How Much Activity Do Adults Need to Be Healthy?

To stay healthy or improve health, adults need to do two types of physical activity each week: aerobic and strength exercises.

To stay healthy, adults should try to be active daily and should do:

at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or brisk walking every week, and   strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).   

75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running or a game of singles tennis every week, and strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) . 

A mix of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity every week. For example, two 30-minute runs plus 30 minutes of brisk walking equates to 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms).   

A good rule is that one minute of vigorous activity provides the same health benefits as two minutes of moderate activity.

One training program that's been around for 2000 years (must be good) Is martial arts.   Martial Arts combines flexibility, aerobic training and strength training.   2 - 3 classes a week will provide a moderate workout for beginners and a vigorous workout for intermediate and advanced students.    But there are bonuses.   You will be part of a great supportive community and have the benefits of self-defense.   And, perhaps the best part, martial arts is constantly changing.  As your fitness and skills improve, training changes to become more challenging, stimulating, and the rewards keep coming.

No more "Hamster Wheel" treadmill or stationary bike exercises, forget about box gyms full of equipment no one wants to show you how to use properly!  Our adult classes are personal (less than 5 students per instructor), supportive, and offer workouts that can be scaled to reflect your fitness level and goals.

Give us a call (614-899-9033) or check our Facebook Page for more information and to schedule your first class!

https://www.facebook.com/KoguryoMartialArts/

A Doctor's Journey - Reshaping Mind & Body

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As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind.  To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again.  To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.

                                                                            -Henry David Thoreau

NAME:  Jason McCray, PHD

LEVEL:  Semi-Master

RANK:  3rd Degree Blackbelt, Koguryo T'ang Soo Do   1st Degree Blackbelt Hapkido

The martial arts path is one of repetition and focus.  We do not practice our forms one, or ten times or one hundred times but thousands of times.  We do not throw a single punch or a solitary kick.  We do it again and again and again.  Modern neuroscience has discovered that these elements (focus, movement and repetition) are very literally the way that the structure and function of our brains are changed.  If you are interested in the science behind this you can pick up Norman Doidge’s excellent book “The Brain that Changes Itself”.  When we walk the martial path we are reshaping our brains and lives with each step that we take.

With this in mind, it may be a good idea to reflect on what exactly it is we are practicing.  Each one of us are responsible for our own journey and development.  Our Masters and Instructors can show us the path and encourage our growth but they cannot practice for us.  They cannot ensure that we get better.  Each of us must do that for ourselves.  As I reflect on the twelve plus years I have trained at Koguryo (and my six years of training before that) several things come to mind but what my thoughts keep returning to are perseverance, endurance and an absence of fear. 

On a purely physical level martial arts training is difficult.  We throw punches and kicks until we feel like we can do no more then we do even more.  We do push ups, flutter kicks and haunch jumps.  It is trying and our muscles ache.  Sometimes they even give out and we fall down.  Then we get up.  Perseverance and it's fruit (endurance) come from the getting up.  From the wanting to stop, longing to give up and decidedly choosing to do otherwise.  This choice shapes not only our bodies (by growing stronger) but much more importantly it shapes our character.   When we do it again and again we change ourselves into something stronger and better than how we began.

Training tests our limits both physically and mentally.  By coming into contact with these limits we grow in many ways.  Perhaps the most important way we grow is by learning that there is nothing to fear.  Maybe we will fall down.  That is OK, we can get up.  Maybe getting punched or kicked will hurt.  Maybe even a lot.  That is OK it won’t break us.  We will heal and over time we block the punch or kick, better yet over time we learn to not be there when the strike arrives!  Slowly as we train that fear recedes becoming less and less important.  The result of this is self-confidence.  This does not mean knowing that I will prevail in any fight- it means knowing that I have prepared myself and have nothing to fear.  Even if I am bested it is an opportunity to learn more about my weaknesses so I can correct them.

As each of us intentionally practices our shared art we reshape our brains and our lives.  This is a weighty idea and one completely grounded in modern science.  What are you practicing?  Is it your best effort?  Is it pushing your limits? Is it half heartedly throwing a “kind of punch”?  Is it being fearful?  Trust in our master and our system.  Engage with your training no one else can do it for you.  Your training shapes you, but only in so far as you put you into your training.  Jeong Shim!

JASON MCCRAY, PHD

Do Your Kids Think You Are Fair?

Be of Consistent Character

We all wear different hats at different phases of our lives.  Even exchanging one role for another in a matter of minutes.  

