Posted on

Mom, Dad, Here’s The Honest Truth About The Martial Arts for Your Child, Age 5 to 13.

Guest Post By Tom Callos for Balanced Life Skills.  Mr. Callos is Mr. Joe Van Deuren’s mentor, coach and instructor.

I took my first martial arts lesson at age 9. By the age of 13, when my friends were experimenting, when peer pressure seemed at an all time high, when I just knew my brain power had far surpassed my father’s, and when I couldn’t pass any reflective surface without gazing in wonder at what it beheld, I was firmly and deeply entrenched in my identity as a martial artist.

The classes anchored me, in fact, they were just about the only place where I could stand completely still for any extended period of time (except, of course, if front of the TV).  The instructors emphasized respect, courtesy, and a code of honor that nobody else I knew seemed to care about. For me, that was good. It made me feel unique.

In a good martial arts school, your child will feel like a part of “the team.” And this team, if they’re good at what they do, will have daily talks about compassion, about respect for self and others, about kindness, and about non-violent conflict resolution.

But equally as good as the philosophy can be is the fact that your little one will be training, as in legs flying, rolling, punching, blocking, jumping, and spinning. Each maneuver has an effect on your child’s brain and, of course, their body. When I watch the young people in my classes doing what we do, I always think about how good it is that they’re here, doing something so constructive and positive.

I also reflect back to when I was a child –and that’s usually followed by a silent “thank you” to my parents.

Football, soccer, baseball, tennis, and guitar were all fun, but not one of them affected me as my martial arts lessons have. If you’re a parent, I would highly recommend enrolling your child in a good school –and you might even consider some classes for yourself.

Come in and try classes for FREE for a week.

Posted on

Parents most important asset: Strong character

Parents are leaders. This series of posts compares typical leadership with parental leadership.Tony Robbins once spoke about why some individuals do not have continued success once they gain a measure of success.  It was likened to a thermostat that allows the heater to work, but when it reaches a pre-destined level,  then it shuts off.   Why is it,  that some find themselves unable to sustain, and in fact sometimes fall apart completely?  It can be fear of success, or it may be as Dr. Steven Berglas  suggests, a lack of bedrock character.

I have found it interesting as a parent / leader that the very beginning of parenting many times makes us feel so successful.  We get the compliments of many who tell us what a great job we are doing and how great our children are.  Then as one psychologist said, “Every parent must morn the death of their perfect child.”  One day we are shocked by something they do or say and we wonder where did that come from?  No matter what, it happens to all of us, some sooner – some later.

One thing is for sure though, having great character as a leader / parent is important.  All of us must continue to examine our personal character, matching our words and actions, as this is the most important asset that we have in business or family.  If we say we are going to do something – do we complete it?  Are we there for our children in their moments of glory and disappointments?

Children, our own children know us better than virtually anyone else.  They know the real us,  even if we think that we are doing a good job of putting up a great face. Without a word being spoken, I have seen them recognize when dad has lost his job, or parents are not getting along well.  They feel the emotions, they know the character and we as parents cannot disguise who we really are as leaders.  Even more important they are learning as they watch us and developing their own character, many times copying their parent / leaders actions – not their words.  As a parent leader our character is our most important asset.

Reinforcing character building in our children is one benefit of the martial arts at Balanced Life Skills.  In the month of February we will be discussing FAIRNESS with our students.

Posted on

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Karate, Taekwondo, or Jiu-jitsu, which is Best?

Guest Post By Tom Callos for Balanced Life Skills.  Mr. Callos is Mr. Joe Van Deuren’s mentor, coach and instructor.

This is an article full of shopping advice. If you’re shopping for a martial arts school, for training, then you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been studying the martial arts for 40 years, I’m a 6th degree black belt in taekwondo, a 17 year practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, and my students have include national taekwondo champions, karate point-fighters, and mixed martial arts legends. So, when it comes to martial arts training, in every –and any –realm, I know (exactly) what I’m talking about.

Here are three piece of advice for you, regardless of the kind of martial arts you might be interested in: Continue reading “Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Karate, Taekwondo, or Jiu-jitsu, which is Best?”

Posted on

Empowering children to reach their potential

Have you ever seen the parent that brags about their child and pushes them so hard to be the best at their school or group that you sometimes wonder if the parent is living out their fantasy through the child?   Many times the child does what is expected of them but deep down inside is not really interested in this pursuit at the same level that the parent is pushing so hard for.

Being a great leader or parent is not about making yourself look good.  It is about empowering your children to make good choices and to choose and follow their own dreams and goals.  Yes we want our children to do well and yes we are very proud of them when they do have accomplishments.  But those accomplishments are not ours as a parent –  but rather should be the result of our willingness to believe in them and give them the opportunities to grow.

As a parent we should be setting the example in continued growth, goal setting and improving ourselves in our own interests.  We should be willing to make the sacrifices required for our children to be their best at whatever their goals are, helping them to recognize the results and consequences that their choices mean.  In business your willingness to empower others because you believe in them will make you larger.  In your family empowering your teammates will bring you a great amount of joy and happiness as each member becomes their best in what they want to pursue.