Hello all,
Here are the themes for the week.

Mental theme: Connecting the dots

If you haven’t seen Steve Jobs’ Stanford speech, please do watch it on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc). It’s about 15 minutes long.

At one point he says, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards”. He’s talking about his life and experiences of course. All the changes happening around me also prompted me to reflect back on my life, and I happen to come to the same conclusion. Master D’Amico often says, we’re the product of all our experiences. The people we meet, the things we witness, and the things we do, everything has an effect on us, and these experiences are what make each an every one of us unique. This week, I ask you to look back at some seemingly insignificant moment in your life, and try to connect the dots to see if that moment was truly insignificant, and if not, how it defines you now.

Sunday: Isometric kicks, blocks, forms
Monday: Hammerfist, advanced techniques
Tuesday: Free-sparring, 3 steps and 1 steps
Thursday: Kicks with targets, blocks, group work

Jitendra

Hello TKD family,

Theme of the week: Be an active listener

For many listening is a passive exercise. But listening with your ears, heart, mind and body are really essential in enlightening your conversation. One of the things that I’ve been working on lately is listening wholeheartedly, without a need to judge or critique. One of things that I’ve noticed is that oftentimes I don’t listen to the inner dialogue in my mind. Listening to yourself is just as important as listening to others. Questions to ponder: What is it that you can learn about others just by listening? What is it that you can learn about yourself by listening?

Sunday: Forms, blocks, 1 step
Monday: hammerfist, jump/jump turn kicks, group work
Tuesday: Free-sparring with focus on lateral step, forms, color-belt combinations
Thursday: 1s and 3s, isometric kicks, conditioning

Cheers,

Aneela

Hey Everyone,

Focus of the week: Relaxation

We often experience varying levels of stress and anxiety as we progress
through our daily lives. A particularly stressful event or a series of
stressful events can build up to the point where they become mentally
and physically detrimental. Try to be mindful of what causes stress and
anxiety in your life and to reflect on how you deal with situations that
cause them. Practicing relaxation techniques, such as focusing on
breathing and consciously relaxing muscles in the face and body can help
alleviate built-up stress and can be done even if you only have a few
moments.

Themes:
Sunday: kicking combinations, group work
Monday: jump kicks with targets, hammerfist
Tuesday: Lateral step exercises and forms.
Thursday: Partner stretches, 3s and 1s, conditioning

See you all in class,

Tom

Dear TKD,
Sunday: Group work, hand techniques with targets
Monday (Labor Day class, likely at ~10:30am, check for official
update): Group work, sliding kicks w/ targets
Tuesday: Partner stretches, Creative kicking combos- including some blocks
Thursday: Basic kicks w/ targets, forms, blocks

Mental focus: New beginnings. A new school year has begun for some
recently. Are there other beginnings happening in your life? Often a new
beginning is exciting. Can you bring a feeling of “new beginning” to each
tae kwon do class?

Thank you!
Amy F.

Sirs & Ma’ams -

Here are the themes for the week:

Sunday – Forms, 3s & 1s, Blocks
Monday – High Forms, Hapkido, High Kicks
Tuesday – Lateral Step Exercises, Kicking Combinations, Kicks with Targets
Thursday – Jump Kicks, Forms, Free sparring

Mental Theme – Change. Change is such an important part of our lives. Things are changing constantly – sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. How do you approach change? Do you fear it? Welcome it?

“Change has long been a fearful thing for human beings … and at the same time, it is our most Divine opportunity. Clinging to the banks of the river may seem safe and more secure, but life’s possibilities are truly engaged only when we trust, release and become part of The Flow of the Universe.”

Hello Sir, Ma’am, and TKD,

Mental Focus:  Preparation