School Talks and Community Events

Our Leadership Blog has been invaded by two other blogs!  Well, this one is special to me because it gives me the chance to post pictures and stories about special classes I get to teach and other things I think are important.  In the past, I've posted about ATAfit, school talks, and special classes we have coming up.  We have some special events coming up soon - Here are some links to stories I've written about them, after the classes, check back to see the pictures of how we inspire health and fitness for kids and adults, community activism, and special safety seminars:

Elkton Fall Fest - Click this LINK!

Personal Achievement Academy - Click this LINK!

ATAfit Circuit Training

The ATAfit class at my school in Elkton, MD has been blowing up and I'm proud to hear a bunch of positive comments on the workouts that we've been doing.  Mrs. Stanley has been a big part of the success this summer because she has taken over teaching half of the ATAfit classes.  The students have been talking about how great she's doing and when I watch, I'm definitely impressed.  She has come "out of her shell" since starting to teach ATAfit and you can see the difference in the other classes she teaches too.

For the circuits, they are challenging for anyone but, the way that they're structured, anyone can do it and the people that need a challenge will definitely get one.  Just for fun, I've named all the circuits after Mortal Kombat characters!  Awesome, right?  Well, you don't have to be a video game freak to have an awesome, fun workout in 'fit class, just come and remember your favorite workouts.

Baraka is a dirty nasty looking fighter with big blades that come out of the top of his hands.
The latest circuit is named for him because when you mess with Baraka, you're going to get cut!

Personal Achievement Academy on the loose!

Mr. Hayhurst has huge Personal Achievement Academy seminars planned for this year!  It's going to be hosted by the YMCA in Elkton and we're even bringing in businesses from the community to talk about their services, give away prizes, and sponsor kids to do martial arts at ATA and do the seminars!  The seminars are Kid Power: Success Course (A's of an all star student), Bully Defense, and Child Safety.  They are going to be huge!  The sponsorships are Make-a-difference level, Community Activist Level, and Community Super Hero Level!  The first seminar is September 24th so get registered right away!

Mr. Hayhurst inspires Barb from Tendercare
Learning Centers to be an advocate of Personal Achievement Academy!

Exciting school modifications

So last Tuesday when I came into the school it smelled horrible!!  My marketing theme has always been that we're one of the only martial arts school around that doesn't smell like feet!!  Well, I've smelled this specific smell before and it's because the back door gets some water that comes in under it when it rains a lot - and last week was kind of like a tsunami!  Here's a picture of where the smell was coming from:

So since I knew it was from water, I went to Home Depot and got a carpet steamer and vac and cleaned the carpet really well.  While I had it, I steam cleaned the ATA mats too.  The next day, it still smelled!  So I went a little crazy and ripped up all the carpet and padding, tack strips, the cove base, and parts of the drywall with it.  As you can see from the next picture, there was a lot of water.  That night, I really went to work. 

So I bought some materials for a little bit of a DIY adventure.  I don't like the carpet that was in the hallway so I bought some new floor covering.  The paint on the walls isn't that great, it isn't easy to clean.  I got a ton of liquid nails and silicone to seal off the door way so no water can make it through ever again.  After a couple days, the hallway was dried out and we could begin the project!

May 22nd, Before...

Today we spent about 9 hours cutting wood, painting, taping off the walls, putting down the new floor covering with the new padding, then cleaning everything up.  I think it looks really good!  It reminds me of a rock recording studio!  Next, I'm going to find a pull up bar to hang in that hallway for some new fun in ATA fit class!

May 22nd, After!

Now how are we going to throw around those cinder blocks in Monday night's fit class?

