Wisdom and Sagacity

Sagacity is the acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgement. Another definition is the quality of being sagacious, or shrewd. As for wisdom it has many definitions the easy one is scholarly knowledge or learning. Another is knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgement as to action. Wisdom has been listed as one of the cardinal virtues. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered this very important to almost a godly status. To Plato and Socrates, philosophy was a literal love of wisdom. Aristotle defined wisdom as the understanding of why things are a certain way. For me in the Martial Arts world wisdom and sagacity is the act of using good judgement to everything and all aspects of my life. Martial Arts teaches self discipline which develops the process of good judgement to see things to be right or wrong. Not so much the laws or rules of right or wrong but the perception of what we feel is right and wrong. Martial Arts teaches us to value all life to think before killing any living thing. Those things can be as big as a 100 foot oak or to the ant that has built its home at the base of the oak. From the smallest amoeba, to a person, or an elephant all life is precious and has a place in the environmental chain of the world.

The understanding of if I do or treat someone this way is that the way I want some one to treat me. As parents we hope that we instill in our children good values. Along with those good values the proper judgement to follow and use those values.

Back in history Martial arts was used by the monks to defend themselves, monks the guys who believed in preserving life above all else. So put it in the here and now Martial Arts shows you not only how to be a physical weapon but through the teaching of sagacity you use the greatest weapon of all your mind. Learning how to kick and punch is the easy part, learning when and where to use or not use it is the awesomeness of being sagacious.

Be Cooperative Between Brother and Sister.

Be cooperative between brother and sister sounds like the standard sibling rivalry with a parent saying please work it out. That would be the obvious straight forward look at this statement, and all be it  as a parent of a boy and a girl this means that I would love to see them never fight or argue. Always have the help each other attitude twenty-four/seven, three hundred sixty-five days a year. Deep down inside they love one another and would do anything for each other to help and protect their brother or sister. That is what brothers and sisters do for each other. Shouldn't that be the same for all then, aren't we all brothers and sisters on this planet, "Mother Earth." In Martial Arts that is the point of view taught, to respect all life and everyone around you. To treat all as brothers and sisters. Martial Arts helps to reinforce that human bond to treat others as you want to be treated. Martial artists are like a family within your family willing to help protect and watch over each other.  Martial Arts has been referred to as a brotherhood  a group with same interests and goals. Choe's HapKiDo students develop feelings of friendship, support, and understanding between each other.
Students encourage each other to their best in class, the Instructors encourage healthy competition just like brothers and sisters at home. This is carried on throughout all the aspects of the students life at home school, or at their job. 
 

 The definition of cooperation: an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit; joint action. Is that not what we want in this world for our children, friends, and family to live in a cooperative society. This does not come from wishful thinking its an effort made by all, and Martial Arts encourages this behavior on and off the floor, changing society one black belt at a time.

Completion of self culture what it means to me.

Completion of self culture:

The definition of completion: the act or process of completing or the state of being completed; conclusion.  So it’s finality, being settled, the end for some, for others it’s making something whole.

Self: under the medical thought process it is the union of elements: such as body, emotions, thoughts, and sensations. Another definition is a person or thing referred to with respect to complete individuality. In some philosophy self refers to essential qualities that constitute a person’s uniqueness or essential being.  I could put down the psychological (ego) definition of self or the religious thoughts of what self is but those views vary widely from a studying stand point to a belief or faith.

With the word culture I am not getting in to the science or biological side the whole bacteria or tissue cells. Culture has a dictionary meaning of the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively, also the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

Now that we got the definitions out of the way let’s look at what Completion of Self Culture means to me and martial arts. Like the definitions the obvious answer could be the act of making one whole to feel complete with the world around you.  Learning the respect, discipline, and self esteem are all pieces to the grand puzzle of self. Having all the pieces added to the puzzle makes one appreciate life and the people that are in your life. People today have so much going on from work to family obligations that they may feel something missing or feel like they are missing out. To do something for one self is not selfish unless it is harmful to others martial arts is not harmful to others’. Martial Arts teaches self defense something you may see as harmful to others but we are taught to preserve life including your own.  Today’s society is a fast food techno wonder of instant communication with no face to face physical contact. Our children text and hardly speak to friends or family, a new culture lacking a cultural value. Martial arts brings people together with a common goal of reaching your potential and beyond. The feeling of doing martial arts and going up through the ranks is you not a team where a person misses a block and the defense gets through.  The accomplishment and perseverance follows you all your life in whatever and where ever you go. Martial arts makes you self aware and gives you the tools to make any goal that  you set your mind to, you are not left wanting  bringing you back to completion of self culture.

Its one Month in to 2014 what are you doing?

Its one Month in to 2014 what are you doing?

