November In Review

What a month November was!

Our Helping Hands month went great - all month long students found new ways to help out at home and at school and were rewarded in class with recognition and getting a hand to put up on the wall.  It is amazing how many different ways we found to help out - For example:  held door for all my classmates, volunteered for lunch duty, helped mom fix dinner, cleaned up the house when mom hurt herself, stayed after school to help teacher clean up - any many many many more!

We had our food drive and donated almost 100lbs of food to Hopelink.  Thank you everybody.

Washington Black Belt, along with Kicksafe, put on Women's Self Defense classes at both our Redmond and Renton locations.  These classes were free to all women and had good attendance at both schools!  

As November ended we are preparing for our next graduation in just a couple of weeks.  Students are bringing in their graduation forms complete with parent and teacher evaluations and I love seeing how well our students are doing outside of the Academy.  2008 is coming to an end with a big bang and it excites me to think about what we will accomplish in 2009.  Thank you everyone - keep up the good work!

Helping Hands Month

November is our Helping Hands Month at Washington Black Belt Academy!

Part of having a Black Belt Attitude is to think of others ahead of yourself.  Others can be people in your family, like brothers, sisters and parents, people you know outside of your family, like teachers, neighbors and friends, or it can be people that you don't even know.

As part of our Helping Hands theme we are doing a canned food drive all month long.  Donating food is a way of helping other people less fortunate - people you don't even know!  Leaders are always looking for ways to help make other people better - by teaching our children that not everyone has the same opportunity they do, and that we should do what we can to help, we are not only teaching kindness and respect, but humility as well.

In addition to our food drive we will concentrate on what we can do as individuals to help others in our daily lives.  Already students have given examples of helping their teachers with things at school; holding the door for others when they are out in public; helping "mom" at home with additional chores.  I am excited to see all the ways our students come up with helping out in the next several weeks.

As part of this program, as well as a continual effort to have a positive influence in our Community, I will be hosting a free 2 hour Women's Self Defense Workshop on Nov. 22nd.  This is open to all women (adults only please) who thinks they would benefit from some safety tips and training.  Tell your friends and family and call to sign up.  Space is limited, so call and reserve your spot!  425-869-6600. 

Kidnap Prevention Workshop

What a great event we had at the Academy on Saturday.  Families from the school as well as concerned families from the community came by to learn how to keep their children safer.  We reviewed some statistics, practiced some defensive techniques and discussed dozens of safety tips.  

Everyone walked away with a child ID Kit, other safety materials and a few good ideas to implement. 

Next month we will be hosting a Women's Self Defense Class on Nov 22nd.  Space is limited to call to RSVP a spot if you are interested.  (425) 869-6600

Kidnap Prevention

On Oct 18th Washington Black Belt Academy will host a kidnap prevention workshop.  Along with King County Police we will distribute important information, safety tips and a FREE child ID kit that every parent should utilize.

A quick look at the statistics is startling;  every 40 second a child in the United States in abducted or reported missing.  That translates to over 2,000 children per day (under 18 years of age) or 800,000 per year.

The rate of reported missing children in the United States is 11.4 per 1,000 (Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children, October 2002; National Crime Information Center)

Please help spread the word about this FREE Community Event scheduled for Saturday Oct. 18th at both the Redmond and Renton Academies.  More info to come!

Back In The Swing Of Things

Now that it is September we all feel ourselves getting back into a more usual routine.  For the most part, that is a good thing, BUT don't let the comfort of the "same 'ole same 'ole" limit what you can accomplish.

Use this time of year to set some goals, start something new, or challenge yourself in a new way.  

Her at the Academy, for instance, we are implementing our Academic All Star Challenge.  It's a chance for students to take the next 60 days and dedicate themselves to improving learning skills that will put them at the top of their class.  We believe that the knowledge they will acquire through participating will be far reaching, benefiting them for years to come.

Among others, this Challenge will address areas such as:  TV restrictions, reading requirements, homework, diet and sleep goals.  

Already many students at both the Renton and Redmond schools have opted to challenge themselves and reach these lofty goals.  With the help of parents, teachers and instructors I am confident that everyone will succeed.  

Congratulations to all of those that have already begun this challenge and I extend an invitation to anyone who hasn't yet started to try and make this a part of your daily life.

Back To School Time

You have been waiting all summer for it right?  Are you all ready to go back to school and make it your best year ever?  Washington Black Belt Academy is looking to help you do just that.