School talk at Chesapeake City Elementary

Today I did a school talk for one of my best students at ATA Elkton, Miki Guina.  He's really good in class because he always tries his best and he always looks like he's having fun.  He's gotten a lot better since he first started and his little brother might be starting too so he's going to be the leader of the "Guina Karate Guys" at home (lol).  Well, one of my favorite things to do is go to a specific classroom and turn one of my best students into a rockstar for his or her class mates.  So all through the class, he stood next to me like an assistant instructor and at the end, he broke a wooden board.  Most kids have never broken our rebreakable boards and even less have broken a wooden board (or even seen one broken in person).  As soon as Miki broke it, all his classmates jumped up and went crazy cheering for him.  I even heard a little girl say, "Miki is so cool!"  I wish someone said that to me when I was in elementary school!  To top off all of it, I asked Miki to choose a friend that helps him get better in school... not a trouble maker or someone that just wants to have fun instead of doing his or her work first.  He chose his best friend and he got to break a board too! Mrs. Powers was so generous to let me come to her classroom and I really appreciate it.  Check out the pose Mrs. Powers struck at the end of the class!

Mr. Hayhurst and Mrs. Powers strike a pose in her classroom at Chesapeake City Elementary

Leeds Elementary Fun & Fitness Day

Yesterday Mr. Hayhurst visited the kids at Leeds Elementary School in Elkton, MD.  Our theme of the day was Bully Education.  The kids learned that fighting at school is not OK but everyone has the right to defend themselves.  Part of our class involved the students training to become a "martial arts athlete."  With this event, Mr. Hayhurst had this to say:

Students are organized by grade.  They are getting ready to say the pledge of allegiance

"The kids at Leeds are used to me coming because I've been there for the last three years.  When they see me, they always get excited and a lot of them remember my name.  That's the coolest part.  When I show them a technique or give them a short talk, they're quick to answer up with a YES SIR! and I can tell those kids are influenced by really great teachers.  Over the past year, the schools have said that bullying is a big concern and childhood obesity has been an increasing problem for the last fifteen years.  Our classes have changed to keep pace with the needs of our community."

Mr. Hayhurst has been the instructor on tour teaching martial arts, self defense, and fitness to kids in Elkton, North East, Rising Sun, and Cecilton.  The schools that our ATA Martial Arts and Personal Achievement Academy instructors will be attending in the future are - Thomson Estates, Elkton Middle, and Holly Hall.  After that, there are a few seminars scheduled for the Boys and Girls Clubs in Cecil County and the YMCA.

Cecilton Elementary Fun & Fitness Day

Last Friday, Mr. Hayhurst was the instructor at Cecilton Elementary who taught 400 kids a martial arts self defense lesson.  He had this to say about it:

The different teams are getting ready on the blacktop

"It was wild, I had 15 minutes to teach about 25 kids at a time a quick martial arts lesson.  The coolest part about it was, since I came to their gym class earlier in the year, they already knew the stuff that I was teaching and I got to teach them a little more.  It was a lot of fun with team challenges and partner drills.  Also, the fastest kid because the "Champion of the Day" and they got to be MY partner when I demonstrated different techniques.  I have to give a lot of credit and respect to the teachers at Cecilton because they are one of the main reasons why the kids there are so well behaved, disciplined, and follow directions really well.  Their attitudes are really positive and they get excited about every activity and always try their best.  That school is definitely impressive."

Martial Arts Instructors from Elkton, Maryland will be teaching at many schools this year in Cecil County.  Mr. Hayhurst was at Cecilton Elementary last Friday and will be at Leeds Elementary Monday, May 16th.

Jahng Bong Segment 7

Unfortunately, you're late!  I already posted this and It's only gotten 19 views but it's an important part of the form.  I want my best ninja followers to check it out and do a reply video of them performing it.  Here it is!

CLICK HERE FOR THE MARTIAL ARTS WEAPONS TRAINING VIDEO

P.S. I searched for this video on youtube and some shaolin monk bo staff person came up first and mine was second!!  It's because he's got more views from an online community called Expert-village.  I'm not sure where they find their contributors but all of their videos are from instructors from all over the US.  It's pretty cool but they don't serve the target market that I'm after - you awesome ATA people!!  So view my video and let's bump it up!

