Fondue disaster inspires fire safety!

Last night, we decided to have some fondue chocolate to dip all sorts of desserts in.  The way this pot works is a cast iron pot is on top of a little cast iron stand and under it is an open flame.  While dipping the chocolate, I thought about what we would do if this flipped over and started a fire in our apartment - which is on the 2nd floor.  Since this week is Fire Safety week for our Personal Achievement Academy, I thought I would give out a quick lesson about what to do in case of a fire!

• If there is a fire, get out quick and don’t stop to get anything. 
• Make noise (blow whistle) to get neighbors attention and contact 911 as soon as possible. 
• Have a family meeting place and do not leave the family meeting place. 
• If smoke is present, stay low to the ground to avoid fumes. 
• Never open a door if it is hot. 
• If you catch on fire, stop, drop on the floor and roll to put out the fire. 
• Never play with electric sockets, matches, candles, lighters, fireplaces, barbecues, stoves, or anything that has a flame.

With this knowledge, we can keep our community safe!  Check out our websites and sign up for our newsletters so that you can get on our list for information about our next kid power event!

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Be Courageous

When talking about self-defense, more specifically for kids, there are 3 dangers.  Throughout the year, our Personal Achievement Academy instructors will conduct seminars that cover "Stranger Danger," Bully Defense, and Peer Pressure.  Between all three, you gotta have courage!  But let’s face it, demonstrating courage and standing up for your beliefs can take guts. You need to develop self-confidence that will allow you to remain comfortable with your ideals even in the face of peer pressure. Sometimes it’s tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure, but you can do it! There are 3 ways you can increase your self confidence: You need to know yourself (what you stand for), accept yourself, and be yourself. And remember, peers can pressure each other into doing what’s right. With self confidence, you can become one of the leaders of the group that makes the right choice!

Fitness for kids - Anaerobic vs. Aerobic Lesson of the week!

     Here is our special video for our lesson of the week: "Aerobic vs. Anaerobic."  This was a "mat chat" that we did in our White, Orange, and Yellow belt class this week.  The kids were so engaged and interactive, I couldn't have even scripted a better mat chat.  It was really cool.

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Comment at the bottom and let me know!

Personal Achievement Academy Lesson of the Week!

     This month our Personal Achievement Academy theme is “Martial Arts Athlete.”  We focus on being healthy, getting exercise, and eating right.  For this week, we’re going to focus on a highly effective method to fast-track an athlete’s ability level – Private Training.  Tiger Woods is considered one of the greatest golfers in the world and he has a private trainer teach him every day.  If you enjoy something and want to become really good at it, try taking a private lesson to help you perfect your techniques. 

Here are the missions!

• Schedule a private lesson to learn something you have always wanted to learn. 
• Train and practice for at least 10 minutes with someone who is better than you.   
• Ask a friend to teach you something you want to learn.    
• Ask a family member to teach you something you want to learn.
• Take a seminar or special class (semi-private lesson) on a subject you want to learn. 

Turn in your missions and receive a green stripe!  It's a new month, new missions, new lessons, and we're working on this muscle to be community leaders!  Our PAA party (for anyone that turns in their worksheet) will be November 5, 2011!!  

Readers are Leaders!

Reading paves the way to success in school and in life!  It can build your self-confidence and motivate you to set high expectations and goals for yourself.  Reading initiates creativity and opens your mind to expand.  Even reading for 10 minutes can ignite your imagination.  Pick topics you enjoy and hobbies you want to learn more about.  Picking topics that you want to learn more about or things you don't know about are great ways to expand your knowledge and become much smarter.  Develop a steady habit of reading for 10 to 30 minutes each day and your mind will grow with knowledge, creativity, and imagination.  Did you know that if you read 15 minutes a day with your parents, friends, or on your won can expose you to more than one million words in a year!?

For adults:  Find something that you enjoy reading and spend 10-15 minutes reading every night before you go to bed.  A lot of people watch TV before bed and it leads to your brain not wanting to relax into a deep sleep.  Every night, I read my favorite book:  How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie and it helps improve my mood if I have a bad day and helps me focus on something I can do tomorrow to make me better.  Try it!

Master Focus!