Say you are dealing with an incident where your child is in need of you, either discipline, mentoring, ministering, any of the parenting roles we juggles, and the  important call comes in from work that you've been waiting for all day and you must take.

Clearly, our means of interacting need to adapt between our child and our employer.

In our modern, fast-paced lives these types of transitions are at times unavoidable.  

The critical element remains that no matter which "hat" you are wearing, the head beneath remains the same.

That is, no matter what role you are called to fulfill, keep your self-identification and priorities consistent.  Never compromise on integrity, even to achieve a more expedient result.  This will help you de-stress difficult situations and rapid transitions in roles you are called to fill by knowing and adhering to the aspects of your character that are the most important to you.

You will find more comfort in dealing with confronted changes, more confidence in defending your actions and positions, and you will warrant more respect from those around you for your clear focus on your integrity.

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Example:

Avoid "Do as I say, not as I do." mentality.  

Our actions speak louder than our words.

Now, I send my young children to bed earlier than I myself turn in.  However, in doing so, I explain the needs of their bodies for rest vs. that of an adult. I demonstrate that I prioritize and appropriate amount of rest for my needs.

So, despite what appears to be a "double standard", I stress the underlying priority, and the reasoning becomes clearer.  

I wish I could say that this translates into seamless bedtimes every night...but it is a process.  Regardless, my position and justification remain consistent.

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By modeling integrity and consistent character, we demonstrate confidence and conviction in our beliefs.

For me, one of the character traits I seek to consistently model is also an adaptability.  I am willing to continuously pull from outside sources for means of personal betterment.  This is change, but it is consistent change and an easily discernible aspect of my character.

So, I do not maintain that this should be a static, un-moving paradigm, rather an insight into your character that those around you can come to rely on and even look up to.

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Getting Started:

To get started on this journey (for it will be a life long pursuit), it is crucial to first know yourself.  

Make a list of the 3-5 character traits that are most important to you.  

Set it aside and plan on revisiting it in a day or two.

Continue this process until your list remains unchanged.

  

Then, share it with someone close to you that you can rely on to help keep you in check.

It is important that this person also has occasion to observe you in various settings.

Finally, devise a means of keeping tabs on your priorities and self evaluating your consistency.

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We all have buttons, key stressors that cause us to fall back on less developed means of managing interactions.  As you solidify your focus on maintaining consistent character, you will be more readily able to identify these buttons.  

Identification will lead to enabling corrections, but it is critical to recall that you will never reach a perfect result, and your efforts will fall short from time to time.

Keep your head up as you change hats, remember your goal, and allow yourself the luxury of forgiveness when you slip.

As a parent, I fall back to this quote when I feel myself lapse in this regard:

H. Jackson Brown Jr. — 'Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.' 

Find something that motivates you and keep at it!

Meet Your New Friend at KMA

With our NEW Age Specific Class design, kids are going to have new opportunities to make friends with smaller groups of students.  

We have found that students who befriend another student are more likely to stay committed to their training and are more eager to come to class.  PLUS, it gives them someone outside of KMA to practice with.  As a parent, you also benefit from possible car pooling opportunities, play dates, etc.

These social skills can be just as valuable as their self-defense training.  Some kids have more difficulty than others.   Here are a few great pointers that we found to help kids who might struggle more in their new social environment.

“Mom, I Made a New Friend!”

BY ADDITUDE EDITORS

Reference:  https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/teach-adhd-child-how-to-make-friends/

Look for Younger Friends - at First

Because many kids with ADHD lag behind their peers in social skills and maturity, they may feel more comfortable playing with younger children.  Your child will be able to practice his/her friendship skills without being made fun of. As a bonus, the younger friend will most likely look up to their older buddy, instilling self-esteem and confidence.  As your child masters social skills, chances are they will make friends with peers.

It Is Different for Girls

Girls with ADHD have more trouble with relationships than do boys.  They feel the sting of peer rejection more than their counterparts.  A girl with ADHD may be slow to pick up on social cues and may even be verbally aggressive when they feel frustrated.  Try stroking the sparks of friendship by volunteering to take your daughter and and one friend on a fun outing-the amusement park or to the beach.  If you take two friends, there is a chance that they might pair off and exclude your daughter.

Don't Push Too Hard

Not every child with ADHD will be a social butterfly-and that's OK.  Studies show that having one close friend is enough to develop self-confidence.  Most socially isolated children will eventually learn how to handle their behaviors and establish friendships on their own.  Once adolescence hits, kids tend to act on the urge to fit in.

