Upcoming news & events

Belt Promotions is this week!  Join us on Wednesday (All Adults) for a special workout focusing on our unique fitness challenge and performing all the curriculum we've been working on over the past two months.  That Adult Belt Promotions is going to be at 7:15pm.  Make sure you've registered for Belt Promotions before then.

On Saturday, all of the kids and the rest of the Adult Black Belts will perform at Belt Promotions.  As with the Adult Promotions, make sure you register ahead of time with Ms. Ellishia or an instructor before Saturday.

With Belt promotions, many students will be moving to a new class (Yellow Belts going to Camo Belt, Red/Black Belts going to 1st Degree) so make sure you know the new schedule.  There is usually new equipment needed to keep up with the more advanced training.

On September 4th, we are going to be learning special knife attack defenses.  Learn more about the seminar on our Facebook Event Page for that event.  That highlighted part right over there is the link, click on it.  YOU DON"T NEED TO HAVE A FACEBOOK PROFILE TO SEE IT!!!

September 14th: The Parent's Night Out event themed for the Lego Product "Legends of Chima."  Lots of kids are already registered and they are really excited to bring their favorite TV show, video game, and legos to life!  Register at our school next time you're in.  Here's the link for it:  Legends of Chima Event Page

September 21st: A few months ago, I went to the Chamber of Commerce for Main Street in Elkton asking to do an event with them.  A few years ago, there was a special Firefighter Combat Challenge and they stopped hosting it starting last year.  I wanted to focus on inspiring families to eat more nutritious meals, get active, and inspire kids to try their best in school (Mental Self-Defense).  I need a big team of volunteers for the event, especially for one special part of it.  At 3:30pm, we are going to have a mock grilling competition.  It will be perceived as a competition but our aim is to show people how easy it is to create good meals at home on the grill AND get the whole family involved.  Many moms and dads love to grill and if you have a way to get your grill onto main street in Elkton, I NEED YOU!! We can't do it without our best families from ATA martial Arts.  If you can be there, please let me know because it's really important to me that this whole day goes off without a hitch!  Just email, reply or give us a call to get it started!

Upcoming News

Hey members! I'm on vacation in Ocean City, MD and wanted to send a quick email for news & updates!  For anything you have to register for, please use this website and choose "online store."

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/adm/home.asp?studioid=27262

This week is a great week to test for those stripes that are missing so let Ms. Leach know that you're ready!  For kids, charge them up and send them asking Ms. Leach to catch up with any stripes that they were missing and have been working on!  There's still 2 weeks left until belt promotions and it's not too late to grab a few extra private lessons or really focus on memorizing the forms and mastering the physical skills!

This weekend (August 24): NO MOBILE DOJO: visit Ms. Holubyckyj at our school to catch up on all stripes and get some tips on how to make your forms stronger this weekend!

August 28th: Adult Belt Promotions (All Adults welcome for testing & midterms).  7:15pm til about 8:00pm, See the event on Facebook

August 31st: Whole School Belt Promotions: 10am Tiny Tigers, 12pm Juniors, 2:30pm Red/Black and Black Belts, See the event on Facebook

September 2nd: ATA closed for Administrative purposes!

September 4th: Basic Knife Threat seminar (Adults only).  RSVP to attend, The first 15 students to register will receive a free training knife for use at the seminar and afterwards.  See the event on Facebook to know how to register for this one!

September 14th: Parents Night Out, Themed for Legends of Chima!  All the kids were going crazy over this class because it's going to be unique and very exciting!  Kids take on the role of being different characters from the show and acting them out with martial arts combos!  Join this event for only $10 and drop your children off for a 4 hour class!  See the event on Facebook.

Always ask your instructor for more information and feel free to reply to the email you received this link from with any questions!  See you on Monday!

Events coming up in the next few weeks

No video update today - instead, I made a quick list of things to look out for.  Here it is:

August 10th - Mobile Dojo at the Park!

August 12-16 - Hyper Kicks & Flips Camp! You can still register for this camp - there are only 5 spots left!  This camp is going to be the most fun because we are learning about Being Awesome.  That means believing in yourself and always trying your best.  We're going to be having fast-paced and action packed classes that keep kids focused even when they are tired!  It's all about cool kicks, combos, and a special Hyper Pro Training form.  All the students get the brand new and unique light blue "Be Awesome" Hyper Tshirt!  Register with us as soon as possible - It's the last camp of the year!

August 17th - Mobile Dojo at the Park! AND the last day to register for Belt Promotions before you get into the RED ZONE!!  Register right away!

