNews some great tips on home martial arts training, goal setting for life, tips for business success, how to make the most out of your academic pursuits, tips to successful parenting and much, much more.
So if you would like to come along with me and dabble in reading some of my thoughts on life and life's challenges, you may find something useful you can use one day - and that's my goal.
You can click on the bottom of this email newsletter and unsubscribe if you would prefer to but - I really would like to share some great life stuff with you as a past member of the Academy.
Enjoy!
Damien O'Flaherty
B Ed Dip Teach
5th Dan Taekwondo
4th Dan Hapkido
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PARENTING CHALLENGE - "Yes Sir!" "No Sir!"
Parents often ask me how I can get so many children bowing in perfect time, on time, every time, and clapping their hands and shouting in perfect martial spirit "Yes Sir!". Just how do you do it they ask me. I think over the years, to be honest, I have given many different answers to this - but I've given this some more Thought lately.
It's all about structure. Children need structure in their lives - they need routine and they like to know what's going on. They like to know when it's going to happen, what they can expect when it does happen and the response that is expected of them. So if we don't let children know the answers to these questions, they will make up their own answers. They're clever .. right? And they've got initiative .. right? They sure do and they will make it up as they go if we don't give them the script to follow.
Simply speaking our Martial Arts classes for children are very structured and so there is no guessing game for the children in terms of knowing what behaviours are expected of them. So this is what we need to provide in their everyday lives.
"What? Have the kids bowing in and out of the house, and unpacking the dishwasher in horseriding stance, " I hear you saying. No ... here's how it could work.
Start with making sure there are simple routines in your life with the children. Simple things like making sure, for example, there is a set time for bed at night, that everyone sits together at the breakfast or dinner table and not on the lounge eating and watching TV (sure Friday night footy is fine) - but I am taking about what is the norm in your place. Are there simple set jobs or tasks that the children are required to do - on time, every time? Or is it too hard to make these things happen so we just do it ourselves?
Got the idea? You can see how this fits in your family environment. And I can hear some of you saying "We do that" but I wonder if you could be the fly on the wall in your house - what would you see when it comes to the children having some set chores, routines that are kind of "not negotiables" that the children understand and accept are part of every day life? Try just one thing, as small as it may be .. and see. But remember ... no nagging!
Next E-MartialNews I would like to reflect on some common habits I see in afternoon routines of children that don't really help in getting structure in children's lives, and how to overcome that "all too easy nagging" routine we can find ourselves in. Happy Parenting! |
Goal Setting - Where do I start?
The age old need to set goals and strive to succeed is no new thing - Martial Artists of ancient times knew they had to have a plan for success before they could succeed. And as we do in Martial Arts today - or at least good martial artists today do - we have to start by believing that we can and should succeed in life. Believe that you deserve to achieve and succeed - to be successful - or more successful than you currently are in whatever part of your life that may be.
So everyone says to get out the paper and pen and start writing down goals, but this list so often gets left to become a scrap piece of paper that will have as its greatest claim to success as entering your garbage can. Ever had a few of these pieces of paper lying around - only to gather dust and not get looked at again - with lines and lines of goals to achieve - and no time to achieve them in? Or it gets behind the fridge magnets and starts looking so tired hanging on there you'll put it out of its misery by quietly slipping it into the kitchen bin.
Just start by imagining success, the type of success that you want, the things that you want to achieve and if you believe you can actually reach whatever it is that you define as success - and you truly believe that - and you're not just kidding with yourself - and you can imagine in your mind how you might get there - then there's a chance it might happen. You see - writing it down doesn't make it happen, nor is it the first step in getting it to happen.
In Martial Arts we believe that to visualise what might happen before we go ahead and put in the hard work will give us a better chance to get the results we are looking for. I guess we are mapping out a path - or plan - for success and the achievement of our goals. No physical work is needed at this stage - just some relaxed thinking.
You have to visualise and believe it before it can happen otherwise it becomes a long lost pipe dream.
So this will take some thinking, some practice and lots of thought. Many ideas will get in the way - the what if's and what could be's - and these will distract you for some time however keep at it until you see some clarity. It may take hours, days or even weeks to get past this step one of goal setting. But it's the most important step. So don't give up - persist!
Try lying down and breathe slowly and clear your head for some good old fashioned visualisation of the goals you want to achieve to take you down your special path to success. The more you visualise or dream them, the more you will believe - the the greater chance to achieve!
In the next E-Martial News I would like to take you on the next step in your journey to goal setting success - the Martial Arts way! Dream on!
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 15/30 Promotion - 15 days of training for $30 The 15/30 Offer Includes 1. Introductory goal setting session 2. Introductory private training class 3. 15 days of unlimited classes 4. Top quality KWON martial arts uniform 5. Academy badges 6. Introductory DVD |
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Hey I truly hope you enjoyed our first Factor 10 E-MartialNews. Oh and .. by the way ... I'll fill you in in the next E-MartialNews about what's with the Factor10 thing! It's pretty exciting - but just to hang you out - I'll save it for next time.
Until then - have a great day!
Sincerely,
Damien O'Flaherty
Brisbane Taekwondo and Hapkido Academy |
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