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!

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.