April's theme is "Knowledge is Power."  Our first week's goal is to improve our focus and have MASTER FOCUS!  Focus is really just another word for concentration.  When you're able to concentrate better and focus on what a teacher is saying to you, your brain gets stronger and you learn faster!  How do you improve your focus and concentration?  By looking, listening to your teacher, and keeping your body completely still.  When you can do all 3 parts, you are a Focus Master.  Next time you are trying to learn something new, use the three levels of focus to learn faster and better:

Levels of the Focus Master-
Level 1- Look directly into his/her eyes
Level 2- Clear your mind and listen
Level 3- Stay perfectly still

Week 1 missions:
1- When speaking to a parent, adult, or teacher, use the three Focus Master techniques
2- Tell your school teacher the 3 rules of a Focus Master
3- Have a parent set a timer and see how long you can stay perfectly still (1 minute is great!)
4- Close your eyes and clear your mind.  Try to think of only one object in detail for 1 minute
5- Take a book and count the words in any paragraph.  Try to perform the county mentally and only with your eyes

Journal to Success

Writing gives you time to find out who you are, plan activities, unleash creativity, understand your thoughts, plan for the future, and open up your dreams.  An easy way to jump start your success is to have a success journal in which you can write down important events, plan for the future and write down important things that you learn. Use your success journal to track your Personal Achievement Accomplishments and write down your goals.  Remember you can write however you want and whatever you want, so be creative and have fun.  The secret of a great journal is to rite in it as often as you can, have fun, and come up with some great ideas.

Try this:
Make a journal by stapling paper together or buy one from the store
Write down ONE goal in your journal
Draw a picture of something you like or something crazy
Write down a short story about anything you want
Write one thing that you learned, anything
Write a short paragraph about a friend, a family member, or teacher

GOOD LUCK!  Maybe your journal will be famous some day!

Charisma!

Leaders have a lot of charisma because they feel good about themselves.  When you have charisma, people will like being around you because you are "celebrating," not "complaining."  You know, you're happy, you smile, your just fun to be around.  Things that charismatic people do is start conversations with other people, listen to them, and help everyone else feel better about themselves.  You should help people to have a good time and you encourage them to do their best if you want to be a charismatic leader.

SPEAK UP!
Here are some things you can do to have more charisma:
1)  Say "hi" to 5 people in your class at school before they can say hi to you first
2)  Tell 5 people: "It's good to see you!"
3)  When someone asks you how you are doing, say "Great! How are you?"
4)  Give someone a compliment to make him/her feel good

Good Winner/ Good Loser

If you give up on your goals, you'll be left in the dark:  Did you know Thomas Edison tried to invent the light bulb more than 1,000 times before he actually got one that worked!?

Good Winners are like this:
Leaders know how to win like a champion.  You congratulate your opponents and encourage them to do their best next time.  Be excited about winning, but don't show off or make fun of the people who lost.  When people tell you how good you are, always say "Thank you!"

Good "Losers" are like this:
Being a good loser is one of the most important qualities to achieving great things in life.  The more time you spend complaining about losing, the more time your opponents have to get better.  It is impossible to win every time, so turn your losses into wins.

When you Lose, Try the Winner's Game Plan:
Step 1 - GET OVER IT! Tell yourself you tried your best and tell your opponents "good job!"
Step 2 - GET BETTER! Write down why you lost and practice what you did poorly
Step 3 - GO TRY AGAIN!  Keep trying your best, Winners never give up, they TURN IT UP!

Stand up and Lead!!

This week we focus on Leadership.  Leadership is not just a word, it's an action!  Did you know that people who speak in front of crowds earn on average four times more than the average American?  Earn what, you may ask. They earn more money, more promotions, better grades at school, their goals, awards, you name it!

Get up in front of people as much as you can.  it will make a tremendous impact on your life!  Studies show that the #1 fear in life for most people is getting up in front of others and speaking.  When you conquer things that other people are afraid of, you set yourself up for extreme success.  Try giving a presentation, telling a joke, a story, doing a comedy show.  You can also try singing, reciting a poem, acting, teaching, or reading to a group.  Next time someone asks for a volunteer, be the first to raise your hand.  Everyone is scared at first, but pretty soon it will be easy and you will not be afraid to Stand Up and Lead!

Here are ways that you can be a LEADER this WEEK!
1 - Be a volunteer to read or perform in class
2 - Practice reading out loud at home
3 - Memorize a good joke or story and tell it to a group of people
4 - Teach a friend or family member a martial arts move and practice with him/ her
5 - Perform a set of martial arts moves or demonstration in front of your martial arts class

Suitcase for Time

Week 3 Missions:

1.  Write down one fun thing you want to do after school and plan when you are going to do it
2.  Do one of your chores or responsibilities before school so you can do something you want to do after school
3.  With your parents, plan out your chores, responsibilities, and the coolest weekend ever!
4.  Organize your room and your homework study area
5.  Write down the hours you spend on the phone and computer, then compare it to the hours you spend reading and studying (gotta have balance!)