It’s been a month into the New Year and do you know statistically 64 percent of Americans have already giving up on their news years resolution. With only 8 percent of the people even succeeding at their goals you might think why should I even try? Well that answer is YES. Look at why you are setting goals for yourself in the first place and you recognize that there is an issue and you want a better healthier outcome. So you question yourself how do I stay on track. This should be your motto for the year 2014. “A Healthier Body equals a Healthier You!” I think we go about it in the wrong ways. Saying I want to lose weight this year because it’s my High School Reunion. Or I want to lose weight to fit into a smaller jean or dress size. This year should be about the whole picture not just bits and pieces of it. You should be asking what I want out of the next twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years. You should be saying I want a healthier lifestyle. How do I get started you ask? Well first and for most is exercise. Get out there and get moving. It doesn’t matter your fitness level the key is to just start. I know exactly how hard that is. When you look at the tv and think I could never do that. Well YOUR wrong. Get up and try, Start with walking work your way up. Many people go to the gym and work out for a while but then soon give up because well there is no structure, and no support.  When I found kickboxing over a year ago, I was a little scared but let me tell you, Kickboxing in flowery branch gives you not only the support but friends that care outside of class as well as in class.  Kickboxing has become a network of support and friendship; it gives you the drive to succeed. To prove the instructors you can push yourself further and further. Try it you will see. However exercise along will not change your body if you still keeps up with bad habits. People often ask me if I have to give up my favorite foods.  With my determination I have found ways to have my favorite foods but in a healthy way. Using things such as flaxseed oil, almond flour, and honey to sweeten things instead of processed sugar means you can still eat things you like but with a twist. Try almond flour brownies. You can even make a great tasting pizza out of shredded cauliflower. Do little changes at a time to your eating habits and eliminating things that are not good for you when you do that your body will respond in a positive way. With exercise and nutrient you can turn back into a healthier person that with exercises can extend your life. Remember with kickboxing you can gain the strength and stamina to succeed at anything.

Kristi Green

Kickboxing instructor Flowery Branch

Martial Arts begins and ends with respect.

Martial Arts begins and ends with respect.

Our society has gotten away from the old ways like saying "Yes Sir." And "Yes Ma'am." But we shouldn't even call it the "old ways" it should just be called the proper way!

Martial Arts has many good qualities but respect is the most important. It can be associated with every aspect.

HapKiDo in particular is a disciplined military martial art. We have discipline for the straight line, respect to all especially higher ranking belts and self improvement; you can find respect in everything for instance to say Yes Sir is to respect the instructor and all instructors. Standing in a straight line and paying attention shows respect to the instructor by doing as they ask. It shows respect to other students by showing you will not be disruptive in class so they can learn and it also demonstrates respect to one self showing the commitment you made to do well in class.
Everything else is secondary to respect! If you do not have respect nothing is right.
How many times have you heard or said yourself "oh who cares!"
That is the most disrespectful thing you can say to yourself and for others to hear because if you "don't care" about anything it will start to show in all parts if your life.
For instance you will not strive to be or do your best. You probably not be punctual or you may become unkempt. 

It is most important for you to care about all aspects of life from the small stuff to the big stuff. If we let the little things go by then the snowball effect is started. In the old days and even today a good foundation for a strong home is built brick by brick.  We cannot expect our home to stand the rough weather or the test of time if our foundation is not a solid one free of gaps. Martial Arts helps build a good foundation for the individual or fill in the gaps in our foundation so we can go through the storms of life.  Respect is the corner stone of that foundation.

Charity

Have you ever been in a situation where you could have used the help from a friend? Most of us have, and that’s why at Flowery Branch Karate, we strive to create a family environment that promotes giving back to our community, friends and family!

Every year Flowery Branch Karate and other Choe's HapKiDo Schools make a point to reach out to the community, and set an example of the importance of charity and giving back! We have raised thousands of dollars each year to donate to the cure of Breast Cancer. With the help of our students, we donate hundreds of pounds of  food each year for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

The most important lessons that we teach our students is to serve the Community! Flowery Branch Karate wants to do its part to make the world a better place! With the holidays coming soon, what better time to instill charitable and giving thoughts into our students.

Martial Arts is more than just learning physical Self- Defense techniques. It is about developing students into happy, confident, and self assured members of society, who have the courage and conviction to stand up for what is right! What better way to be a steadfast person then to feel like you helped to make someone’s life better. These are the types of  lessons that we teach our students here at Flowery Branch Karate.

We not only want to encourage our students, but instead we would like to encourage everyone to live a life of charity and giving! What better way to feel true pride in the person that you are. What better way to set an example for your family. What better way to motivate your child or children to understand the importance of charity and giving.

If you would like to know more about our community service and charity programs, or if you would like to participate or contribute in any of them, then please do not hesitate to contact us! We are excited to have the type of impact that we have on our community, and are thankful to anyone who would like to help us make that impact even stronger.

www.braseltonmartialarts.com

www.ilovemartialartsgeorgia.com

www.choeshapkido.com

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