Super Sparring Classes!

This month we've devoted every Tuesday to Sparring Night.  Check out some of the pictures below.  We go over some of the major concepts in sparring:  Reading the opponent, Offensive Strategies, Defensive Strategies, Speed, and a few others.  Check it out next tuesday in our last installment of sparring class - open to all students!

Remember that we spar for fitness and self defense and our students come from North East, Elkton, Rising Sun, Newark, and other towns in our Tri-State area.  I hope to see some old students and new students coming out to spar with us this week!

Jahng Bong Segment 6!!

Here's the next set of Jahng Bong drills for Segment 6.  This is a fun segment because I think I do it well and I see it done a million other ways.  It would be really cool if I saw some students who improved it post their videos of them performing!! Good luck + Train hard!

Jahng Bong Segment 6!! Click this LINK!

I appreciate everyone's support in helping make our school the best in Elkton, North East, and the surrounding areas.  We will continue to improve our self defense and fitness curriculum and make all of our students (and karate kids) martial arts experience amazing!

Training with Chief Master MK Lee

Last weekend I had a blast training with all the other high ranks in our region during a "camp" taught by Chief Master MK Lee, Master Skiles, and Mr. Abasolo - straight from ATA HQ.  We worked a lot on basics and ironed out some of the things that we've all been doing wrong in the Black Belt forms.

So when you come to your next class, be ready to work on the Black Belt forms in a new way!  We've got the edge on the competition, just in time for the April tournament in New Jersey!

Make sure you register for the inner school tournament and the Class "A" tournament that'll be in Edison, NJ at the end of April.  Class "A" means that there has been a record number of competitors every year - over 750!!

Third Degree Jahng Bong Form

I've been working on all the videos for the Jahng Bong training for my students at ATA elkton and for a while, I was paused at about segment 2.  Mrs. Holubyckyj helped me when taping the rest of the form.  That means the hard part is all done and all I need to do now is edit the clips and upload them.  These are all little pieces of the Bo Staff form, broken down with a little bit of what I visualize and think of as I perform it.  I hope everyone enjoys it and, even if you aren't a 3rd degree, it helps you imagine and create a vision of all the cool things you'll learn as you achieve the next rank.  Here are links to Segments 1 through 5.  I JUST uploaded Segment 5 this morning so that's the new one!

Whole form at competition (Probably one of of my worst performances without actually dropping my weapon) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsESLsAXloU
Segment 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc1tkRnM7dA&feature=channel_video_title
Segment 2, Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNm8FofRr2E
Segment 2, Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usUmBAl3vQk
Segment 2, Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWTAds9YuJA
Segment 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niTU6wD6jbg
Segment 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57zMjVKBPe0

Segment 5:

 

Jahng Bong Segment 4!

Wow, it seems like the only thing I'm posting and thinking about is Bo Staff material.  Well, that's because it is!! I'm working out with a system that was created by Elliott and Mike called Lean Hybrid Muscle so my hands and arms don't work very well lately because they're tired!

Anyway, here's the next installment of Bo Staff training!  Whether you train now or you have set your goal to become a 3rd Degree Black belt, I hope this inspires you to get better and train harder than you have ever before.  Good luck and kick butt!

CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE VIDEO! ENJOY!

Jahng Bong Training: Segment 3

Sorry it took so long to get the rest of the form done, but here's the next installment in the 3rd Degree Black Belt Weapons form! 

I did this so my students will have a solution to the "training resource" in the 3rd Degree DVD.  I wanted them to get tips on how to make it better, not just a moves list.  As you get better, my students will have to compete with your abilities.  The people that watch these videos, I believe, will be the best Jahng Bong competitors in the world.

"When the Lions are constantly competing with each other, the Hyenas will have no chance in catching up." -Mike Lee Kanarek

Segment 3 of the form link - Click here

Ground Fighting, etc.

