What Is Wrong With Martial Arts Schools?

I feel fortunate to have built and be associated with karate/martial arts schools that have great reputations not only in their communities but also nationwide. We just do it right. We teach the right things. We teach it the right way. We treat people right. You get the idea.

How do we know that we are doing it right? Because everyone tells us!

What do we do right that a LOT of the other places are doing wrong?

1. We are not a "belt factory." We care that the students are learning what they are supposed to and they are learning it well.

2. We have high standards. Our dojo have high expectations and we help the students achieve those standards.

3. Fighting-wise, our techniques and methods really work. We are more fighting-oriented than most schools so realism is a priority.

4. We care about the students. It is important that each individual is getting out of it what they need. Our instructors discuss the lesson plans to make sure that group and individual goals are being met.

5. I have always believed in building REAL character and self-esteem. Strong and challenging training, real-life experiences, and confident leadership teach much better than a bunch of mandatory "high-fives" and reading a character lesson out of some workbook.

6. A strong balance of discipline and an opportunity to truly learn permeates every class. I like a disciplined environment that allows freedom to learn as much as possible and have each student learn in the best manner for them.

7. We work with people that are having some "life problems." This builds trust between teacher and student which usually results in them training harder and being more loyal.

I hear horror stories from people who come from other places, both traditional and non-traditional, about how either these places just don't teach well or have very poor business practices and screw the student. Most of the time, after selling the student on a very expensive program, it is revealed just how bad they are. Then they still say how they are the best and that everyone else sucks! No wonder martial arts have received a less-than-stellar reputation.

I'm just glad that I do what I do. I know my students feel the same way.

Is Losing Weight Impossible?

I have been reading several things by folks in the food marketing business and in the marketing psychology fields who feel that anyone trying to lose weight is fighting a losing battle. The argument is that Big Food has set it up so that we are unconsciously set up to eat the wrong things all the time and eat too much. We now have these eating "cues" that we follow without even realizing it.

I agree with this because I have seen this in my life and in the lives of my clients and students. I have seen many people try diets, body shaping courses, supplements, and infomercial programs to lose weight. They will all lose some weight for some time but their old habits almost always come back. Why do high percentages of people who get gastric by-pass surgery gain most of it back? The ones that I have seen start going back to their old eating behaviors. These are smart and highly disciplined people with a great motivation stay lean but they tell me that the weight gain "just happened."

When we dissect what happened, it almost always comes back to their cues that they have lived with for years. These psychological cues have been set up by society ("clean your plate!") or the food industry ("Snickers Satisfies!"). Even though they make a couple good decisions, they FEEL like they are being deprived and start to make a couple "cheating choices" which starts them down a slippery slope that they do not recover from easily if at all.

What is the message you can take home?

Be ready for the battle of your life because it is not just about the diet or the workout. It is about how you talk to yourself about food. You have to live every second of your life with those little voices in your head and learn how to turn them off or re-program what they are saying to you. It takes some thought and planning but you can do it. It will take a strong commitment to exercise, eating right, and changing habits by changing how you think and FEEL about food.

Do Martial Arts Give Good Character?

Talking to a few martial arts instructors over the years, I constantly hear the same thing: teaching good manners is the main thing we teach and martial arts is the vehicle used to deliver the message.

I disagree.

Martial arts have always been there as a way to defend yourself and others and if you get something like discipline or good character out of then that is icing on the cake. But it is basically about fighting, either for sport or for real.

I have seen a lot of schools lose their way. They focus only on character building (which they don't do well anyway) because it is a selling point for their children's programs. Realistic fighting skills in these places have been lost because they will teach adults the same as they teach kids. Others are so focused on winning in competitions, that they lose their humanity towards the students and only concentrate on their students and fighters winning (which feeds their business and ego). They are definitely teaching good character.

When character is taught, it is usually taught out of some book or lesson plan. The teachers really don't understand it. Real character development comes from mentorship. Actually, taking time with each student and guiding them through the minefield of moral and ethical choices they regularly make and have to live with. Helping them make the hard choices builds character. Giving them high goals and helping them attain them builds character. High standards of performance and behavior builds character. Putting others first builds character. Doing what needs to be done before doing what you want to do builds character.

Many old school dojo used to do this but it is not common now at all.

What Is Your Child's Ideal Weight?

"My kid isn't fat! He just has some baby weight that he hasn't gotten rid of yet." Don't fool yourself. Your child is overweight or obese. Is he or she healthy? Maybe. Don't think that they will grow out of it.

Get your couch potato off the couch! Research shows that most parents can't judge whether their children are at a healthy weight. If they are overweight they tend to rationalize it which is the worst thing they can show their child. Don't teach them that being healthy is out of their control, not a choice, or not their responsibility. A recent study showed that most preschoolers don't move around very much. Is it just me or does that just not sound right? It showed that 89% of all their "activity" during day hours occurred while the kids were barely moving or sitting. Those children who had sports equipment available and could go outside were a lot more active.

They need to make lifestyle changes or they will never lose the weight and they will end up with some of the lifestyle diseases that are linked to obesity. Do you want them to have Type 2 diabetes or heart disease? Do want them to have a compromised immune system and end up sick or disabled from something that their body should have been able to fight?

The best thing you can do for your kid is to get him or her up and get them active. Limit the TV, computer, texting, and video games. Get them outside and having fun!

MSG - The Evil Little Ingredient

Most people don't understand a lot about monosodium glutamate (MSG). They think it is that stuff in Chinese food that their neighbor can't eat because of allergies. Truth is that a lot of people are sensitive to it and don't even know it. Worse yet, it is in MOST of the foods we eat because it is hidden. It goes by the names "natural flavors," "hydrolized protein," "natural meat tenderizer," and "spices."

It is used as a flavor enhancer. It chemically tricks your taste buds and your brain into thinking that the food tastes better than it really does. Most restaurants use it. It is in most packaged foods. All natural foods can list it because it is a natural product that comes from wheat and also some comes from kelp. It is even in most vaccines as a side product of the manufacturing.

So what is so bad about it? Well, studies have shown that MSG is linked to obesity (can triple insulin output which packs on fat). It is also an excitotoxin that has been shown to aggravate neurological disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Studies have also shown that people get seizures and tumors from MSG consumption. Do you get a lot of unexplained headaches? A lot of researchers think and are proving that there is a link between MSG and these headaches and some pains that come out of nowhere for no reason.

So why is it in our food? You can thank the unholy (and little understood) marriage of Big Food/Big Ag and the FDA. The FDA considers it safe even though there is so much research against it. Why? Because of money! I was always a pro-government guy but as I did my unbiased research into this area, I became very disappointed about how business controls some parts of our government and the FDA is really bad.

So what can you do? At a bare minimum, read your labels and don't by it. Better yet, just don't eat junk food and prepared foods! You will lose weight and feel better almost immediately. I have worked with hundreds of people who have followed this advice and ALL of them said it was the best thing they ever did.