August 31st - Belt Promotions!  Here are the times for the one-day event: Tiny Tigers from 10am - 11am, Juniors 12:00pm - 1:30pm, Black Belts 2:30pm - 4:00pm

September 14th - Legends of Chima This "Parent's Night Out" style event is a bracket tournament to see which tribe will control the Sacred Pool of Chi!! Based on the popular children's show on Cartoon Network, kids will be divided into teams that represent one of the 8 most popular tribes in the show: Gorillas, Crocodiles, Wolves, Rhino, Bears, Wolves, Eagles, and Lions. Each "tribe" will have a special team name and learn a unique martial arts form/ combo based on the animal! Whichever team wins the team competition will help their favorite tribe move on to the championship round to see who will win control of the Sacred Pool of Chi! Note, this event is one of three. The first event is 4 challenges, the next is 3 challenges, and the last is the Semi-Finals and Finals!  All winners in the final competition will win special Chima prizes and everyone that attends will receive a chance to win an official Lego Playset! $10 per child, includes an ATA kid and a non-ATA kid.  This is an event to help keep our students excited about coming to our school and to get new members involved.

September 21st - Elkton Fall Fest.  We are hosting a Be a Healthy kids event at the Fall Fest where we are going to be inspiring kids to do their best in school with our "Success Course for Keeping A+ Grades" class!  Register via Facebook or at our front counter!

October 5th - The event we did on the 14th, we're going to do it again on 10/5 but it's going to the Semi-Finals in our cool competition!  Don't miss it!

First Mobile Dojo Class scheduled!

Our first Mobile Dojo Class will be held across the street from Meadow Park in Elkton, Maryland.  Classes include: Adults, young kids, and older kids.  To attend, come with a friend that is a member of ATA Elkton or just show up and look for the big red table to sign up!

If you call us first, you can take care of all the prep-work ahead of time! (410) 398-8624!

What is Mobile Dojo?

Mobile Dojo is a cool way to experience martial arts classes all over the place!  In your community, martial arts instructors are planning special field days where their students and their friends get to have fun martial arts classes at the park!

There's nothing like training under the sun, a bright blue sky, and on the grass!  It's how the ancient martial artists like it!

To be a part of Mobile Dojo in the Elkton, MD area, contact Josh Hayhurst or his staff at mrhayhurst@gmail.com or calling (410) 398-8624

This is something for the whole family so get out and train hard!

ATA Martial Arts presents Mobile Dojo

This summer, students from ATA Martial arts in Elkton, MD are going to be taking over the parks!  We are going to be hosting our fun classes at the park with Mobile Dojo!  Since our goal is to be the best martial arts athlete that we can be, we'll have fun drills, games, and outside exercises that will take our training over the top!

You can learn Karate, Taekwondo, and many unique styles of self-defense!

Our first event is going to be at the park across the street from Meadow Park in Elkton, Maryland. There's no official address but it's on Delaware Avenue (route 7) in between main street and whitehall road. Be sure to get there plenty early so you can find us! This is June 8th!  Here are the times:

+10am - 11am: Adult Martial Arts 14yr & Up
+11:15am - 12pm: Tiny Tigers 3-1/2 to 6yr
+12:15pm - 1:15pm Juniors 7yr - 13yr

We want these classes to be fun and full - if you are an ATA Elkton member, these are included in your membership. We want you to bring friends. Anyone that comes to mobile dojo that isn't an ATA Elkton member can participate in 4 weeks of Mobile Dojo Classes for just $10 

If you are someone just passing by and seeing our banner and you'd like to join mobile dojo, contact us via email MrHayhurst@gmail.com or by calling (410) 398-8624

This event is open to all ages and experience levels - beginners are the best!

Family Life Skill: Kids and Money

Parents teach their children to make bad financial decisions subconsciously.  I have seen it so many times in the past.  No, I didn't read this in a book or ask someone who is "certified" in this field.  Let me tell you a story about a kid named Justin.

Justin was one of my best students and he was always a pleasure to have in class.  He was a cool kid that rocked ATA gear to school and always motivated the kids in his ATA class.  Then, Dad lost his job (but mom didn't) and it hit the family pretty hard.  After about 3 months, Dad got another job but wasn't making enough money.  Mom and Dad were supportive parents and didn't let Justin stop doing karate while they were stressing about money.  But with that, imagine all the worrying that the children heard the parents doing and all the anxiety that Mom and Dad had about paying the bills.

A month after Dad got his job back and Mom and Dad started getting their bills back in shape, Justin starting telling his Mom and Dad that he didn't want to do summer camps, wasn't ready for Belt Promotions, and didn't like to compete in tournaments any more (even though he was a 3x State Champion).

Mom said, "I don't care if you continue with martial arts but you're not going to do it half-assed.  If you do it, you need to do it 100% if I'm going to be paying all this money."  Justin decided a few weeks later that he was going to quit karate.

What changed in the four months that Dad didn't have a job and the parents were in a temporary financial challenge? The anxiety and stress that the parents were feeling trickled down to Justin.  I know, after speaking with Justin years later, that he was worried that karate was making his parents not pay the bills.  He didn't want to be the reason that they couldn't go out to eat or his Dad to stop bowling every weekend.