We are having a Back To School Workshop held at our Renton location on Sat. September 6th from 4pm-5pm.  Topics will include Public Speaking, Time Management and Success Training.

Call either the Renton or Redmond location for details!

Renton - 425-793-9607

Redmond - 425-869-6600

I wanted to share

Every once in a while (although it's happening more and more frequently) something happens to remind my why I do what I do, and why I love it so much.

I don't want to risk embarrassing anyone so I am going to be intentionally vague, but in the past 7 days I have been approached by 3 separate students/parents who wanted to take the time to just say "thanks"  for the difference we are making in their lives.  Whether it be simple reinforcement of rules or behavior, opening young eyes to new ideas or a better way of viewing things, or helping students feel like they are bettering themselves physically, we ARE changing lives for the better.  I see it, parents see it and students see it.  Even those that are too young to see it now will look back on their experience at Washington Black Belt Academy later in life and see how it helped shape who they are.

Martial Arts continues to help me grow as a person in all areas of my life.  I am convinced that the patience and dedication that I learned and grew in the Martial Arts helps me out as a husband and father in those moments that test ones patience.  I think I am a better influence on those around me, and am more willing to accept challenges head by viewing them as an opportunity to learn.

How will my training and dedication help me next?  How could it help you?

Back To School Already?

Here it is, August 1st already and the end of the summer is already near.  By end of summer I mean that we are already starting to get ready for a new school year.  I couldn't believe it when I was walking through a local department store and saw all the "Back To School" sales....in JULY!!!

Students at Washington Black Belt Academy will find that we are doing many things to help you prepare for the new school year.  We have opened up our Monthly Leadership Super Session to all students (this Saturday, August 2nd 5pm-7pm at our Redmond location), we will be doing a reading contest as well as a referral contest to help you earn BACK TO SCHOOL MONEY.

Summer has been great, and continues to be so.  I am looking forward to seeing some students who have been vacationing, as well as introducing them to the many new students who have joined our family this summer.

Congratulations to all of  those who earned their next belt at our graduation last week.  Our next graduation is already scheduled for Oct. 4th.  It will be one of our two yearly Black Belt graduation, so get ready to participate and see some of your fellow students test for their Black Belt!!!

Oh what a weekend

It's almost graduation time again, which is an exciting time in the school.  I love seeing the growth in students as they progress through their belts.  

As rewarding as it is to see techniques getting better, I am the most fulfilled by seeing how students are becoming better in other areas of their lives.  During this last cycle alone I have had several parents take the time to mention how training has helped out their children's behavior at home.  I've had adult students tell me how they are losing weight, and feeling better about themselves.  I've seen Leadership Skills developing in students who I know will be great Assistant Instructors in the near future.  New students are trying classes and seeing these developments as well.  I feel so blessed to live a life doing something I love and seeing it's positive effects on those around me.

Friday night we had a Knife Throwing seminar for adults and Black Belts students.  Imagine a room full of people with anxious to hurl a sharp bladed object across the room!  Because of the discipline and respect that we all had for each other, the night was a huge success.  Everyone had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and we had exactly ZERO incidents of any kind of injury!

I am looking forward to other fun and educational seminars that we will put on for students of all ages and belt ranking levels.

Derby Days!

Thanks to everyone from the school who helped out at Derby Days either by manning the booth, helping out with the Demos or just stopping by to say hi.

Derby Days was a blast and a great day to talk to a lot of people from the Redmond Area about trying out Martial Arts for their family. It was hot - and the day got really long - but we persevered and were able to make it a really great day!

For those of you already attending classes, remember to introduce yourself every time you see someone in class you don't know. Remember - THEY are looking up to you!

Summer Vacations

This weekend I was thinking about my students who have gone, or are going on vacation in the next few weeks and how they can take what they learn in class with them.
Although it may not be practical to think that vacationing students will practice their Push Kicks and Back Stances while basking in the sun, or preforming their Poomses in their hotels rooms across the country, I hope that the Life Skill lessons we learn in class are practiced and by Adult and child students alike.

For example:
Long car rides can test the patience of both parents and children. Remember how your patience is tested in your Martial Art training and apply it to those trying moments.

I can think of seveal ways that your respect, confidence, and Black Belt Attitude will be put on display while vacationing. I can't wait to hear all the stories as everyone gets back from their vacations!