So our newest change in our programs at ATA Elkton is our FIT and "MMA" curriculum.  I wanted to make sure our athletes had a solid program to become stronger and then an all-around better MMA program.  That's why I certified in Combat Wrestling and I find as many opportunities to train in Self Defense and Higher Contact Martial Arts.  Anyway, we have been competing in Ground Fighting for about a year, at only a few tournaments.  Mr. Morgan sent me the link to this video of this kid who is awesome.  Not just for his age but just dominates these other kids!  Check it out!



More substantial posts coming soon :)

Black Belt Training - Jump Hook Kick Drills

Here are some awesome drills for making your jump hook kick higher and faster for the 1st Degree Black Belt form.  Here they are written down - but to really "get it," check out the video (it's like 2 minutes long but you see every drill demonstrated).

1.  Do the kick for speed at belt level (because that's how high you'll kick when you're off the ground)
2.  "The set up"
3.  The high jump with knees to chest - work on the smoothness of the step incorporating your arms and timing your jump
4.  Do the kick!!  HYPER-FORMANCE BABY!!

Here's the URL Link to it below (it's on Youtube):

MR. HAYHURST'S JUMP HOOK KICK DRILLS

Cross Train, Train, Work out with someone else, whatever you wanna call it

In 2011, it will be the fourth year training with Haganah founder Mike Lee Kanarek.  He is a true leader.  I've done most of the classes that are in the Haganah system and they have been awesome - I understood the importance of knowing these things but they were also FUN.  In Columbia, MD, I did one of the first Combat Fitness classes around.  We had to run about 2/3 of a mile and when it was time to go he said, "Follow me!"  That sounds kinda of insignificant, but it was awesome!

He first taught me when I trained with him in 07 that you must cross train.  Even though he had his favorite martial arts to train in, he said that you can get something out of every style.  So as a martial arts athlete, I'm constantly thinking about self defense, sparring, and a ton of other things martial arts related.  The thing is, doing a kettlebell class, XMA class, or a gymnastics class will help you in some way.  Kettlebell training is something that has become huge and it helps build functional strength in all sports and activities.  Gymnastics athletes are among the most fit and strong in the world (Strength is measured by how strong you are compared to your body weight).  XMA class is all about performance - Bruce Lee was an amazing martial artist but what made him famous was his showmanship.  Also, someone who has mastered a martial arts trick (like one from HYPER Martial Arts) can achieve a goal in ANYTHING.

So in about 2 weeks I'm going up to Mr. Stuart's Martial Arts to train with MLK again and I'm so excited.  Last year I went and I had 2 hours of sleep and was sick - but I wouldn't miss it for the world.  Out of all the typing you may have just read or skimmed through just take this with you - you should take something from everything you do.  Try new things as often as possible even if at first it seems silly or unimportant because it will make you better somehow.  Check out the video below of Ms. Wallace-Holubyckyj and I training with MLK in Columbia, MD in Combat Fitness (We won... if you know what that means!)

This is what we do!!

So there's nutrition, there's fitness and jumping around getting ripped.  There's hitting pads, doing forms, defending yourself against the pretend attacker in self-defense.  This is what it's for.  We SPAR!  Tae Kwon Do is known for it's flashy kicks that evvvverybody says, "that wouldn't work on the street!"  Well, duh!  This is OUR sport.  Even though you wouldn't throw a kamikaze jump spinning hook and land on your shoulder on the street, Tae Kwon Do athletes have a super-human-like understanding of distance.  They know where they need to be to make their opponent miss by mere fractions of an inch and the timing it takes to land the knock out blow at the perfect moment. 

While TKD athletes train to spar with a lot of kicks, they also do scenarios where their attacker is grabbing or punching.  This way, they can defend themselves on the street too.  Also, students at ATA Elkton cross train in other martial arts.  Many times, our classes involve kickboxing, boxing, and Muay Thai kickboxing drills to enhance our skills.  We also train in wrestling and brazilian ju jitsu, too!  This makes us more rounded martial artists and will help us defend ourselves better "on the street."

