I want to relate some of the very powerful effects that adrenal stress has on the human mind and body. As an instructor, you must understand how the adrenal reaction can affect a student’s ability to defend himself during an actual encounter. We ask applicants to our RMCAT self-defense course if they have ever been ...
Read More »Martial Arts Education
Discipline in a Martial Arts Facility
There are few subjects in American society that will raise eyebrows quite so quickly as a discussion of discipline in the classroom. Since the 1960s, there has been a distinct disagreement among Americans about what discipline is, what it should be or if it’s even important at all. Since a growing portion of our ...
Read More »Become Big by Thinking Big
To achieve your goals, you must learn to think big. Always aim high. Don’t look at the crossroads or you will see walls and barriers, which will obstruct your path and impede your progress. Move forward by looking at the sky and your opportunities will be unlimited. At the same time, you must pursue realistic ...
Read More »Implementing a Student Health History
In this column, we have talked about how to modify a variety of exercise to reduce the chance of injury to some people who may be predisposed to certain conditions like lower back or knee problems. Risk can be based on three factors: chronological, cardiovascular, and orthopedic. The key is to run an exercise program ...
Read More »What is Kata For? What Mistakes Stop Kata from Working
Part 6 of a Six-Part Series on Using Kata (or Form) For Martial Arts Development My series of columns has presented what kata or form practice can do for you and your students; but we all know that many, if not most, don’t experience the good effect I have been describing, as a result of ...
Read More »The Game of Running a Martial Arts School
Let the games begin. I’m not referring to a game of soccer or basketball, but of the game of running a martial arts school. Just as any other type of game, this game has players, rules, objectives and, of course, levels of dedication. Whenever someone enters the game, his or her dedication will match one ...
Read More »The Key Elements of a Martial Arts Fitness Class
I have found that, on average, a traditional martial arts instructor doesn’t necessarily make a good martial arts (MA) fitness instructor. The reason for this is because traditional martial arts and MA fitness are two completely different animals. Teaching traditional martial arts has very little to do with teaching martial arts fitness. The elements that ...
Read More »Crossing the River
In our journey through life, it may at times seem as though we’re passing through a great jungle, devoid of civilized comforts, safety nets and hospitality. Where huge trees of worry take root in the soil of aspiration and shed used leaves, which create a carpet of urgency, pushing us along. At some point in ...
Read More »The Merchandise of Fitness
When martial arts school owners inquire about offering my Ultimate Bodyshaping Courses (UBC) at their schools, they’re usually focused on the added tuition the UBC can generate. This, of course, is where the majority of money is made, with many school owners doubling, or even tripling, their tuition revenue. What most school owners don’t realize ...
Read More »It’s All About the Course
I’ve come to the conclusion that to be successful in martial arts fitness, you have to have a course, or a variety of courses, that people can choose from. When someone is thinking about joining your fitness program, he/she needs to have the end in mind. In other words, they need to be able to ...
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