Archive for September, 2009
15 Minute Chef
Posted by admin in Nutrition, Vegetarian on September 30th, 2009
Now that school is in full swing again it’s hard to find the time to juggle everything you have to do all day AND find time to make a tasty, nutritious dinner for your family. Next time you’re in a bind don’t reach for boxed mac and cheese – instead, make your own healthier version in less than 15 minutes!
Ingredients:
-2 boxes frozen broccoli with reduced fat cheese sauce
-4 ounces cream cheese
-4 cups cooked pasta (recommended: elbow macaroni or rotini)
Directions:
Microwave broccoli according to package directions. Empty boxes into a microwave safe bowl and stir in cream cheese. If needed, microwave mixture for 30-second increments to melt cream cheese until mixture is fully combined. Toss with pasta to coat.
Serve this as is or add chopped chicken if you desire.
Testing Tips for Junior Judges
Now that you are a black belt you are eligible to assist judging other students at testing. Here are some guidelines to help you effectively judge testing. First, a judge’s appearance is in important part of testing. All judges should be in a clean, full white uniform free from holes or stains. When at the table, judges should not appear distracted or bored. While judges must communicate with fellow judges, keep any discussion short, quite, and focused on the testing. At testing each judge will be assigned a “number” or station to watch. Be sure you know your assignment before the testing begins. Once the testing begins stay focused on your assignment. The other judges are counting on you to do your job. If you fail, a student may not get the fair consideration at testing he or she deserves. When the sparring begins, be prepared to jump out there and watch two people while they’re sparring. If you are centering a sparring match it is your job to make sure the students are not hitting each other too hard or making contact with illegal target areas. If they are, do not be afraid to stop them and let them know what they are doing wrong. At the end of the testing all the judges will go over the testing results for each student. Remember, Mr. and Mrs. Lacy have the final word in all decisions regarding whether a student passes or receives a no change. These decisions will be made based on subjective and objective elements. An objective element is whether or not a student does everything technically correct. Subjective elements are harder to judge, such as whether students have good technique or tried their hardest.
Seven Secrets of Highly Successful Martial Artists
Regardless of how old you are or what rank you have earned, most martial artists share a goal: to be the best they possibly can be. You may never be able to jump, flip upside down, and accurately kick your target like Jackie Chan, but taekwondo is an individual sport, which means the important thing is you try to do that best that YOU can do. Use these Seven Habits of Highly Successful Martial Artists to help you get there.
1) Be There – getting to class is important not only to continue your learning but to provide your body with the routine of physically and mentally participating in taekwondo (also known as muscle memory).
2) Practice – If you want to master a skill you have to work on it at home. Take 5 to 10 minutes during the day working on a particularly challenging technique and you’ll be surprised how quickly you “get it”.
3) Eat Right – Everyone has heard that “you are what you eat”. Your body is like a sports car: you have to put in top quality fuel to get the best results.
4) Stretch Daily – Flexibility isn’t necessary in taekwondo, but the more flexible you are the faster, more powerful, and more accurate your techniques will become. It doesn’t take much, just a few minutes during commercial breaks will help. Remember to never stretch to the point where it’s painful, but do push yourself just past what is comfortable and hold (*never* bounce).
5) Meditate/Visualize – You can even do this while you’re stretching. Close your eyes, relax, and slowly take several deep breaths while visualizing yourself mastering that challenging technique or doing the perfect form.
6) Teach – When it comes to studying anything, the learning order from least to most effective is to hear it, to read it, to write it down, and to teach it to someone else. Teaching something forms a stronger imprint of the information in your brain, so go help a struggling fellow student or just teach someone something you read in your Student Manual.
7) Set Goals – There is no way to stress exactly how important it is to have a goal, whether it be an upcoming tournament, future testing, mastering a technique, breaking boards, or getting your 7th Degree Black Belt. In fact, set several short and long-term goals. You don’t have to create a deadline, but periodically check in and make sure you’re making progress.
S.T.R.I.V.E for Your Goals!
Posted by admin in Black Belt, Taekwondo on September 22nd, 2009
Anyone who saw Mrs. Peck receive her 7th degree this weekend couldn’t help but be inspired. Don’t let that momentum go to waste! While you are on the road to black belt, you may discover that the road ban be tough to travel and it might have a few obstacles on it that could slow you down. Just like Mr. Lacy says, if earning a black belt were simple then everyone would have one. The most important thing to remember is that when that road gets a bit bumpy or you start to take a wrong turn, smooth out the bumps and ask for directions to help get back on track. The journey we take to black belt teaches us to set goals, be persistent, overcome obstacles, and follow through in the taekwondo school as well as in life. Set a goal, then S.T.R.I.V.E. for it!
S is for Start Small – Set a serious of short-term goals that will add up to a bigger once, such as passing each testing leading up to black belt.