Aside from all that, check this video out below.  This is the super exciting-to-watch action that is TKD Sparring!  Clips taken from big events all around the world, on thing is similar in every segment - the loser BITES THE MAT!! ENJOY!!

BAD FOOD!

I haven't trained on anything new in a while and have been sticking to my own training regimen.  It consists of coming up with exercises that work together really well when combined to create a circuit.  Then I test it on ATA fit class (You're welcome!).  But aside from the working out and training, I always try to find new things to eat that are healthy and make the right choice when it comes to meals.  I came across this article in Men's Health about the Worst Foods in America.  The Worst part about the Worst Foods in America?  Oh, they taste so good!  The Best thing?  This report gives you healthy alternatives... stay away from the Mac & Cheese!!  Check it out here:  CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE!

"8 Lessons All Dads Should Teach"

I was reading an old issue of Men's Health when I came across this article.  I really enjoyed it because it gave me some inspiration and ways to improve some of my teaching habits!  Here is a quick version of each lesson:

1.  Words are Valuable:  Father's have a greater impact on their children's language development by age 3 than mothers do.  Provide a creative, dramatic play-by-play of the activities you're engaged in and your surroundings.  Use big words, even if they're unfamiliar to your kid.  Children learn a lot by context.
2.  Tantrums earn you nothing:  When your kid starts shouting, be calm and attentive.  Don't ignore your child's tantrum.  This signals that you will not be rattled and the child won't win - ever.  It may not work for the first tantrum, but it's magic by the fifth!
3.  Competition leads to confidence:  Children as young as 4 start to compete with their parents - sprinting to the car, wrestling on the sofa, stuff like that.  Let them win a lot, then slowly ramp it up so they have to work harder for their victories.    They'll start to walk more confidently and be less of a mark for bullies
4.  Quitting is hard:  "Oh you want to quit baseball?  Sure, but you have to tell your teammates AND your coach."  Show kids the pain of quitting and they won't make those kinds of decisions lightly.  If your kid says a school project is too hard and that he wants to give up, that's OK but you have to tell your teacher that you're quitting and that you'll take whatever grade is appropriate!"
5.  Other people's feelings matter:  It's easier to connect with others if you understand their perspective, so nurture that instinct in your child.  Start with the child's own feelings.  Say, "man it must be hard being 8 years old.  What's the hardest part?"  Then mention people your kid knows who are having a hard time - say, a friend whose dad lost his job.  Ask what he thinks it's like for that friend.  They won't always have an answer but they're thinking about it!
6.  Fights can be resolved:  Unless one kid is dangling the other out the window, don't say a word.  As soon as you become involved they no longer care about a solution.  They'll only try drafting you to their side.  If they pester you, say your solution will be bad for both of them.  They'll learn that pleading is fruitless.  More important, they'll learn quickly to compromise.
7.  Independence is earned:  When your kids ask to stay later at a friend's house, as what time would work for them.  Then ask why.  If you don't hear a good answer, it's okay to say no.  If you do, try it.  When parents give children freedom and responsibility, studies show, the children develop stronger morals more quickly.
8.  Success requires focus:  Maybe you don't wish for a prodigy, but our competitive society suggests otherwise.  That's why many kids have trouble focusing.  Make sure your kids know your expectations and celebrate improvement first.  Explain the value of slow mastery.  Whether your kids love Tom Brady or Beyonce, let them know that these people succeeded because they mastered one skill.  Learn to go through one door and many others will open for you;  try to go through five doors at once ad you'll go nowhere."

-All of this was taken from the October 2009 issue of Men's Health magazine and it's a combined effort of the authors and the following contributors:  The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Hal Edward Runkel, Justin Richardson, M.D., Anthony Wold, Ph.D., Janet Edgette, Psy.d., and C. Andrew Ramsey, M.D.  Josh Hayhurst, Elkton Karate, inc., and ATA Martial Arts did not write any of the "8 Lessons All Dads Should Teach" article.

