Posts Tagged ‘Kempo’

Martial Arts and Childhood ADHD: Overcoming Symptoms

The symptoms of ADHD can be devastating for children. It is especially hard for school-age children who feel isolated and don’t know how to express what they are feeling. They can become quickly behind academically and socially, which leads to lack of self-confidence and depression. Symptoms of childhood ADHD can include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. One way parents are helping their children is by having them train martial arts. It is a great way to alleviate these symptoms and overcome the stress they cause.

THE SYMPTOMS

1. Inattention.

The first symptom of childhood ADHD is the inability to focus and lack of attention. This includes not being able to follow through on tasks, not being able to focus on what other people are saying and not being able to organize thoughts, tasks and activities.

2. Hyperactivity.

The second symptom of childhood ADHD is hyperactivity. Children who suffer from this symptom feel the need to fidget with their hands and feet. They also tend to get up out of their seat often (even when it’s not an appropriate time) or simply feel an urge to move around. They also tend to talk excessively and are always “on the go”.

3. Impulsivity.

The third symptom of childhood ADHD is impulsivity. Children who have difficulty waiting their turns, who often interrupt and who answer questions before they’ve been completed may suffer from this symptom.
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MARTIAL ARTS – 5 Ways Too Build Your Self-Confidence

If you appreciate a strong, healthy self confidence that carries you through overwhelming times and drives you to achieving your most far reaching goals, martial arts is for you.

A person’s self-confidence is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised in order to grow and develop. In the 20 plus years that I’ve been teaching Martial Arts in our community we have developed a 5 step approach to building self-confidence. These 5 steps can be learned by anyone – with the right guidance:

1. Correct Body Posture. The importance of the correct body posture is paramount. We all send hidden, sub-conscious messages with our body language and the way we carry ourselves. Carry yourself with pride, confidence and security. Carry yourself like a successful person and your confidence will show.
2. Proper Eye Contact. Making proper eye contact when speaking to others has a huge effect on the conversation. Have you ever been talking to somebody and instantly felt connected? Like you’ve known this person forever? Chances are, they understand the importance of body language, and proper eye-contact.
3. Goal Setting. Goal setting is talked about by everybody, and most people understand the importance of this process. Then why do most people miss their mark? Because they don’t have the discipline and confidence to see the goal through. Our process teaches you the right way to set goals and actually achieve them!
4. Communication. Inspiring those around you is critical to getting what you want. Whether they are your children, co-workers, employees or boss, good leaders are inspirational. We teach this inspirational formula.
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Beating Stress with Martial Arts

Are you a busy executive or mom trying to do everything? Are you getting so stressed out that it seems like you’re not accomplishing anything? If so, you can use martial arts to combat that stress! Many of the skills and techniques used in martial arts training are the same skills and techniques you can use to rid your body of stress.

So, you might be wondering how a skill that is commonly depicted as a fighting tool can actually reduce stress… Some of these common images of martial arts aren’t completely accurate. The cartoons, video games and movies showing martial arts as a fighting tool are only showing you one small facet of the art. The skills necessary for training martial arts can teach you how to balance your mind and body and give you the confidence you need to face the stressful events in your life.

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

One of the techniques used to create this balance is using breathing and meditation techniques to help you connect and control your mind and body. There are different types of meditation: sitting, standing, kneeling and moving. Find the position that works best for you. Here’s how to start.

1. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

2. Breathe deeply. To make sure you’re breathing deeply enough, put your hand on your stomach. If your stomach isn’t pushing out as you breath in, you’re not breathing deeply enough. Try to pull the air all the way to your navel before you let it out.

3. When you breathe out, keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This keeps helps minimize your saliva and swallowing.

In the Chinese way of thinking, breathing like this is completing a path: The mouth is a gate and the tongue on the roof of the mouth allows your vital energy called “Qi” or “Chi” (both pronounced “chee”) to circulate throughout your body. Chi is what helps your mind and body connect.
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