People make decisions subconsciously because of events in their life.  You can call these things Superstitions.  These superstitions are similar to the old "don't walk under a ladder" or "see a penny, pick it up, all day long, you'll have good luck," only they make more sense.  To the outside world, the person looks just as crazy.  Justin made up a superstition called, "If I keep doing karate, my family will be poor and my dad won't be able to bowl anymore."  In his later life, he will make decisions to quit things instead of trying to "make it work" or to push on through challenges.

Now there is always a time when you should quit, but Justin LIED to his parents because he thought it was THE RIGHT THING TO DO.  He said he didn't want to do Camps or Belt Promotions and his Mom got angry because she didn't realize the real reason he was saying these things.

In the future, when finances get tight, keep it between you and your spouse.  Have a logical conversation about it with your children instead of adding anxiety and stress into their life.  If it's a decision to quit something because you can't pay for it anymore, have a good conversation about it and make sure the reasons are clear.

My passion for the character development in children inspires me to give you this call to action:  Take a stand for the important people in your life that train in martial arts - get them to commit to competing in a tournament to make them better martial artists and stronger people.

Our goals this cycle May and June 2013:

Main Goals and Dates:
May 8-11 - Stripe #1
May 22-25 - Stripe #2
June 5-8 - Stripe #3
June 8 - First Mobile Dojo Class
June 29 - Belt Promotions

White through Yellow Belt Tiny Tigers
We are focusing on Self-Defense techniques and Taekwondo Basics
Stripe 1: Parent Nomination - How has your child shown DEDICATION in their life?
Stripe 2: Parent Nomination - How has your child shown INTEGRITY in their life?
Stripe 3: Show Self-Defense Moves - Bear Hug from the back and Wrist Grab (Either one)

Camo through Red Belt Tiny Tigers
We are focusing on Self-Defense techniques and Taekwondo Basics
Stripe 1: Parent Nomination - How has your child shown DEDICATION in their life?
Stripe 2: Parent Nomination - How has your child shown INTEGRITY in their life?
Stripe 3: Show Self-Defense Moves - Bear Hug from the back and Wrist Grab (Either one)

White through Yellow Belt Juniors
We are learning the One-Steps for the Songahm 2 curriculum (Orange Belt DVD).
Stripe 1: Perform One-Step #1
Stripe 2: Perform One-Step #2
Stripe 3: Perform One-Step #3

Camo through Red Belt Juniors
We are working to become better at Free Sparring with Mr. Hayhurst's "Drill Set #1"
Stripe 1: Freesparring Challenge 1A - STOP your opponent with a Front Kick during Challenge Time
Stripe 2: Freesparring Challenge 2A - Evade a Head Kick without Hard Blocking it during a challenge
Stripe 3: Freesparring Challenge 3A - Set up your scoring technique by "Setting it up" first

Red/Black Belt Juniors
We are introducing Combat Weapons Sparring with Mr. Hayhursts's "Drill Set #1"
Stripe 1: Combat Weapons Sparring Challenge 1 - Score a point by hitting your opponent while they are trying to hit you
Stripe 2: CWS Challenge 2 - Move the entire time the match is going without locking your stance once (30 second match)
Stripe 3: CWS Challenge 3 - Bluff and Blitz your opponent and score the point

First, Second, and Third Degree Black Belts
We are working to become better at Free Sparring and Combat Weapons Sparring with Mr. Hayhurst's "Master Sets."
Checkpoint 1: Score over 300 points in the ATAfit challenge with the sum of Push-ups, Sit-ups, Kicks, Kick/Punch combos, and Punches
Checkpoint 2: Score more than 12 points in a 2 minute FREESPARRING match
Checkpoint 3: Score more than 12 points in a 2 minute COMBAT WEAPONS SPARRING match

Adult Martial Arts program students:
We are working to enhance our self-defense skills by learning Combat Wrestling. Every class will focus on those skills, blended with Forms and Fitness
Stripe 1: Catch your opponent's kick and take them down + Disengage
Stripe 2: Defend from your opponent "shooting" and prevent Single Leg Takedowns
Stripe 3: Control opponent by "clinching" and get "double underhooks" 3 times

How to motivate your child

"I want. I choose. I commit." -Randy Holeman

After competing in my first tournament I was inspired to take it to the next level. Many competitors who are students say they WANT TO BECOME A WORLD CHAMPION and then become uninspired by a loss or how much money it costs to fly all over the country. The business of motivating children and motivating people can be a challenging one.

When setting a goal like becoming a State, District, or World Champion, athletes must commit to it. This can give you the "emotional juice" to really achieve a goal that many people never get close to. What a great way to improve student motivation! I believe with the correct coaching, motivation, and inspiration, any able-bodied person can become a world champion!