Important Snow Driving Tips (you might not know)

Last year was ridiculous with all the snow and ATA was closed for like two weeks!  I think we've gotten tougher since 2010 and with that, I want to give out Mr. Hayhurst's 10 safe driving tips for the winter/ snow storms!!  Read through to the bottom.  Many people have been telling their kids, friends, and loved ones these things for years, but at least now you have the 'why' to back up each statement!

1.  Make sure your car is full of windshield wiper fluid!  The salt on the roads mixed with melted snow make your windshield look dirty and you end up using a ton of it!  Especially if your car has headlight sprayers!
2.  Warm up your car first! This helps melt off some of the ice stuck on your windshield wipers and other easily-damaged car parts.  It can help you clean your car off faster.  Put on the back window defroster, front window defroster, and seat warmers if you have 'em
3.  Get an ice scraper with a brush!  Brush off those big hunks of snow because when you drive, it's dangerous for other vehicles when it falls off
4.  When you brake, do it in a straight line!  If you brake and turn at the same time, race car drivers called PLOWING.  That means your tires are turned and you are still going in a straight line.  This is also caused my turning at too sharp of an angle when going to fast
5.  Take extra room for braking!  It's a mystery what's under each patch of snow so just in case, brake smooth and lightly and allow extra time to get to that stop light or turn.  Don't worry about that crazy guy honking at you from behind in the big 4x4!
6.  Use the gas pedal instead of the brake!  If you feel like you're plowing, sliding, or slipping, let go of the gas pedal to slow down a little instead of hitting the brake pedal.  The friction of snow will slow you down a lot when driving and sometimes it's enough to stop you.  Hitting the brake too hard will cause you to slide.
7.  Allow plenty of extra time to get to where you need to go! Duh!!  But the point is, other people go SOOO SLOWWW and you should be more careful anyway.
8.  Keep your cell phone in your pocket, tight!  If you end up sliding off the road, your phone won't get lost under the seat, etc.  Hopefully, it never comes to this but at least you won't be texting while driving!
9.  Keep your front window defroster on!  This keeps ice from forming on your wipers, which will make it impossible to see!  If you put the air on your face because you're cold, it will make your windshield colder and cause it to freeze.  If you're still cold with it on, turn the temperature up a little.
10.  Have somewhere to go!  If you don't have somewhere to go, then don't drive.  Make sure even if you're snowed in for a week, you should still get a good workout in.  If it's safe to drive, get to the gym or ATA Elkton.  If it's not safe to drive, go to Warriorxfit.com and do the workout of the day.  Working out helps cure cabin fever and it's much easier than trying to beat me in Call of Duty: Black Ops (you have no chance)
BONUS:  Don't bring your car into the karate school's parking lot to do donuts please - I will beat you up!  :)

Videos, Videos, Videos

Over the past 2 months I've been working on a ton of videos to go with all the curriculum that we have updated at ATA Elkton.  It's a lot of work to do but once it's done all the instructors and students will be able to use the videos as a training tool to become the highest levels of martial arts athletes.

Jahng Bong Videos -
     I'm working on these videos for all the students that want to sharpen up their Bo Staff form.  I found that 3rd Degrees get the least attention in 2nd and 3rd Degree class so they need a way to practice at home and drills for class.

Combat Wrestling Videos -
    The Ground Fighting and MMA class has been evolved to start training in Combat Wrestling.  Combat Wrestling stresses the use of Greco Roman Wrestling for close quarter combat. We have also utilized all aspects of sport wrestling’s ground control positions for ground and pound and scramble ability.  We've enhanced our self-defense in TaeKwonDo classes with Combat Wrestling skills and updated our MMA system this way too!

I hope everyone really works hard in class over the next 12 months and enjoys the changes we've made to our programs!