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.

"Awareness" defense for the ages.

The definition of  aware is the knowing of something that exists. Another definition is feeling or noticing something, such as sound, or a sensation also known as a feeling. The one definition of aware is understanding a lot about what is happening in the world or what is around you. Amazing how technology is today the smart phones, the smart T.V.'s, GPS with video players in the cars and who knows what looms on the horizon. With all this awesome tech we now find quite a few people on the roads driving sending text messages as opposed to driving their car. Kids on their smart phone or tablets communicating without physical interaction at home. Many people walking the streets focused in on their own world of messaging, internet Google searches, or just phone conversation totally oblivious to their surroundings. Lately due to the usage of the smart phones and tech people have been injured more so and even died via car accidents and so on, not saying that technology is bad or the smart phones are the reason for this. There is a saying, "do not blame the machine blame the operator."  It used to be around Christmas time and holiday shopping that the bad seeds came out. Now this new blindness has made many people targets for thieves, muggers, and others with very bad intentions.There is a new game or maybe an old one but has more light shed on it where people unaware of their surroundings get punched or beaten. Through Martial Arts we are taught to focus and be aware of our surroundings. This awareness is a great defense from being attacked. It's not something that will stop the attackers but it gives you a presence not to look like a victim. You are not an open invitation for the bad seeds to plant themselves in your area. Martial arts gives you the ability to focus and walk with a purpose but not blind to your environment. You are not walking blindly into the street but have a direction and people looking to victimize you sees this and are aware themselves that you are not a victim or an easy target. This awareness is an awesome defense against bullying in schools. They to look to victimize the person with their heads down, not the ones with their heads held high aware of their surroundings walking with a purpose. Learning to be focused and aware helps with your self confidence another defense against the bullies in the world. What bully wants to go against a confident individual when most bullies are not confident themselves. Bullies seek out the less confident individuals to boost their low self esteem by picking on a weaker individual. Don't focus on your techno gadget and keep your head up and be aware.

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.

New Years Resolution

Every new year we come up with a goal a resolution to change, stop, omit, or commit. I would say a large number of people say "this is the year I lose weight," or "this is the year I get fit and eat better."  To be successful you must have a specific goal. So your goal should sound like "I want to lose 50 pounds" or "I will exercise every day for 45 minutes". This will keep it real for you so it won't feel like it is an unrealistic goal or a dream goal that you won't ever reach or accomplish.
We all have good intentions to get things done and make a change for the better, but some of us lack the drive or have the support structure to reach our goals. Do not procrastinate! When you need to complete a task or something on a "To Do" list make it a To Done list! That should be one of your New Years Resolutions. Make it specific "I will respond to an email the minute I open it" or "I will start a project the day I get assigned to do it" or " the gym or program I just started I will follow through and go daily". This will help you reach your goals, with anything in life especially the very difficult task of losing weight.
So many people join a gym and go for the first month 1 to 2 days a week, if that. Excuses begin to invade our minds and sabotage our goals. You begin to have time issues, family commitments, or I'm just to tired I will go tomorrow syndrome. Tomorrow then turns to next week then that becomes next month and before you know it you are back to the next New Year making the same resolution you made last year saying this year I am going to lose a few pounds or diet and stick to it.  These are the people that lack that specific goal to be able to be successful. One must make the decision to work out or eat better and do it daily period.
Another idea to help you reach your goals is to invite a friend with similar goals then help each other reach them. Hold them to their commitment because they will hold you to yours!
This may be hard to hear because no one wants to be told they don't do it right. You must get past that and focus on your goals. That is what is important.
Because having a support system around you keeps the motivation to reach the goal you set for yourself. Cardio-kickboxing is a fun way to lose weight, get fit and helps to reduce stress. You will be amazed how fun and easy it is to just show up and have fun. The best days to come are the days you've had a bad day, you get to take out all the stress from the day on the bag and leave it on the mat! You go home happy and foget all that stress yo begin to live a happier and healthier life because you are reaching your goals!
Having a group around you with similar goals definitely helps the motivation, focus and drive. People helping each other to stay on track push each other to do well increases the chance that this is the year your
New Years Resolution will be a success.

Choe's HapKiDo Karate of Flowery Branch
7380 Spout Springs Rd
Flowery Branch, Braselton, Buford, Hamilton Mill 30542
(770) 967-1700

www.braseltonmartialarts.com

www.ilovemartialartsgeorgia.com

www.choeshapkido.com
www.facebook.com/karateflowerybranchkickboxingbraselton

Make A Change

Stuck in the same ole thing, People tend to get stuck in the same routine, They go to work, come home , eat whatever is quick, lay down and watch TV then get up and do the same thing all over again. They ask themselves why my joints ache so much. Why do I have to take all these pills? Then they come back with all these excuses, no time, stress at work, too old, too out of shape. You cannot change anything by just sitting on the couch and watching TV.  You must get moving. Change is never an easy thing and comment seems even harder. The key is to just start. Start small, walk, once or twice a week and then build up to something  like kickboxing classes. The pain and aches in your body is your body telling you that you are destroying it with the wrong fuel, the old saying is true you are what you eat. You are also what you do about it, if you think you are too tired to start exercises then you are wrong. Exercising pumps you up and more and more will give you more energy.  However exercise should not be the only change, changing your eating habits is crucial to getting healthy and fit. Allow yourself to have small changes at first like stopping sodas, then breads, chips, and sweets. Treat yourself one day a week, and starting off have that one thing you crave like chips or sweets however just have a palm full of chips or one piece of chocolate I know what I am saying may be sound nuts but trust me once your body is detoxed from all the bad foods it will crave the healthy foods. Think of it like your body is a gasoline car. If you put diesel fuel in the gas tank instead of regular gasoline what happens is it tears up your car and you have to spend money to fix it. Well the same thing applies to your body. You put lots of grease, fat, bad carbohydrates’ and sugars in your body it in a way breaks it then you have to spend money on medicine to try to fix it. Ask yourself what you would rather have to do, spend lots of money on medicine that may or may not work, or change your outlook, change your behavior, start exercises, start eating right. I know that once you start treating your body right then your body will start acting right. Your body will slow get fit and tone but more important it will give you more energy, less pain, more ability to spend time with friends, family, and even grandchildren. Stop tearing up your body, stop putting the wrong fuel in your body and exercise get fit. It’s never too late to make that change. Get up and get moving.

My own children can’t keep up with me now. It can be difficult to start alone but in reality you’re not alone there is care and support from everyone around you trying to achieve the same goals.

Kristi Green

www.braseltonmartialarts.com

www.ilovemartialartsgeorgia.com
www.choeshapkido.com
www.facebook.com/karateflowerybranchkickboxingbraselton