Any students who complete the 5 missions - post the successful week on Facebook for everyone to see and congratulate!

What do you do?

The circle of success for a child is threefold:  the student needs to be willing to get better at something, there needs to be positive parents that support the child, and positive role models or life coaches like martial arts instructors that help them along the way.  What happens when the parents are positive and supporting, the instructors try their best, but the student is just unwilling to learn?  If everything that you've tried doesn't work and you feel like you just want to give up. 

My mom used to say, "I don't know how a parent can just kick their kid out of the house.  No matter what you did I wouldn't kick you out."  Well, lucky for her I never did anything that bad.  But is that what happens when parents give up?  I thought I was really good at getting into the head of kids and teenagers and could relate to them pretty well.  Recently I worked with a teenager that, it seems, just can't be reached anymore.  His mom is at her wits-end because he's abusing her with angry words and sometimes even tries to hit her.  He picks on his little brother too, who is almost half his age.  What do you do when you're faced with such a challenge?

I guess usually, on this blog I post tips and information that I have to share but this time maybe I'm asking for some opinions and comments.  What do you do when your only option is to kick a kid out or call the police?

Challenge Yourself!!

This week's theme for Personal Achievement Academy and becoming a martial arts athlete is to Challenge Yourself!!  You can become really good when you challenge yourself!  For instance, when you start to get tired, you challenge yourself to keep going and do a few extra exercises or techniques.   You will improve much faster if you do a few extra kicks or techniques when you get tired.  Why do you get so much better?  Because the self challenge gives you a jolt of energy and you will end up doing more techniques.  Plus, most people give up when they start to get tired.  When you keep going, you will excel past everyone else.  Challenge yourself to keep going next time you get tired and remember that you are getting closer to becoming a martial arts athlete!

Take the challenge!  Next time you feel like stopping, challenge yourself to do a few extra repetitions before you stop.  Lock at other people training.  When they start to slow down or give up, do a few extra repetitions.  Don't be afraid to try an exercise or martial arts move that is really hard!  Sign up for a private lesson, extra class, camp, seminar, or workshop that will challenge you!

COOL FACT!!  15 extra kicks per class is 2,340 extra kicks per year!

This is an awesome story about a real kid-leader!!

I'm not going to put a lot of words in this post, you need to watch this video.. what a great kid and you can tell he has a great family!  "You should always look out for your friends,"  says Tyler.  What a great message!

Have a Consistent Workout Plan

To be a martial arts athlete, you have to be consistent!  Consistency means that you make it to every workout you plan without missing very many of them.  When you consistently work out at least three times a week, you get really fast, stronger muscles, stronger bones, a better looking body, better grades, a better attitude, AND you're less likely to get sick!  When you do three martial arts workouts per week you get fit, you learn how to protect yourself and you get to achieve your black belt all at the same time.  Now, that's cool!  Plan out at least three martial arts workouts each week, be consistent, and don't miss too many classes!

Here are your missions for this week:
1.  Plan our 3 martial arts classes (or workouts) you are going to do in one week
2.  Write down these 3 classes or workouts and put them up in your room
3.  Make it to all 3 workouts and check off each one as you do it
4.  Do any 30-minute workout with your friends
5.  Do any 30-minute workout with your parents

Cool fact:  People who work out with family members or friends have an 85% higher chance of being consistent and not missing classes.

Bully Protection!

At PAA Elkton, we feel strongly about the bully issue.  Kids that are bullied can't go about their day peacefully because they are too worried about another kids picking on them.  I've heard different studies that have said that between 16-18 thousand kids in America stay home every day because of a bully.  Bullying is bad for everyone - the victim loses self-esteem, the bully does destructive actions that get them in trouble, and the teachers and administrators have to deal with it which distracts from the reason they are at school in the first place.

Bullies are everywhere - here are the 3 types of bullies:
1.  The ones that make fun of people by calling them names and making stories up
2.  The ones that physically hurt other people by pushing or punching and other things
3.  The ones that steal or mess up people's belongings
I'm sure some parents can think of adults that behave this way too.

YOU don't want to be a bully.  People who are bullies usually get bad grades, don't have many friends, and end up in jail.  In addition, laws protect people from bullies and they can be arrested for hurting you or stealing from you.  Bullies are usually people who are picked on and made fun of by older people in their families.

Protect Yourself!
1.  Believe in yourself and have confidence.  Don't let things that people say about you that are not true hurt your feelings!  Remember that they are lying and are trying to hurt your feelings.  If you can, laugh it off.
2.  Use your self-defense sills to protect your self by using the least amount of strikes possible.  You have the right to protect yourself from somebody touching you or striking you
3.  Let a bully know that they don't want to steal your things because they will get in trouble or end up in jail.