Create Special Moments

Plan 15 minutes of quality time with your child several times each week.  Do fun things together, just the two of you, without directing or criticizing his behavior.  If you're at a baseball game, talk about his favorite player or whether the team has a chance of winning the World Series.  Building a relationship with your child pays off in terms of friendships.  Some studies show that, when parents work on relationship building at home, they see better behavior in a child's peer relationships right away.

Are You Looking for Some Social Opportunities for YOUR Child?

Come Visit Us:  6015 S Sunbury Rd, Westerville OH

Call Us: 614-899-9033

Explore: www.koguryoma.com

QUESTIONS?  koguryomartialarts.hq@gmail.com

What Do Our Kids Need at This Age?

NEW Teaching Module 

Our new 4 Sky Kings Curriculum Format is based on focusing in on age specific development and training. 

We have realigned our classes and content to be more conducive to the needs of each respective age grouping.  We have also narrowed our age categories so that we can focus on delivering material in the way that kids learn better and focuses on their needs from a developmental perspective. 

• Ages 5-7 = Blue Dragons
• Ages 7-9 = White Tigers
• Ages 9-11 = Red Phoenix
• Ages 11-13 = Black Dragons
• Ages 14+ = Black Tigers

Here are two excerpts from some articles written by both a children's hospital and established martial art school owner, that really help break down the benefits of this approach.

What is child development? 
Child development is a process every child goes through. This process involves learning and mastering skills like sitting, walking, talking, skipping, and tying shoes. Children learn these skills, called developmental milestones, during predictable time periods. 

Children develop skills in five main areas of development:

1. Cognitive Development
   This is the child's ability to learn and solve problems. For example, this includes a two-month-old baby learning to explore the environment with hands or eyes or a five-year-old learning how to do simple math problems.
2. Social and Emotional Development
   This is the child's ability to interact with others, including helping themselves and self-control. Examples of this type of development would include: a six-week-old baby smiling, a ten-month-old baby waving bye-bye, or a five-year-old boy knowing how to take turns in games at school.
3. Speech and Language Development
   This is the child's ability to both understand and use language. For example, this includes a 12-month-old baby saying his first words, a two-year-old naming parts of her body, or a five-year-old learning to say "feet" instead of "foots".
4. Fine Motor Skill Development
   This is the child's ability to use small muscles, specifically their hands and fingers, to pick up small objects, hold a spoon, turn pages in a book, or use a crayon to draw.
5. Gross Motor Skill Development
   This is the child's ability to use large muscles. For example, a six-month-old baby learns how to sit up with some support, a 12-month-old baby learns to pull up to a stand holding onto furniture, and a five-year-old learns to skip.

Reference:  http://www.howkidsdevelop.com/developSkills.html

Author:  Rady Children's Hospital San Diego

The Karate Kids Teaching Guide: What You Need to Know about Teaching Karate to Kids

By Jesse Enkamp

Divided by age, here’s the basics of what I really think you need to know about teaching Karate to kids:

7-9 Years Old:

Physical: Kids of 7-9 years of age have a huge physical need for moving around. Because, at this age, physical movements are starting to automatize in their bodies – meaning they will naturally feel inclined to move around as much as possible in all different ways. However, kids at this age still have a very minor amount of muscle growth, and their capability to tense their muscles is quite limited. The same goes for their anaerobic capacity. Gender differences too are almost nonexistent at this age.

Mental: When it comes to the social development of kids age 7-9 (remember, these ages are just general guidelines. Some kids might appear younger or older depending on their growth rate), their social capacity is not yet fully developed, which means they have a hard time seeing themselves as a part of a group of different people with different needs. In other words, they are pretty much egotistical and crave the feeling of personal security and trust. Still, their sense of right and wrong is starting to develop strongly at this age, along with the ability to follow rules and instructions, even though their auditory skill (trying to follow spoken instructions) is at a low level.

Advice: When you teach kids 7-9 years old, try to focus on play. Have great variety in exercises, movements and lesson content – and try to be as clear and non-confusing as possible by always giving brief and short instructions. It is more effective to clearly show (visually) exercises than speaking (verbally) to the kids. At this phase it is also important to emphasize teamwork, without sparking a competitive mindset. Make sure to lay down the ground rules and establish what’s right and wrong, how to behave in the dojo, when Karate can/can’t be used (dojo-kun) etc.

10-12 Years Old:

Physical: Kids at the age of 10-12 have a greatly improved coordination. This means you can teach them harder cognitive tasks, along with more demanding physical movements as their respiratory function now develops to a greater extent. At this age, differences in gender also start to show, although still not fully developed.

