You Get One Chance

Every day you go through a number of different routines such as eating breakfast, driving your car, showering (I hope), and many others. You also spend time on a regular basis preparing for things that may never happen, for example; training in CPR, paying for special insurance, practicing self-defense, and even learning advanced trigonometry.

But when it boils down to a topic such as self-defense, you get ONE CHANCE: one chance to defend yourself, one chance to defend someone else, and one chance to possibly save your life. There are many ways to practice self-defense physically, mentally, and verbally. But it all comes down to muscle memory when your adrenaline is pumping, your fine motor skills are sunk, tunnel vision kicks in, and you have no time for anything except action.

At Empower Martial Arts we believe that less is more when it comes to self-defense. Yes, it’s exciting to learn a new self-defense technique that involves many steps and can disable an opponent with minimal effort, but will you be able to remember everything in a time of crisis? We believe in self-defense that is simple, proven effective, can be used on much larger opponents, and will hold up in court in case of a serious incident.

Take your training seriously, take your health and fitness seriously, and strive towards excellence and a life with no regrets. For questions or more information contact: tj_holgerson@hotmail.com or (913)-754-6570.

 

Happy Easter from Empower Martial Arts

Happy Easter from Empower Martial Arts!

EMA wants to take a moment and wish everyone a happy and safe Easter this year. May it be filled with joy, family, friends, and even a few Easter eggs! But never forget the true reason for this holiday and celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and celebrate his resurrection!

Blessings! (913)-754-6570, tj_holgerson@hotmail.com.

Butterfly Twist Variations

Kicking on Purpose

Every day we walk through life completing tasks, eating food, reading the news, and maybe even working out. But all of these daily obligations have no meaning if you’re not doing them on purpose. What do you mean? Do you eat with the purpose of losing weight, or to satisfy taste buds? Do you workout to be social, or do you do workout to build muscle?

At EMA we not only train with a purpose but teach with a purpose as well.

When practicing kicking techniques, you are not just kicking the air hoping that someday it will save your life from an attacker.  Rather, you are kicking to understand body awareness and to strengthen the muscles and joints that will help you move and feel better. We also practice kicking techniques with the purpose of releasing stress, improving balance, coordination, increasing flexibility, and jump-starting the cardiovascular system to burn fat and increase the flow of blood and oxygen.

Although there are many benefits to gain from martial arts and Tae Kwon Do, it all starts with PRACTICING ON PURPOSE. Plain and simple you must practice on purpose to improve your kicks, eating habits, fitness, and wellbeing.

Take the next step on purpose today and call (913)-754-6570 to learn how you can acquire the many benefits Empower Martial Arts has to offer!

 

The Life Skill and Character Development trait for March is Loyalty

2013 is off to a great start and we are already in March with many great things ahead. This month we will be discussing loyalty. Loyalty is defined as,  “a strong feeling of support or alliance”. What are your reasons and motives for staying loyal?

Many people are loyal to certain insurance companies, churches, sports teams, mentors, and friends because they share a common value, or because they’re just cheaper. Loyalty can be rewarded, but loyalty normally comes from within. Most loyal people also know that there is ALWAYS something greater, but they aren’t very interested in looking. This is because loyalty makes us happy! Why else would you root for your favorite team? But loyalty isn’t forever, the world changes, and holding onto certain labels becomes impossible.

At Empower Martial Arts we are loyal to many different things, but our main loyalties lie in the morals and standards we have set for our instructors, volunteers, staff, and students. We believe that our core values described in our purpose statement should be upheld at all times. We want to see our vision for helping the community and equipping catalysts for change through dedication, commitment, and LOYALTY to empowering the lives of those around us!

For more information on how to get involved with EMA call (913)-754-6570 today! Or e-mail tj_holgerson@hotmail.com. 

 

Overcoming Overeating

Empower Martial Arts wants you to stay healthy, fit, active, and reach your goals one personal victory at a time! Here are some great eating tips by www.webmd.com .

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Babies are born knowing to eat when they are hungry, and stop when they are comfortable. But as we grow up and are exposed to fad diets, advertising, food used as a reward, ect.., many of us unlearn this beautifully balanced way of eating and begin to overeat.

Yet eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are comfortable is one of the keys to healthy eating and living, says Linda Bacon, PhD, nutrition professor at the City College of San Francisco.

Much has been written on the "eating when you're hungry" side of this equation. But how do you learn to stop when you're comfortable if you've lost touch with this over the years?

Overcoming Overeating

Experts say there are things you can do to make yourself more likely to stop eating when you are comfortable. They include:

Eat slowly: This isn't a new concept; remember all those familiar dieting tips like "sip water between bites" and "chew thoroughly before swallowing"? These were all aimed at slowing us down when we eat. Research led by Mark Gold, MD, at the University of Florida at Gainesville has shown it takes 12 or more minutes for food satisfaction signals to reach the brain of a thin person, but 20 or more minutes for an obese person. Eating slowly ensures that these important messages have time to reach the brain.

Be aware: "Be more attentive about the whole eating experience; don't eat when you are driving or at the computer," advises Bacon. When we're distracted or hurried the food (and calories) we eat tend not to register well in our brains. Jean Kristeller, PhD, a psychologist and Indiana State University researcher, suggests a brief premeal meditation to get centered before eating so you can more easily derive pleasure from your food, give the meal your full attention, and notice when you've had enough.

Make the first bites count: Bacon believes the maximum food enjoyment comes in the initial bites. "After a few bites, taste buds start to lose their sensitivity to the chemicals in food that make it taste good," she explains. Satisfying your taste buds by really savoring those first few bites may help you stop eating when you're physically comfortable.

Keep up appearances: Using a smaller plate and paying attention to the presentation of a meal can increase your awareness of the food in front of you and help you stop eating when you are comfortable. "The brain looks at the plate and decides if the potion is adequate," says Gold. "It takes some time, but the smaller plate, the smaller portion."

Choose satisfying foods: Steer away from foods that give you a lot of calories for very little volume, such as milk shakes, cheese, and chocolate, Gold recommends. The higher the fiber, protein, and/or water content of a food or meal, the more likely it is to be satisfying in your stomach without going overboard on calories.

For more information or questions contact EMA at (913)-754-6570 or tj_holgerson@hotmail.com.



 

Life Skill of the month is Courtesy

Courtesy is more than just a word or an action. It is a choice. Every day you have the chance to show and demonstrate courtesy. During class we simply refer to courtesy as treating people right, or doing unto others as you would have them do unto you (golden rule).

Courtesy comes in many different forms and is rarely ever praised or rewarded. It’s the conscious effort of putting others before you and over time develops good habits that dictate your strength in character. You should never seek tangible rewards for showing courtesy to friends and strangers, because demonstrating courtesy with the wrong motives shows fear of not being recognized and low self-esteem.

On behalf of Empower Martial Arts and its instructors, I would like to challenge you to not just wait around for opportunities to arise, but to seek out more situations where you could show courtesy and maybe even step out of your comfort zone.

Showing courtesy leads to higher self-esteem, higher self-esteem leads to confidence, and confidence leads to leadership and empowering the lives of those around you. Don’t waste any opportunity to grow and help others. For more information call (913)-754-6570 or e-mail tj_holgerson@hotmail.com.