When it comes to coaching, you CHOOSE YOUR COACH. When it comes to the motivation, you choose that too! I know people who have motivated their kids by saying, "If you get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd at Worlds, I'll buy you the Lego Death Star set!" While some people think that's just a bribe, I think that to get a child excited about training and winning, that might appeal to their personal interest better than red letters and a new uniform. To help children succeed, sometimes you need a little more than words of encouragement. Once the child FEELS the positive benefits of training and winning, the motivation for those students will move away from $300 Lego Sets into accomplishing a worthy goal.

When it comes to Information, we are 2 weeks away from unveiling the first Future World Champion product. It is called "How to create a world champion form in 12 weeks." This is created for Coaches, athletes, and instructors that want the end result to be WINS! It lays out elements of forms that are most important, what judges are looking for, and how to develop those elements into skills.

I've trained myself and others to win at local tournaments and world events using these steps. If you would like to get on the list for this special book, click on this link right here. As soon as it is released, we'll let you in on the ground floor!

Click here for the new product link

Future World Champ will change our teaching style and create world champions!

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with what's under one's feet." -Lao Tsu (Ancient Chinese Philosopher)
Lots of adults say they wish they started martial arts when they were younger and they're too old or out of shape to start now. In my opinion, people are consumed with the perfect situation to begin setting goals. Many people regret not taking action in the past. Lao Tsu's concept in the quote above rings true - everyone can start working on their goals using the skills that they have. That's why I wrote my book "Become a Forms Master."

I like to use the following quote, it's more modern and uses language that we and kids understand:

"Sucking at something is the first step to being kinda good at something." Jake from "Adventure Time"

Dividing your form into only Eight Segments and focusing on the four different "elements" that will create a show stopping form is exactly what I lay out in the Become a Forms Master book! The first product by Future World Champ.

Our goal is:

• To give instructors resources to create world champion forms athletes
• To give parents the tools to help their children become world champion forms athletes by training at home
• To give goal-oriented students tools to improve their forms on their own
• To help improve the parent-to-student and instructor-to-student relationship while training on their own

Click on the link HERE to get a sample of the new product. If you think it's a good idea for your friends and training partners, share it with them!

How to train your child at home

As instructors, we set goals for our students.  At ATA Elkton, there is a goal every two weeks.  Some students take longer to achieve them but most students stay right on track.  Depending on your rank, the requirements for stripes may change!  Ask your instructor if your not sure but one thing remains - you must practice at home to get it!

In between days that you have class, schedule a few training days.  The workouts don't have to be crazy, the best training I've ever had have been low-key and for between 15-45 minutes.  I just review all my material and practice doing it perfect or practice performing with speed and power!  

You can do the same thing!  And the best part- you don't even have to know how to do it perfect.  Practice whatever you know, however you know it.  When you come to class next time, you'll be able to polish it up and improve.

"But he won't practice at home with me!"  You have to make it their IDEA to practice!  Don't try and force it.  Kids know better than adults - no one can force you to do anything - NOTHING.  But if you make it their idea, they will be more likely to stick with it.  

Here's how the conversation can go:

"Mr. Hayhurst really wants you to practice at home by just doing your forms a few times.  How long do you think he wants you to practice at home"

Kid says, "I don't know, like 6 hours?" (Most kids don't get the concept of time)

Mom says, "Haha, I don't think that long.  Maybe like 5 minutes." (Understate because it's coming from Mr. Hayhurst, the kid will think it's a lot longer)

Kid says, "Yeah, probably like 20 minutes."

Mom says, "I bet you can practice for 20 minutes and not stop the whole time, you're pretty tough compared to some of the other kids." (Kids will always compare themselves, and it's OK.  Competition is GOOD!)

Kids says, "Yeah I could probably do 100 minutes!"

Mom says, "Well, what, like 2 days per week and then go to class 2 days per week?  Do you think that would be good enough for Mr. Hayhurst?"

Kid says, "That is probably good."

Mom says, "Well you have class on Mondays and Wednesdays, which days should you practice at home?"

Kid says, "Sunday and Thursday!"  (Probably just random days)

Mom says, "That sounds good, then let's try that, do you think Mr. Hayhurst would be proud that you practiced at home?  Let's tell him!"

Kid says, "Yeah!!"

There, you came up with a plan.  Now, write it down on 3 sheets of paper, really big like a sign.  Post one on the fridge, one on the child's bedroom door, and one on your bedroom door.  That way it's always all over the house and the kid knows what to expect.  Kids are creatures of habits whether they want you to believe that they are or not!  Post the exact time 6:15pm - 6:35pm on Sundays and Thursdays.  In addition, post the days that classes are too so if the child is busy with Nintendo DS or XBOX, they know class is soon and they have to save their games soon!  Then don't miss one workout.  Any kid can become a champion - ones without discipline, focus, or skill.  A lazy parent makes a lazy kid.  And lazy kids don't become champions!

