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Faith Fighters Martial Arts Academy

Sensei Carl A. Matthews

(443) 286-9680

To God Be The Glory


Sensei' s Meditations

“The struggle you are in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute. — Josh Billings

In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on. — Robert Frost

Never cut what you can untie. — Joseph Joubert

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later. — Og Mandino

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. — Confucius

All things are difficult before they are easy. — Thomas Fuller

What can parents and caregivers do to help their children develop self-confidence?

Speak encouraging words. Children need to consistently hear words of affirmation and encouragement. They need to know that you love and support them. The more they hear positive comments from you, the more secure they will be in themselves.

Show interest in their activities. Let your children know that what they do is of interest to you. With regards to their martial arts training: learn some of the terminology that accompanies their martial art; practice their katas with them; stay and watch their class, or even participate in a class with them. The more your child knows you are interested in what they do, the more they will be confident in doing it.

Be careful in your conversations regarding others. Although you may say encouraging things to your child, if they hear you making disparaging or critical comments about others it may have them wondering what you say about them when they aren’t around. You don’t want to undermine your efforts at building their self-confidence by being overly critical of others in their presence.

Enthusiasm

Without it there are only alibis.” Enthusiasm will keep you focused on achieving your personal goals and eliminate the need for excuses for not accomplishing them. If you find your enthusiasm for your martial arts training is waning, spend time with someone you know is enthusiastic. Or, you could spend time helping a new student develop his or her skills. Both of these actions will re-energize your enthusiasm and keep you engaged.

If It’s White, Don’t Bite!

If you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, there’s an easy way to guarantee a mix of “good” carbs. Go for colorful foods. “Bad” carbs are frequently white in color, like sugar, white flour, white bread, potatoes, etc. (Cauliflower is an exception; vanilla ice cream isn’t.)

“Good” carbs come from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains like sweet potatoes, broccoli, rye bread, brown rice, etc. So, if you’re eating out and aren’t sure if something is lower in carbs, choose a variety of colors for your plate. Bon appétit!

Oct. Bible verse 2015

Joshua 24:15 as for me and my house/dojo we're going to serve the Lord