Inactivity Leads to Early Death Empower Martial Arts

By the end of this decade most Americans will only exert slightly more energy per week than if they slept 24 hours a day. Nike has brought to the world’s attention how severe this problem is and how it is affecting everyone. This year 5.3 million deaths will be attributed to inactivity while smoking is responsible for 5 million deaths. Today’s 10- year-olds are the first generation expected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Children are dropping out of sports, and for many, the only physical exercise received is during school. In China 92% of children only receive physical activity during school. There are many reasons and factors that contribute to this epidemic and yes, it is an EPIDEMIC. This is your chance to model what an active lifestyle looks like for your children and increase your health as well.

EMA wants you to live life to the fullest and show others how to do the same. Our society has become lazy in setting the example, modeling healthy eating and exercise, and parenting in general. Martial arts not only keeps you active, but increases flexibility, coordination, stamina, strength, balance, and a passion for success. Classes will be starting very soon! Contact Mr. Holgerson at tj_holgerson@hotmail.com or leave a comment below for questions or advice and have a fantastic day!

More statistics can be found at www.designedtomove.org



Obesity Self-Defense Fayetteville, N.C.

Are you overweight? Would you consider yourself obese? The calculations for determining your Body Mass Index or (BMI) is weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, rounded to one decimal place. Obesity in adults was defined as BMI greater than or equal to 30. Although this does not take into account that muscle weighs more than fat,  most of you know whether yours is muscle or not. Obesity causes a number of health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and many others. A survey taken in 2010, showed that 35.7% of adults were in the obese category. That’s over 78 MILLION PEOPLE. Furthermore, 17% of children ages 2-19 in the U.S. are obese, which is about 12.5 million CHILDREN.

Empower Martial Arts wants you to LIVE longer, be HEALTHY, become physically FIT, and take control of your life. Master Tom Callos of www.the100.us is a consultant I have been working with for a couple months now and he is working on a program called 100 steps. This program is built around the idea that getting in shape, eating right, and living longer is done in small steps. Take your first step TODAY and eat 1 healthy meal, or sweat for 30 minutes. Eliminate sweets and anything else you struggle with. Write it down and have someone hold you accountable.

Our positive and encouraging instructors are here to help you reach YOUR goals and fight back against obesity! Contact tj_holgerson@hotmail.com for more information or leave a comment below.

 

Self-Defense against Child Sexual Abuse Fayetteville, N.C.

Education is POWERFUL, and ultimately a better understanding of topics such as child sexual abuse leads to the highest form of self-defense which is NEVER letting it happen in the FIRST PLACE! One of the highest qualities of a Black Belt, is knowing the steps to avoid confrontation and maintain calm in the face of adversity. Child sexual abuse has filled the news for the past couple of decades and sadly many cases never get resolved. Children need to know what appropriate touch is and what it is not. Steps also need to be taken to ensure that there is no chance for anything to happen.

EMA is continually learning and working towards creating an environment where children have the highest chance to succeed in LIFE. Yes, self-defense is blocking kicks and punches, but true self-defense is being ready for ANYTHING!

Here are just a few statistics regarding child sexual abuse that may surprise and even upset you, but will give you an idea as to how unsettling this topic really is.

http://www.naasca.org/2012-Resources/010812-StaisticsOfChildAbuse.htm

For more information contact tj_holgerson@hotmail.com

Preparing for the Future, Empower Martial Arts Fayetteville, N.C.

Is your child prepared for the future? Does he/she have the skills and training needed to land a job in this constantly changing and evolving economy? Many great things come from books and learning from teachers in the classroom, but there are so many more pieces needed to develop STRONG, CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE, and problem solving LEADERS! Many people underestimate the power of problem solving and collaborative thinking as these are much more valuable than cramming information in your head to be ready for a test.

Empower Martial Arts is building LEADERSHIP programs designed to give students valuable tools for life such as PUBLIC SPEAKING, CLASS MANAGEMENT, SPACIAL ORGANIZATION, and how to make a difference in the COMMUNITY. We want to make a genuine impact on your life and the life of your child and create opportunities for you to impact OTHERS each and every day.

Contact EMA today at tj_holgerson@hotmail.com to learn more about the programs and grand opening specials coming this fall to Fayetteville, N.C. Have a blessed day!



Sexism, Strength and Dominance Fayetteville, N.C.

Sexism is when a man or women discriminates against or devalues someone of the opposite sex, just because they are of the opposite sex. This is seen in many different movies and even disney films along with the dominance theme where males are given a higher value of importance due to their size and strength. EMA is here to EDUCATE and bring AWARENESS to the community on the multiple topics of women 's self-defense. Contact tj_holgerson@hotmail.com for more information.





Empower Martial Arts view on Religion and Meditation

Some people relate martial arts with “eastern religion” as part of the package. Words such as “Zen” and “Taoism” will come up in conversation as these are the philosophical foundations that most Asian martial arts are built upon. They are nontheistic religions as we perceive them in the west. Bowing, along with other forms of dojang etiquette, could be misinterpreted as paganism to an outsider. They are, however, part of traditional taekwondo classes at Empower Martial Arts to teach discipline and class management. The instructors at EMA are Christians who put their faith in God and show this through their actions, behavior, and the way they live their lives. They are also very excited to share with you the traditions, the art, and the physical skills to make you a better person, and a well- rounded martial artist. Give EMA a try for FREE this fall and experience the highest quality martial arts program in the area.