Stick to it and stay strong!

More workouts = Less Effort

What!?  When we're talking about Martial Arts forms, sparring, weapons forms, and combat sparring, it's totally true.  Based on research I've done over the past two years, I've come up with a startling discovery!  Now, I'm probably not the first one to discover it, but I use it in my advanced classes.

Here's the science:  When your muscles become stronger, they require less oxygen (aka Fuel) to get the same amount of work done.  For example:  Let's say I'm working out with a much stronger partner and we're working on squats.  The bar is loaded up with 200 lbs and I'm up to do my set.  My goal is 10 reps and I pick the bar up on the front of my shoulders, squat down and struggle to come up.  Burning out 10 reps seemed almost impossible but I was finished, strained, and out of breath.  My bigger and stronger partner comes up to do some squats and he does it without taking a break and not breaking a sweat.  He's also not breathing any harder than he did when he was watching me!   This is because he got the same job done as me but with less effort.  He is more efficient

What that also means, is his capacity for weight is much higher than mine - he should probably do the same reps with more weight, right?  Then he would be struggling as much as me and breathing just as hard.  Let's take that same stronger guy and he's doing forms.  We are competing against each other and we both throw a strong front kick.  The science is the same - he just effortlessly throws out that kick and it looks awesome.  For me to have the same amount of power on that kick, I'd have to use every ounce of effort possible!  You don't want to make it looks like you are really trying hard, you just want that attitude in your facial expression (the Mean Karate Face!).

So, what the heck am I talking about!?

It's like this - use power lifting and other weight lifting programs in order to strengthen your muscles and balance your body in order to make your competition performances better.  Once you become stronger, you will need to relax your muscles and just whip the techniques out instead of pushing hard on every technique.  Sometimes, you'll feel weird about some techniques in forms and weapons forms.  The moves don't FEEL cool but they sure do LOOK cool!  So try recording yourself when throwing techniques.

Here's the moral to the story - the STRONGER you get, the less EFFORT you have to put forth.  In the video, I used Knifehand strike, it looks like I can control my power pretty well with those, but watch as I try to use all my strength on the front kicks, how sloppy they get!  Watch the video right after this sentence for a visual description!

To take a stand (this is impossibly important to me)

I was taught the meaning of "taking a stand" last summer during a leadership seminar in Philadelphia.  The class was a very intense 3-day weekend where I learned a lot about myself, other people, and how we interact with each other.  One of the many affirmations that I got from the seminar was "Big people take a stand for each other."

Over the past few months, I've been talking to parents about taking a stand for their children.  My call to action has been:

"My passion for the character development in children inspires me to give you this call to action:  Take a stand for the important people in your life that train in martial arts - get them to commit to competing in a tournament to make them better martial artists and stronger people."

Sometimes, you really have to "force" a kid to do something they won't like so that they can become better people or better at what they do.  This could be a Lacrosse Camp that they don't want to go to, a tutoring school that's extracurricular, or a martial arts tournament.  No one can "force" anyone to do anything.  A parent can take things away from a child and ground them or whatever they want but when it comes down to it, a child will make the decision whether to do something or not.  Parents give motivation or inspiration for a child to do something, that is what we mean by "force."  For example:  A parent can motivate a child by saying "If you get 1st place at world championships, I'll buy you the Star Wars Death Star Lego Set!!"  Or, the parent can inspire the child by saying, "Can you imagine what it will feel like wearing your Black Belt??  That will be the coolest thing in the world!!"  But picking a child up and bringing them to karate class will not make them into black belts, the parents must inspire or motivate them to do it. 

Here's a quote that I truly believe in.

Re-reading the last paragraph makes me think about two kinds of kids and parents.  Parents who have self-motivated kids who try their best always and parents that have to constantly motivate their children with negative or positive reinforcement to get them to do their best.  There is always a teeter-totter of emotion about staying on track for their goals and keeping a high level of discipline.  But what about those parents that don't take a stand? 

Parents who don't take a stand for their child and let them make their own decision.  A parent that allows their children to skate through a program, not helping to keep them engaged because of their own personal interests.  I feel bad for the children whose parents let them quit.  The children in a seemingly happy household whose mother and father will not take a stand for something that a child has, at one point, set forth with intensity to achieve something that only a few can.  And at the first sign of failure or loss-of-interest, the parent lets the child decide what's best for them. 

Think about the 8 or 9 year old kid who looks at her mother and says, "I don't want to go today."  Mom says, "Oh you're going, don't even try it."  The child attends their class at their martial arts school or dance school and enjoys herself, as usual.  It really hurts me to think about that same girl who looks at her mom and she says, "OK, don't do it then."  Mother doesn't care whether the girl does it or not.  Mother doesn't care. 

