Life Lessons Through Martial Arts

Martial arts is not just about how high you can kick or how fast you can punch.  It also presents opportunities within the classroom to teach life lessons.  We often have "matt chats" at the end of class to discuss certain things about the lesson of that day or just in general about social behavior - ie bullying and being aware of your surroundings.   We also talk about Self Reliance when putting on sparring gear, or courage to spar someone bigger, perseverance for not giving up on a board break, pride in your self image with a clean uniform, etc…  We also focus on the ability to help others, and being a good person.  Class also offers up opportunities to praise effort and give kids positive reinforcement.  In a world that sometimes brings kids down, our job is to build them up.  Life lessons are sometimes tough to take, but if you have strong character and strong sense of self you can overcome.  As Sensei's we are given this opportunity everyday to make the student, of all ages, adults included, to teach not only traditional forms and traditional karate, but also tell them and show them  they can overcome any obstacle and not be afraid of trying something new.  I encourage students to share their stories and lessons if they want and we can all benefit and learn.  So remember its not always about the physical strength, its the mental too.  As always, you can reach me at cervizzis@aol.com  - Keep Positive - Sensei Janice