Being safe means being smart!

Check out the video!  As a community leader, it is important to take action to help each child be safe and make good decisions! 

Here are the top 5 preventable fatal injuries in order:

1.  Transportation (Cars, bicycles, moving vehicles) - Always wear your seat belt!  never ride your bike recklessly or at night and always watch all cars and driveways as closely as possible.  Wear a helmet and obey all street signs
2.  Drowning - Learn how to swim, never run or play fight/ wrestle violently near water and keep an adult or strong swimmer close by.  Drink lots of water and wear sunscreen when by the pool or at the beach.  If you are in a lake wear a proper vest and never run out on frozen ice!  The most common accident is hitting your head and becoming unconscious in the water.
3.  Fire - Never play with fire, matches, lighters, wall sockets, gas stoves, BBQ's, or fireplaces!  These are meant to be used by adults only!
4.  Poisoning - Do not take any prescription pills or take any medicine without an adult.  Do not play with or drink any chemicals that are underneath the sink or in storage, anytime!
5.  Falling - Always play safe and use the proper safety equipment.  Don't jump off of high things or play recklessly on the playground!

Street Safe Missions

Read these lessons with your parents and family.

Read these lessons 3 times by yourself.

Write down the top 5 fatal accidental injuries.

Show these to your teacher at school so they can inform other students.

Show a friend these lessons.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle!!

This week's Personal Achievement Academy Lesson is all about Recycling!  It's crazy to hear that over 1,600 pounds of trash is thrown away PER PERSON every year!  What's cool is that studies have shown that each year, that amount is decreased!  You know why?  It's because schools, families, neighborhoods, and businesses are adopting Recycling programs!  Recycling programs are awesome because it reduces the about of trash that end up in landfills and the environment!  It also reduces the amount of energy we use which lowers the amount of pollutants that go into the environment.  Did you know that over 55% of the paper we use is being recycled?? Pretty cool, huh?

At ATA Martial Arts in Elkton, MD, all the students recycle their water bottles and some students even have reusable bottles that they fill up and bring to every class!  A lot of martial arts schools use re-breakeable boards too.  Imagine if everyone in class broke a wooden board every week... that's like a whole tree every week!

Here are your missions for this week:
1.  Find out if your town or city has a recycling program
2.  Get a blue trash can (or paint an old one) to start recycling at your house
3.  Read about which items you can recycle and which ones have to be thrown away
4.  Challenge your family members to throw away less stuff and see if you can reduce the amount of trash bags you fill every week
5.  Find out if your school has a recycling program.  If they don't ask them to start one!

Good Luck!

In the end, recycling keeps people and animals healthy, which is something we can all be proud of!

Self Defense Technique Today

Today in the Tiny Tigers class we worked on a super basic self defense technique that kids should have in their arsenal.  What do you think?  Some kind of kick or punch or joint lock that any kid could use to break the hold of a bigger attacker?  No, even simpler.

This technique is really easy and any kid can do it.  When an abductor grabs a child by the wrist, the child just plays dead!  They yell, "Stranger! Stranger! Stranger!" This causes a scene and while the kid is being dragged along or someone is struggling to pick the dead weight up, it could buy enough time for a someone to see that something is wrong with the situation.

This being said, we would hope that there are people in the world that would report such a sight.  2,185 children are abducted each day according to a study by missingkids.com.  PAA believes that it could be avoided completely or that number seriously reduced if children where taught basic awareness and self-defense drills.

PAA Elkton is dedicated to teaching self-defense and inspirational seminars for children in our area.  Our international network of instructors work together to create the best curriculum in the world to make our community a safer place.  We believe that when children remove fear from their lives, it allows them to become focused in accomplishing their goals.

Become a GREEN Master!

This week's focus is on becoming a "Green Master!"  You know, do your part to improve our environment!



Missions for the Week (10 points for each one completed):

1.  Pick up trash you find outside and put it in a trash can!
2.  Ask your parents to go through any old chemicals that are in your house and take them to a facility that disposes of hazardous chemicals
3.  Get with your friends or family and spend 20 minutes or more picking up trash at a local park or near a local lake
4.  Learn about "composting vegetable waste" and how it can reduce trash and improve your gardens at the same time
5.  Ask your family to walk instead of using the car to go somewhere close to home

Ranking:  
4 or 5 missions = Champion For Life!
2 or 3 missions = Champion
1 mission = Improving