Something about Respect

Recently, I visited a gym that had a very unique policy.  As we walked by the over 50 pieces of cardio equipment, the sales person said that this is a judgement free zone - "members can relax, get in shape, and have fun without being subjected to the hard-core, look-at-me attitude that exists in too many gyms."  After that, we got a tour of the strength training equipment in the back.  There were machines that you push, pull, sit on and kick your legs up and back, and a bunch of other things.  There were free weights and something called a Smith Machine (it's like a barbell machine that actually guides your movement instead of being free).  On the wall was a big alarm that said it will go off - light up and make a loud sound - if someone acts a certain way.  Specifically, if a person grunts, drops weights, or judges other people

After studying fitness and training in strength, cardio, and martial arts over the past 10 years, I've created a plan-of-action for myself that I share with everyone that trains with me. 

My philosophy on training: 

• When it comes to training in a gym, there is no "relax."  You should go in, get busy, then leave.
• There is nowhere in the entire universe that is "judgement free."  You will be judged your whole life on everything you do.  You may not hear what other people are saying about you, but trust that your every action will be judged.  The way you handle criticism and compliments is a true test of your character. So what would you rather be judged on - not trying hard or watching others work out or being the hardest working one in the gym?
• As far as the person that grunts, drops weights, or judges other people in a way that others are embarrassed or creeped out, that stems from the other person's insecurities.  When someone grunts loud on every exercise, they are usually looking for attention.  When you judge and criticize other people, it is usually because you're insecure about yourself.  You will notice people that are nice, outgoing, and friendly, usually are secure about the way they look and feel good about themselves.  So the grunter, weight dropping, judger is just a person that shows a lot of disrespect for the people near him/ her.
• To really become the strongest version of yourself, you have to come out of your comfort zone.  Train with people that are better than you and develop a vision of how you want to look and feel a year from now.  Let others set the example for you until you reach your goal fitness level!

To finish this, I feel like having an alarm for a "lunk" is a passive-aggressive way to solve a problem that is caused by a tiny minority of people showing disrespect in a gym.  Let's show more respect to each other like this:

• Be aware of others' personal space 
• Don't stare at someone unless you are going to say, "Hi!"
• If you feel someone disrespects you, speak your mind in a respectful way to tell them how you feel and a solution to the problem - if that offends them, then welcome them to the club!

Instead of joining a "beginner's gym" or a gym that brags that you will get results there, just come and take ATAfit.  The class is to-the-point, we have fun while we're training, you get to punch and kick bags, and if you try your hardest, you'll improve your fitness level. 
CLICK HERE to sign up for a free class

Special Training for color belts

Check out these videos designed for our school. Do 30 seconds of each warm up drill, every basic technique ten times on each side (with 100% power), and the segment in the video 10 times.

For beginners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2jL9KmpkWc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

For intermediate levels:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VbuHXTzMmQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If you are red black belts or higher, choose which video to practice as a quick martial arts workout. Perform this stuff at 100% and it will be a great warm up to a perfect work out!

Upcoming events this summer

June 16th:
Father's day classes!!
9:30am - 10am Tiny Tigers and their Dads, Dudes, and Daughters!
10am - 10:30am Juniors and their Dads, Dudes, and Daughters!
After that, Hyper Pro Training and Leadership Action Classes as normal.  This is also the last day to register for promotions before the "red zone."

June 23rd:
NO EVENTS - Regular Classes

June 30th:
Belt Promotions!
10am - White through Yellow Belts
11:30am - Camo through Red Belts
3:30 - 5:30pm Black Belts

July 4th:
Abridged schedule: 
We'll be closed at night but have 2 classes in the morning:
9:30am - 10am - All Tiny Tigers
10:15am - 11:00am - All Juniors
After that, go hang out with your family!

July 7th - 13th:
ATA Elkton will be closed for mandatory decompression, sorry :(

July 14th:
NO EVENTS - Regular Classes (see new schedule)

July 16th-20th:
HYPER Summer Camp!!  Kicks, Tricks, and Flips!  9am - 3pm with after care til 5:30 if needed.  Still $199 to register and there are still some spots left.  Check out HYPER TV for more info!

July 21st:
Outdoor Training Event - Hyper Park Session - FOR EVERYONE!!

July 28th:
Regional Tournament in Lincroft, NJ
Mandatory for all SWAT and Instructors - you should totally go!!

July 30th - August 3rd:
RANK UP Camp!  Forms, Sparring, Self Defense!  Try your best and go to the next belt at the end!  9am - 3pm with after care til 5:30 if needed.  Still $199 to register and there are still some spots left.

August 4th:
ATA Summer Picnic!! More details to come!!