Mental: At the age of 10-12, besides improved coordination, the ability to think abstractly as well as logically starts to develop greatly. This means you can place more demands on these abilities in exercises, in order to take advantage of their improvements in these areas. Plus, at this age, the will to cooperate increases along with a greater hunger for more training and competition. In other words, the “tribe” mentality is now gradually taking the place of the former “self” mentality, although both still exist in the individual.

Advice: Again, as you teach this group, make sure to have great variety in your lessons (as in the case of 7-9 year olds) but without being confusing. Kids at this age generally trying many different sports, so your job is to make them stick to Karate. Also, try to incorporate more technical training at this stage, with more details in technique, along with lighter tactical training and scenario-based situations. It is vital to be consistent in your actions and words as you conduct classes now, since fairness and justice are important concepts for kids of this age.

13-15 Years Old:

Physical: Surprisingly to most teachers, coaches and instructors; kids at the age of 13-15 start to decline in several areas – mostly seen in coordination(which worsens) and agility (which decreases). At this point, kids who might have easily won Karate trophies before might start losing motivation, so its important that instructors understand that at this stage it’s natural for kids to change a lot, especially in their physical composition as they now get taller and weigh more. Maximum oxygen uptage (VO2), more commonly known as aerobic capacity, now increases massively too, as well as gender differences.

Mental: Additionally, a lot happens in kids’ brains when they’re 13-15 years old. At this stage it is common for kids to have emotional insecurity as they’re now gradually trying to identify their own “voice” (identity) in the crowd. This will be expressed in different ways depending on circumstances, but the most important marker is that kids now strive to become independent – and you need to cater for this need.

Advice: The group will now become increasingly harder to keep together, since big physical and mental differences emerge between individuals. However, luckily, the ability to solve problems and have theoretical discussions improves, which means you can talk more to/with the group. As a leader, this aspect of keeping dialogue is now more important than ever, since the kids will see you as a sort of pillar of trust and safety in their dynamic lives. So make technical exercises easier, don’t add too many complex movements, and don’t put too much stress on your students. However, do increase the tempo and intensity of classes

Reference:  http://www.karatebyjesse.com/karate-kid-teaching-guide/

P.S.  Look for more information about our new 4 Sky Kings Curriculum Launch next week.  Also, don't forget about the open forum we are hosting on Saturday, Feb 10th at 3:30PM after testing.

Questions?

Call:  614-899-9033

Email:  koguryomartialarts.hq@gmail.com

Visit:  www.koguryoma.com

Dealing with Kids Not Wanting to Go to Class

I hear it all the time.  "My kid is giving me trouble when it's time to head to class!  Once we get here, they have fun, but sometimes...the struggle is real!"

First off, don't worry.  Like I said, I hear this all the time and it is a common problem. 

I remember resisting going to practice myself when I was a child.  It is all a part of growing up, becoming disciplined, and beginning to recognize priorities, which are all crucial elements in a developing child.

However, there are a few parenting tips that can make this process easier:

1.  PRE-FRAME:  Let them know in the morning as you are getting ready for the day.  "We have Martial Arts tonight after school."  Let them know what the afternoon will look like, what your expectations are, and anticipate as much of the routine as possible.  We all do a lot better when we know what to expect and what is expected of us.  It's no different for kids :)

Take it one step further if you are leaving from home and give them 15, 10, and 5 minute warnings.  "Hey, we are out the door in ____ for martial arts.  Get to a good stopping point with X,Y,Z and make sure you are ready to go!"

2.  FOCUS on the +'s:  After class conversations are a part of the process.  If your child anticipates a rough ride home with criticism following their performance, they will be naturally reticent to head out.  Keep things focused on their successes in general, and if you ever need to bring up a behavior from class that needs to be improved, it will resonate even more!

3. Attitudes are CONTAGIOUS:  Show your enthusiasm for going to watch them train.  Kids are eager to please and if you let them know how excited you are for class, they will be more likely to resist less.  The opposite is also true.  It is hard to get everyone ready to get out the door, and I appreciate the work parents put in!  However, if we let the stress show, kids will pick up on it and parrot our sentiments.

4. EMPATHIZE:  "I know you're tired and had a long week.  I hit that wall sometimes too and it can be tough to get over it."  Leave it at that!  All we are trying to do is communicate that we get what they are feeling.  They should already know what the expectation is; get in the car!  But, letting them know you feel with them will go a long way to easing their resistance.  It also takes their objections away.  You articulated it for them.

Every kid and every house is different, and none of these will fit everyone tool bag.  Grab the one that feels the best and add it to your kit!

Get them to  class, we'll handle the rest.

Master Jared E Circle