Today’s world asks more and more of our children and youth. They must compete with a million distractions and still stay focused. How on earth can they do it? Sensei works with kids to be excited about their learning both inside and outside the dojo.
“I want them to be smart and then fast.” When kids know that they can do something then they can do it fast. First it is important to build the foundation, the knowing they can do something, then comes the speed at which they can do it. Sensei explains it to the kids like this:
I don’t want you to be so fast you run away off a cliff, I want you to be smart
first, know where you are going, then get there fast.
The skills kids learn when working with Sensei Blue are life skills. It’s about creating a goal, and finding a way to that goal. It’s about discipline to stay on that goal, focus is easily distracted, even in the dojo there are multiple activities going on, some more “fun” than others, just like life. They are there to teach the kids the values of staying on their goal.
The most important life skill kids learn in the dojo is self-control. “There is only one person you can control, yourself.” Sensei encourages kids to take control of what they can, their bodies, their mind, and their emotions. By being able to recognize how they feel, they can learn to feel it before it becomes a problem and calm themselves down. Sensei Blue uses a breathing technique to help the kids find peace, to make the best decisions.
The values that kids learn at the dojo are the same that we want parents to encourage at home. It all comes down to healthy choices and understanding that there is always a choice and always a consequence. Not all children pick up on this value easily, the positive environment at the dojo rewards great behavior and challenges the choice of behavior that is unhealthy.
In this world of instant gratification it is hard to keep kids on task for something they may not see immediately. I’ve heard people ask Sensei Blue “How long does it take to make a Black Belt?” The answer: “It’s up to the student.” There are students that already have the Black Belt mindset, but have yet to complete the requirements to hold the belt. There are students that hold the belt, but have yet to embrace the Black belt mindset. At Total Self Defense we create teachers and leaders. First, those that teach and lead themselves and then those that teach and can lead others.