August 11th:
NO EVENTS - Regular Classes

August 18th:
HYPER Olympics and ATA Inner School Tournament
All Morning/ Afternoon.  Register at the front desk to compete and see who wins the point contest!

August 25th:
Belt Promotions (same times as the June 30th one)

This just in:

September 15th:
Kid Power Child Safety Course:
Stranger Danger, Bully defense, and focusing on how to have a successful school year. Most importantly, dealing with one of the five dangers facing our kids today: Lack of Motivation! Times will be posted soon!

Class Planners and how to be a black belt

We've organized every single class from the time a student begins until the time that they earn their 4th degree black belt.  This includes Tiny Tiger students, ATAfit students, and Leadership Classes.  I feel that with this structure, the parents will be more involved in practicing with the kids and will even join the class themselves. 

In addition to that, I've asked a few parents what would help them practice at home better.  Most said, "If you come home with me and work out with my son."  Well, I'm not going to do that with everyone but what I'll start to do is creating a 1 or 2 minute training video on "what to practice tonight."  This will create a plan so that you can practice for 20-30 minutes, know the actual techniques to practice, and have a world champion plan.

The disconnect here is that many parents don't check their emails - those parents aren't even reading this.  Some have facebook and haven't "liked" ATA Elkton.  Some just don't pay attention.  To keep your child involved long-term, train with them!  Stay tuned to get all the training for next cycle!

Here are some of our Overviews and How each student can get their stripes next cycle:
Here's what the color belts are DOING
Here's how you can earn your STRIPES - remember stripe 1 is week 2, stripe 2 is week 4, strike 3 is week 6.  Share that goal with your son or daughter!
Here's what the First Degrees are DOING - We're starting from cycle 1
Here are some CHECKPOINTS, use these just like the color belt stripes(for 1st Degrees)
Here's what the Second Degrees are DOING - we're starting from cycle 4
Here are some CHECKPOINTS, use these just like the color belt stripes (for 2nd Degrees)
For third degrees, there will be a check points sheet and a list of midterms coming soon, for now, use the 2nd degree one but switch out 2nd degree form with 3rd degree form since the requirements will be the same, only at a higher skill level.

Upcoming Schedule Evolution!

After the next belt promotion cycle, our schedule is going to adjust a little.  There is good reason for it and I'm really excited to share it!  Here's a list of classes:

• White-Yellow Belt Tigers - there are 4 classes to choose from so you can train on the weekends or during the week!  Choose 2 to get the best out of your training and Stick to it!
• White-Yellow Belt Juniors - there are 4 classes to choose from so you can train on the weekends or during the week!  Choose 2 to get the best out of your training and Stick to it!
• 1st Degree Black Belts - you've made it!  You're the top of the color belts.  Focus your goals on competition to unleash your winning potential!  Train on the two weekday classes and weekend class
• 2nd and 3rd Degrees - you all train together because you are awesome at motivating each other!  Focus your goals on competition to unleash your winning potential!  Train on the two weekday classes and weekend class
• Adult TKD - you have two weekday classes and then come to ATAfit on Friday night or Fit Club on Saturday morning in Elkton to get a full experience of Forms, Fitness, and Self Defense!
• ATAfit - you barf you win, 'nuff said.
• Camo-Red Tigers - a constantly fluctuating class that has a focused plan to achieve black belt from an early age - 4 different opportunities to train, choose 2 to get the bet out of your training and Stick to it!
• Camo-Red Belts - 16 new yellow belts coming in and 5 Red Belts returning to class!  That's why we added an extra class on Saturdays!  If you come in and it's a packed house, try another day!  Choose 2 to get the bet out of your training and Stick to it!
• RFLX Tactial - training for real-life situations where going to the ground is not an option.  Multiple attacker scenarios and control drills designed for Law Enforcement, Security, and Military, but anyone 18+ can take it!  Add this class on for $15 a class or $49 a month.
• HYPER Pro Training - You've seen it on the TV in our pro shop and I've seen you watching with your jaw on the floor!  This stuff is sweeet and we have a structured plan to take a student from ZERO to HERO!!  Pro athlete mindset will get these students pumped and primed for their new favorite class!
• Leadership Action Class (LAC) - We train leaders at ATA Elkton and this is how we do it.  Never been to it before?  Call or ask and we'll schedule a "first class."

CLICK RIGHT HERE TO GET THE NEW SCHEDULE, EFFECTIVE 7/2/12

An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises!

"I wish I had someone that could give me a call to kick my butt into doing what I need to do!" Lack of motivation is one of the greatest dangers facing our kids these days. Is it more fun to play baseball or play baseball on Xbox 360? These days, it is important to be fit, confidence, and healthy. A man who lost his wife in the tragedy of 9-11 was interviewed and he was asked, "If this were to ever happen to again, what advice would you give America?"  His wife didn't make it to the bottom of the World Trade Center that she was working in because of her fitness level. The man said, "You have to be as fit as you possibly can." 

