Empower Martial Arts Supports our Troops Fort Bragg, NC

Friday November 2^nd Empower Martial Arts instructors joined our military soldiers and supported their families by attending the brigade run, Purple Heart ceremony, and Gold Star memorial ceremony. Not very often do you get to see thousands of soldiers running in formation and their families cheering them on. The brigade run consisted of 4 miles and not one person was left behind.

 

Following the run was the Purple Heart Ceremony, where soldiers and families gathered to honor those who had been injured during combat. Not every wounded soldier was in attendance, but one such soldier was, SSR Travis Mills. He is the 4^th person ever to survive a quadruple amputee surgery. Seeing him standing and greeting fellow soldiers later was a very surreal sight indeed.

Later in the evening was the Gold Star ceremony where a gold star was awarded, along with a plaque, to the families of the soldiers who died during combat. Emotions were high and tears were shed as the fellow soldiers and families of each victim mourned their loss. Once the prayer was given and shots were fired, emotions began to sink in as everyone became silent in remembrance. The strength of the families who had lost a loved one was unbelievable and is a constant reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a free country.

Idea's + We + Action = Change! Fayetteville, NC

Empower Martial Arts is committed to "change" by using people to put idea's into action! We also want to put YOUR idea's into action and help YOU make a difference community. "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Getting Involved in the Community, Empower Martial Arts Fayetteville, NC

This weekend EMA Instructors had the privilege of judging and networking at the “Trick or Treat Bash Open Tournament.” Martial arts studios from all over NC showed up to compete, make friends, and improve their skill set. The tournament was for all ages, ranks, and skill levels and offered competitions in the categories of weapons, open hand forms, point sparring, continuous sparring, grappling, and overall grand champion. For students and parents that are interested in competing at a tournament, contact Mr. Holgerson at tj_holgerson@hotmail.com or by phone at (913)-754-6570.

EMA also attended the STCNow or (Stop Child Trafficking Now) walk near downtown Fayetteville to raise money and awareness about child and sex trafficking. The event was put together very well with many volunteers and churches making the event a success! For more pictures and information check out EMA’s facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Empower-Martial-Arts/207343829305955?ref=hl or flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjholgerson. 

 

No Rules Self-Defense Fayetteville, NC

It’s very important that you remember when it comes to self-defense there are NO RULES. When you feel threatened, in trouble, or in any kind of danger, your only job is to get away quickly and safely as fast as possible.

The last thing you should have on your mind is to follow rules such as: I don’t want to draw attention to myself, I don’t want to lie, and I don’t want to hit someone. As master Tom Callos puts it, “HIT and hit HARD, LIE and lie BIG, don’t be afraid to throw a rock through someone’s window to get attention!” Bite, scratch, yell, stomp, kick, and throw things to get away and get away quickly.

Look for clues, be assertive, and be aware of the environment around you. Be aware of dark hallways, dark parking lots, strange characters by themselves, areas of town that become dangerous late at night, and anything that makes your hair stand up are all early signs of possible danger. However,  there are some types of danger that cannot be predicted and happen very quickly, such as car accidents or sport injuries.

Finally, never allow a situation that’s not good to get worse, or extremely dangerous. When a situation doesn’t feel right,  trust your instincts, get away, and get help quickly.

 

FREE Seminars For Parents, Empower Martial Arts

FREE Bully Prevention Seminar for Parents typically takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Think about it: in just 1.5 hours, you will learn how to identify bullying behaviors and what you can do for your child if they are being bullied or are the bully. You will also learn the steps you need to follow when dealing with teachers and your school to provide the best protection for your child.

Click on the link http://balancedlifeskills.com/bully-prevention/workshops/parents and sign up for this free workshop. Even if your children are Home-schooled it can still be a very worthwhile conference.

This website also offers a FREE workshop on suicide prevention. How to detect the warning signs, know how to offer help, and know how to get help and save a life! Click the link http://balancedlifeskills.com/suicide-prevention to get started!

For more information or questions, leave a comment below or e-mail tj_holgerson@hotmail.com

Knowledge and awareness are the first steps in true self-defense.

The Power of Your Voice, Empower Martial Arts

When most people think of Karate or Tae-Kwon-Do, the first thing that comes to their minds is the crane pose from The Karate Kid or a goofy yell. In martial arts this goofy yell is called a “ki-hap” and it serves several purposes.

The main purpose of a “ki-hap” is to increase your power when executing a technique. Science has shown how exhaling simultaneously with a technique can increase your power by up to 15%. It causes a small burst of adrenaline to escape while at the same time reminding you to breathe when you’re nervous.

Yelling is also a great way to draw attention to yourself if you are feeling threatened or are being attacked. The worst thing you can do is freeze up and not say anything. Yelling can signal other people to help you or even scare the aggressor away entirely.

For testing purposes, ki-hap’s are used as a form of communication to signal your partner during one-step drills and self-defense routines. This is one way of showing respect to your opponent by making sure they have a plan before attacking.

Finally yelling is a great form of stress relief that is generally frowned upon in many activities. Coming from a stressful day at work or having trouble with bullies at school, EMA wants to relieve your stress and build confidence through the power of your voice!

For more information or questions on this topic or how to get involved in Empower Martial Arts contact Mr. Holgerson at tj_holgerson@hotmail.com or leave a comment below.



Safety Tips For Your Children From Empower Martial Arts

Just in case you didn’t know, pedestrian injury is still the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death in children ages 5-14. Because a child’s size and cognitive ability are constantly developing, in addition to environmental risks such as speeding motorists there are many hazards that contribute to accidents and injuries. Here are some great tips from resources www.safekids.org and www.childrensafetyzone.com.

Teach safe behaviors:

• Look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Cross when the street is clear, and keep looking both ways while crossing. Walk, don't run.

• Understand and obey traffic signals and signs.

• Walk facing traffic, on sidewalks or paths, so that you can see oncoming cars. If there are no sidewalks, walk as far to the left as possible.

Practice safe behaviors:

• Don’t allow a child under age 10 to cross streets alone as he may not be able to fully appreciate the speed of cars on the road.

• Require children to carry a flashlight at night, dawn and dusk. Add retroreflective materials to children’s clothing so that a child can be seen by motorists, even in the dark.

• Don't let kids play in driveways, unfenced yards, streets or parking lots. Drivers may not see or anticipate children playing.

For more information on safety tips and how to get involved with Empower Martial Arts Contact Mr. Holgerson at tj_holgerson@hotmail.com or by phone at (913)-754-6570.