T is for Think Tall – Set a goal that is worthwhile, and dream bigger than life. If nothing could stop you, what would you like to accomplish?
R is for Reach Over the Wall – Choose a goal that will require you to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
I is for Invest Your All – Give it your best shot. Keep working towards your goal and don’t give up. Don’t let yourself slack off.
V is for Visualize – Take the time to see yourself achieving your black belt or other goals you have set. What are the rewards of sticking with your goal? How will your life be different? See yourself at the big celebration that will happen after you reach your goal.
E is for Expect to Stall – Distractions and obstacles may come up on your road to black belt or any other worthwhile goals. Know that with high peaks, where everything is going as planned,come valleys. Be prepared to take action to overcome roadblocks and distractions and get back on track.
The world is full of great starters. It takes a special person to “strive” towards excellence and finish what they start.
Parent Cheat Sheet, Sparring Special
So, how exactly do judges pull students up to spar at a tournament? Rest assured we are not just pulling names out of a hat. Actually, we use the same bracket the NCAA uses for the sweet 16:
http://images.chron.com/blogs/tubular/archives/chron_galactic_bracket_blank.jpg
If the number of competitors is divisible by four it makes our jobs really easy. If, however, it’s not then some competitors will get a bye (automatically win their first round). So, who gets the bye and how do we pair up competitors? Well, our first goal is to make sure no one spars someone from their school the first round. Ideally we try to keep kids from the same school from sparring as long as possible, but if the majority of the competitors are from the same school there is only so much the judges can do.
After making sure competitors are sparring someone from a different school the pairing process can vary slightly depending on the judges preferences. Some judges like to pair competitors up by size. Others like to have the first and second place forms competitors spar and the third and fourth place competitors spar so that as many students as possible get a medal. It’s impossible to come up with hard and fast rules because they will inevitably change based on the makeup of the group. Know that there is plenty of thought going into it though and that we try to set everyone up to be as successful as possible.
Have any more last minute questions? Get them in quick because the tournament starts tomorrow!
I Will Not Quit on You…
Posted by admin in Black Belt, Fitness, Taekwondo on September 16th, 2009
Several years ago Mr. Lacy made a promise to all the students of Lacy’s Taekwondo. After describing the number of students who get a black belt (less than 5% of those who ever start a martial art) and the setbacks that can occur along the way (failed testings, losing interest, giving up) he promised to never quit on a student as long as the student didn’t quit. It was incredibly motivational to all those who remember it or have since heard it, but with time all things wan, so it is time to renew that promise – for all of us.
For Mr. Lacy it’s easy to keep the promise, because it’s clear exactly what not quitting entails. As students, it gets to be a bit more difficult. Standing here every day it looks to me like a lot of students have already quit. Sure, they still come to class, some of them almost every day. Some even go to events and test on time every time; but the effort is gone. EFFORT is what sets apart a true martial artist from someone who will never get their black belt. It is how you can tell an instructor from a black belt with one foot out the door. Effort is the difference between a 7th Degree and someone who used to be a black belt. In taekwondo, effort is everything and if you don’t bring it to class with you you might as well stay home.
Parent Cheat Sheet
With the tournament coming up, here are some tips for the clueless parent as to what exactly is going on during tournament sparring.
-A round lasts 60 seconds. Every time the judges call “break” time is stopped. Overtime lasts 15 seconds.
-A competitor can get up to three warnings per round. If he or she gets two warnings, the other competitor is awarded one point. If he or she gets three warnings he/she is automatically disqualified. Warnings reset at zero at the start of a new round or overtime. Drawing blood is an automatic disqualification.
-A competitor cannot score from outside the designated “ring” no matter how many kicks or punches they throw.
-One point for: kick to the body, punch to the body.
-Two points for: jump kick to the body, kick to the head.
-Three points for: jump kick to the head.
-Competitors cannot kick to the back, below the belt, to the face, or punch to the back, the face, or the head. If they do they will receive a warning.
-Competitors may also receive a warning (or two or even three) for hitting too hard.
-You should try to make light contact while sparring. Whether or not students receive points for “getting close” but not making contact depends on their rank.
Still confused about why your child won or lost? Look at how much the judges move around while they’re judging sparring. Notice how one judge is always on a different side than the other two. That’s because a sparring match may look completely different from another angle. Even judges with several years worth of experience may miss things from time to time, so if you have a question please feel free to (politely) ask.
To Black Belt and Beyond
Posted by admin in Black Belt, Taekwondo on September 14th, 2009
Reaching your potential means breaking through your comfort zone to discover your true abilities. Your comfort zone is what you can achieve with your average effort and determination. Here are five strategies you can implement today to help reach your full potential.