This summer is the test for parents in helping their children reach their goals.  Something called "Narrow Mind Focus" will affect 70%-80% of our students this summer.  N.M.F. goes like this:  A student is swimming in a pool on a warm summer day.  It's about 4pm and it's time to get ready for class, mom walks up to her son and says, "Tommy, it's time to get out of the pool and get ready for karate!"  Tommy says, "I don't think I like karate anymore, I want to quit."  Two weeks ago, Tommy told mom about how he wants to be a karate instructor when he grows up and he was so excited to earn his stripe and now he wants to quit?  No.  Tommy is testing mom and has Narrow Mind Focus!  All he is thinking about is swimming in the pool and doesn't want to get out so he says what he thinks mom will react to. 

The lack of motivation usually starts with mom letting Tommy quit karate.  Then while Tommy is "searching for something else to try," he starts playing video games and is locked in to something that isn't as beneficial as martial arts training.  It's important to remind Tommy about his goals and keep him committed to them!  When you first enrolled Tommy into a program, he didn't understand the power of commitment - but you did!  This is a commitment for Tommy to always try his best, the instructors to keep him excited IN class, and Mom and Dad to commit to bring him to class no matter what!  Don't you wish you had someone [like you] that would kick your butt every time you wanted to quit something that you started out strong with? (Working out, quitting smoking, eating better, etc)

This summer, ATA is going to be THE PLACE TO BE!  We are going to have an awesome ticket contest, referral contest, fun events, water gun and balloon battles, special competitions, and a bunch of other cool things, too!  Of course, some cool movies are coming out and we're going to be doing special themed classes and movie nights where kids can win a NERF Gatling gun!  They are going to love martial arts this summer, have a cool group of friends, and you will help to inspire them and teach them about the POWER of commitment! 

Read this and apply it to FORCING Tommy out of the pool:

"Commitment in the face of conflict produces character." -Unknown (but not me, until now!)

Why do kids bully? [Part 2]

Bullying will never stop!  As there has always been bigger people trying to control smaller people, there will always be a struggle for control!  Some experts agree that the cause of bullying is personal insecurities.  It may happen like this:  A Dad abuses his son and tells him he'll never amount to anything and he always messes up.  He tells his son all of the bad things he does and never gives him praise for the good things.  Feeling like a loser, the child goes into the world with a negative outlook on everyone.  His only example in life teaches him how to interact with others, mostly negative.  He inflicts his childhood negativity on other kids around him.  To himself he says, "These kids are my age and just like me, if I won't amount to anything then neither will they!"  So he torments smaller kids to take out the frustration given to him by his father!  When the child bully grows up and has a son of his own, the cycle starts again...

That isn't always true.  Many kids labeled as bullies say that picking on other people makes them feel good.  If that is one's source of pleasure, I would have to say that that is pretty sad.  Most people have "bullied" another person before and they might not have realized it!  Little things that people say or the way people say certain things can effect people tremendously.

Let's look at some of the questions I posed in the last article:  Why was the child bullied?  There could be many reasons why but do your best to take care of those issues.  Many things can breed bullying.

One that comes to mind is child obesity.  Because someone is overweight, they could be delivered an onslaught of negative comments all day long at school.  While many people say that they are "comfortable with their weight," that doesn't mean it's healthy.  Good eating habits and proper exercise can help create a better life for people of all ages.  Stronger bones, better mood, more energy, more powerful muscles, and less bullying could result in a change in body fat - for the healthier.

Other ways a child could be bullied is the way they look, how they dress, what type of things they like (like they play accordion instead of the guitar), or how they talk.  People shouldn't be bullied for what they believe in!  Before you let your child go out to school with those bright yellow pants and fake nerd glasses, you have to ask, "Does your child have a confidence level to be able to stand up for what they think is right?"  How someone looks or the clothes they wear should be an expression of their personality and people should accept the way other people look, dress, and do (to an extent).

I believe that the current plan of dealing with bullies at school is very effective.  On the other hand, it doesn't empower children to stand up for themselves and become stronger people - which will carry over into adulthood.  That's why I have a passion for martial arts.  We need to help children build more confidence to stand up for what they believe in, inspire them to eat right, and to have a lifestyle that is very active!

At ATA Elkton, we're hosting 13 different one-hour bully defense lessons over the next 6 months.  Each one will empower every child that participates and will be a little different. Every class will be a community event and to attend, you'd donate $35 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  In the next article, I'll elaborate on the different topics and we're going to help kids remove fear from their lives and accomplish their goals!

I'd like to leave you with this call to action:  Teach your child to find the good in other people's actions instead of only calling out the negative.  Be a good-finder.  Get them to constantly acknowledge the things that their friends do good and other people will pay it forward.  Dale Carnegie said, "Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime."