January - February 2020
- Details
- Published: 17 January 2020 17 January 2020
- Last Updated: 17 January 2020 17 January 2020
A new year typically brings all kinds of new resolutions. New goals, new focus and an effort to get rid of things that aren’t helping you keep on track. Then, once you get back to your normal routine, after about the first week of January, it all falls apart. Does this mean you shouldn’t bother trying to improve? No! But it does mean that you should consider a different method to get results. A concept that you hear a lot about currently is mindfulness. According to Psychology Today, “mindfulness is the self regulation of attention with an attitude of curiosity, openness and acceptance.” You might be saying – wait – I thought it had something to do with deep breathing with your eyes closed. But that is meditation – which is the training ground for mindfulness.
Now you might think that a sport where your opponent is trying to take your head off with a punch or kick is not the best place to introduce meditation. But karate is perfect place to introduce it because as you know, we start every class with a period of meditation – mokuso – where the intent is to relax and prepare for the training ahead. We finish class in the same way with a chance for quiet review of what we have accomplished. Mindfulness relies on becoming better meditators because, according to Mindfulness Coach Dave Charny, “the mark of a great athlete and skilled meditator is not the ability to be without distraction, expectation, or pressure, but to continue in spite of it.” There lots of mindfulness tools and apps available designed specifically for athletes to help you enhance focus and attention, body awareness and the ability to immerse yourself in the present moment – so maybe its time to reconsider resolutions and start thinking about engaging your mind for better performance.
Currently our competitive athletes are vying for spots on the junior and senior provincial teams, looking for an opportunity to represent Alberta at the Canadian National Championships to be held this year in March (Senior) and May (Junior). We wish them the best of luck in their preparations and offer our full support during our training sessions to help them meet their goals!
Announcements
- Please check your records to see that you are up to date in paying your training fees! Note that the three-month fee payment is due before the training session occurs.
- Class cancellations: Friday, February 14 for school use.
“Respond from the center of the hurricane, rather than reacting from the chaos of the storm.” George Mumford, The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance
Enjoy Your Training!
Gary Sabean
Head Instructor
November - December 2019 (Updated)
- Details
- Published: 20 November 2019 20 November 2019
- Last Updated: 29 November 2019 29 November 2019
Hope to see everyone at the 6th Annual All Alberta Karate Invitational Tournament this weekend (November 23) at Crescent Heights High School!
When: Saturday, November 23. Set-up begins at 8:00 am. Competition begins at 9:30 am.
Where: Crescent Heights High School: 1019 1st Street NW, Calgary, AB
More information and a tournament package can be found here.
UPDATE! A schedule for the tournament has been published and can be found here.
This competition – which we co-host with Sensei Adam Wackershauser – has grown significantly over the past few years and we expect this one to be the biggest ever with more than 200 entries across a range of recreational and competitive divisions. I hope everyone competing has a great tournament! Thank you in advance for all of the volunteers helping with set-up, registration, marshalling, scoring, refereeing and the million other tasks that have to get done to run a successful event. We couldn’t do it without you!
Speaking of the tournament, I know everyone has been preparing their katas and working hard on kumite to be ready for the competition. As we work on kumite techniques, I often have athletes ask me which technique is going to work the best. Everyone is looking to have a secret weapon that will allow them to surprise their opponents. Is it a head kick, a sweep or a flurry of punches? Well, as we’ve discovered over the past few weeks, it might be any of those techniques, but it’s not you who decides. It’s your opponent. Even if you feel that your head kick is excellent, if your opponent has a very strong guard protecting his or her head, why would you throw a technique that won’t score? Instead, a strong guard protecting their head means they likely aren’t thinking about a sweep. Or a body kick. So, while you might be itching to throw the head kick you have been practising, the smart karateka will see what opportunities are available and use techniques to capitalize on them.
Announcements
- Please check your records to see that you are up to date in paying your training fees! Note that the three-month fee payment is due before the training session occurs.
- Last Classes before Winter Break will be on December 20, 2019
"Nobody who gave their best ever regretted it." George Halas
Enjoy Your Training!
Gary Sabean
Head Instructor
How to be a Good Karate Parent
- Details
- Published: 08 March 2014 08 March 2014
- Last Updated: 26 June 2016 26 June 2016
From Karate by Jesse http://www.karatebyjesse.com
Note: I came across the following article and thought our dojo parents might enjoy it. I know I did!
Gary Sabean
Imagine the horror:
- You’ve been driving your kids to Karate class, tournaments and camps for years.
- You’ve spent boatloads of money on uniforms, belts, gradings and equipment.
- You’ve invested hundreds of hours to relentlessly push your kids to the limit.
Then one day…
BANG! They quit. Just like that. You’re heartbroken. Flabbergasted. Why?! You try to talk to them. You try to convince them to continue. You tell them they’ve come too far to quit now – give it another shot, kiddo! But nothing works. When a child makes her mind up, there’s not much you can do really.