ADD, ADHD and the Empower Martial Arts Solution Fayetteville, N.C.

Each year the percentage of children, especially boys, with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and AD/HD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) continues to grow higher and HIGHER. And even though this disease has many different forms, some noticeable, some not, EMA is here to HELP! With all instructors having spent several years serving and teaching children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD, we are ready to serve YOU.  

Focusing on any one task for a long period of time is a challenge for ANYONE and is easily one of the most important skills needed in the classroom and the work force today. EMA uses the greatest tool of “martial arts” to develop this skill along with many others including confidence, self-esteem, integrity, perseverance, and many more to help EMPOWER your life!  

Studies have proven time and time again how martial arts have increased attention spans, grades in school, ability to focus for longer periods of time, and built confidence and self-worth in those diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Although they are labeled “diseases”, it is merely a brain chemical makeup, meaning there’s nothing wrong with you, it’s just who you are! For more questions about ADD, ADHD or ways we can help, contact tj_holgerson@hotmail.com.

Personal Victory at Empower Martial Arts

One once said, “Success is the journey not the destination.” This simply means if you’re continually focusing on what’s down the road you’re missing the chance to better yourself TODAY! Empower Martial Arts wants to help YOU reach success by making S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Motivating, Achievable, Realistic, and Trackable) to reach your FULL potential. Everyone is looking for the quick fix to all of their problems, even if they have to pay large amounts of money. The problem is that you do not learn anything if you decide to take this route. Setting SMART goals is the first step in creating better eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking control of your life one personal victory at a time. No, this does not mean go out for ice cream after working out because “you deserve it”, but rather, write down what good foods you did eat that day and prove to yourself that you do have self-control.

 

Everyone THINKS tomorrow or the next day they’re going to change everything. They’re going to eat healthy, workout every day, only drink water, and completely rearrange their priorities. Instead make this your long term success goal and enjoy the smaller personal victories along the way! For more information on how to start YOUR journey towards success contact tj_holgerson@hotmail.com and join us at Empower Martial Arts in Fayetteville, N.C. This fall!

EMA health tip of the day Fayetteville, N.C.

We all know that we need to eat more vegetables. We, as parents, also know that we are key role models for kids and they are watching and learning from our behaviors.

According to the latest USDA guidelines, we should actually being filling half our plate with fruits and vegetables. And actually a bit more vegetables than fruit. So how do we get ourselves to eat more vegetables! That is a good question and this study may be the key with a pretty simple solution. By adding more variety of vegetables to your meal, adults were more likely to eat more vegetables. The study found that adults actually ate about 1/2 serving more of vegetables if there was a variety of vegetables.

Instead of serving one type of vegetable, like broccoli or spinach, try mixing them up with other vegetables.

Here are just a few easy ways to prepare mixed vegetables:

salads - you can easily add many types of delicious fresh vegetables to salads

stir-fry - chopping up different vegetables and sautéing them with some onions and fresh herbs

steamed vegetables - choose different vegetables and add some herbs and spices and lightly steam them

soups - my mom added so many different types of vegetables into soup and it always tasted good

of course you can add more vegetables into casseroles and sauces.

Don't forget color. Vegetables come in so many different colors and that adds another dimension of interest to the food.

So enjoy!

Triumphs Over Challenges Fayetteville, N.C.

You may have felt or have heard your child say, “this is too EASY”. Let’s relate this statement to a round-kick for a second. Imagine you are in your second week of training in martial arts and the instructor demonstrates and breaks down a round-kick. After a few attempts at executing this technique you determine that you’ve GOT IT and it’s EASY. You’ve been given the challenge of performing a round-kick and you have completed it. So you want to move on… what else you got… this taekwondo stuff is EASY, Or is it? Sure if taekwondo was all about show me this and show me that we would all be “black belts” correct? But showing me a technique standing still does not show me you truly KNOW anything! Imagine if you went to school and the teacher wrote down a math problem on the board with the answer and said, “Ok students, copy this down on your paper and lets MOVE ON”. What did you learn?

 

Empower Martial Arts is coming this fall to train LEADERS, INNOVATORS, and MOTIVATORS, not imitators. To truly grow as a person you must have KNOWLEDGE not copy and quote, but know the root of what you are demonstrating or explaining. If you knew all of the applications and different ways to use and perform a round-kick you would never consider it EASY! Take the simple challenge of showing a round-kick during class and turn it into a TRIUMPH by utilizing that technique to break boards, improve your flexibility, improve your sparring, and develop strength.

 

 

Basics are KEY! You will never understand how to do a jump round-kick if you do not properly know how to demonstrate one correctly while standing still. Above is Mr. Holgerson demonstrating the basics, progression, that even HE is continually striving to improve. For more information e-mail tj_holgerson@hotmail.com. See you this FALL!