1) Cross Train – Taekwondo is excellent exercise. However, make a commitment to supplement your taekwondo classes with biking, jogging, weight training, cardio kickboxing, yoga, etc. You can even alternate your cross training activity each week. By exercising muscles used less in taekwondo you will become a stronger and faster martial artist.
2) Stretch – Make a habit of warming and stretching your muscles every day. Flexibility plays a critical role to the responsiveness of your muscles. the bottom line is stretching will make you a better martial artist.
3) Practice – Martial artists believe that there is always room for improvement. While it may not be true that “practice makes perfect”, practice does make better (especially when you practice with EFFORT).
4) Take care of yourself – Be healthy. Pay attention to what you eat. Food is the fuel your body uses to perform. If you feed it junk you will not perform your best. Find out what your ideal body weight should be and set a goal to reach it. Care for yourself and you are sure to be a good martial artist.
5) Train Your Brain – Develop the mental aspect of your training by reviewing all your techniques in your mind’s eye. Many scientific studies have shown that “thinking” about an activity can help you improve your performance. Visualize yourself doing the perfect form, then get up and do it exactly like you saw it.
You don’t need to make a major change to produce dramatic results. The above five strategies will allow you to make several subtle changes to break through your comfort zone and reach your full potential.
AAA Awards Black Belts
Posted by admin in Black Belt, Taekwondo on September 11th, 2009
It is easier to achieve your Taekwondo goals with a little help from AAA – Attendance, Action, and Attitude.
Attendance
Good attendance seems obvious at first. All you have to do is go to class, right? WRONG! To achieve real results you must attend class regularly. That doesn’t mean you go everyday, but at least three times a week. It is more effective to train three times a week than to train daily for a week or two then stop for ten days. Experts suggest that it takes an equal amount of time to regain your skill level when you miss class. For example, if you take two weeks off you’ll need two weeks to regain your previous skill level before you can start improving.
Action
Consistent action is the second key to achieving your goals. As you workout, both your mind and your muscles are recording standards of performance. Consistent action means that you practice how you want to perform. For maximum performance always practice with 100% effort. If you consistently train with intensity your mind and body will become equal to the task. So remember, don’t just say “I wish that I could kick really high/fast/strong”. Workout to make it happen!
Attitude
Attitude is the most powerful key to reaching your goals. The Black Belt Attitude is one of personal excellence and achievement. Black belts maintain winning attitudes through self discipline and self control. They develop high levels of self confidence in their ability to follow through and get the job done despite any obstacles. Ask any black belt if achieving their rank was easy and every one of them will tell you no. There were a lot of roadblocks, dedication, and hard work along the way but because of their positive attitude they were able to succeed where most others have failed.
Consistence in attitude, action, and attendance, combined with setting specific goals will give you the foundation to meet and exceed your Taekwondo goals.
Tournament Etiquette
With the tournament coming up next week plenty of students and parents are wondering what the proper etiquette is and still have a few lingering questions. Hopefully this post will help to set your mind at ease but if you have more questions please let us know!
- Make sure you give yourself plenty of room to do your form, even if it means starting off the mat. You don’t want to worry about hitting the judges in the middle of your pattern; it could distract you and cause you to make a mistake.
-All students receive two chances to perform their pattern at a tournament, except in the case of a tie-breaker. If you are participating in a run-off (tie-breaker) you only get one chance, so no matter what FINISH YOUR FORM. The other person may make a bigger mistake than you did.
-If you have to do your form twice there will be a one-point deduction from your total score (the combined score of all 3 judges) not one point from each judge.
- If the judges ask you whether you would like to perform your pattern again, the answer is always yes. Always. No exceptions. I have never seen Mr. Lacy so angry or disappointed as the time four competitors in the 3rd and 4th Degree Men’s division decided not to attempt their form a second time. There’s no reason not to, and you are setting a good example for all the other competitors when you do. As judges and black belts, we always looking at the amount of EFFORT students put into Taekwondo. Not doing your form a second time when given the chance shows a serious lack of effort.
-If you have a question about why you had to do your form again make sure you ask one of the three judges at the end of your competition. They will be happy to tell you and it may save you from making a similar mistake at testing.
-When sparring, only red TA co-branded gear is allowed. Make sure you check your gear bag before leaving for the tournament. Students may not have any type of tape anywhere on their gear.
-Cheering is encouraged during sparring as long as it is positive. Negative comments and chants are disrespectful and will not be tolerated. Students or spectators heard doing so may be asked to leave.
-Don’t take off your gear after you spar, even if you lose. Two losing students will end up having to spar again for 3rd and 4th place.
-Sparring rounds last 60 seconds. Overtime (if there is a tie) lasts 15 seconds.
-All students must wear clean, full white uniform with all patches and belt.
Above all else, tournaments are supposed to be fun so take the time to get to know the people in your division. It will help ease your nerves, make sparring less stressful, and might make you a new friend!