Q: Now that my children are back to school, what can I do about possible bullies?

A. It is unlikely that your child will come home and tell you that he is being bullied at school. Therefore as a parent, it may be necessary for you to detect from your child’s behavior if s/he is being bullied at school in order to remedy the problem. Bullying can make school a nightmare for children. It is necessary to give your child the knowledge as to what constitutes “bullying” and the tactics necessary to avoid it or to put an end to it when it does happen.

• You should point out the difference between telling and tattling. Tattling is telling on someone else to get them in trouble, while telling is seeking help for yourself or someone else who is experiencing problems, be it physical or emotional.

• Encourage your children to tell you, a teacher or another adult that they trust when they feel they are being bullied. Assure your child that you will handle the problem with sensitivity and in a manner that will not exacerbate the problem.

• Children are more of a target when they are alone. You should encourage your children to make friends with other children. Victimized children often have low self-esteem and find this difficult to do. Teach them how to reach out and make friends with other children who are alone.

• A great way to build self-esteem is to enroll your child in karate or other self-defense program. Rather than build aggression, it will teach your child to be more assertive and make them feel better able to defend themselves. Victimized children are often timid and therefore a target for bullies.

• Be aware that in today’s society, bullying does not only take place on the playground, but also exists on-line through email or instant messaging. Make your child aware of the dangers of this form of bullying as well.

Shihan Warren Levi BPhysEd (Hons) holds a 6th degree Black Belt and can be contacted at 516-569-0808 for your FREE TRIAL LESSON or send an e-mail to warrenlevikarate@gmail.com or visit www.warrenlevi.com.

Reply :

No, not at all, it is never too late and it can only be beneficial to you.  How we continue to age is related to the healthy choices we make each day in our life and martial arts can play a beneficial role in keeping you healthy and agile as you age as well as keeping your brain alive.

Our modern lifestyle differs from that of our ancestors in that it is faster, louder and there is a surplus of information coming at us from all angles.  This often results in us being burdened by excess overload which causes us to lose clarity and to find ourselves becoming forgetful. As we get older, we often unnecessarily accept this as part of the normal aging process.

Martial Arts is one of the oldest forms of movement and is an excellent modality to ensure that we maintain agility in later years and preserve mental focus, clarity and memory.

Each movement requires:

concentration = clarity of thought

reasoning = of the movement (eg whether you are attacking of defending)

exactness = correlation between mind and movement

perfection = engaging the mind to control the body

health =  your whole system (organs, muscles, sinews, joints) benefits by each karate movement which also aids circulation and digestion

body alignment = consciousness of mind & body

This connection between the mind and the body keeps the body agile and the brain active, stimulated and alive.

(P.S.  60’s is the new 40’s: I hope to see you training in our dojo soon and karate chopping your way to health and vitality!).

Warren Levi holds a 6th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He has a Bachelors degree in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology. He has won numerous World titles. Shihan(Master) Warren can be contacted at Warenlevikarate@gmail.com or 516-569-0808.

Reply:

The kata (forms) aspect of the karate training is a sequence of basic fighting techniques against an imaginary opponent. It is muck like what boxers call shadow boxing. Each movement and technique has a purpose. Each fighting movement flows into the next fighting technique without a break. It requires personal endurance, great discipline, many years of training and constant repetition to master each kata.  Once a level of technical proficiency has been achieved, the kata takes on a new meaning which will become second nature to the karate student.  It will enable the karateka (student) to be able to develop a state of awareness so as to sense the movements of his/her opponents and to react with instinctive blinding speed and absolute control.

The methodology behind kata training is to make the karateka feel uninhibited because s/he is working against an imaginary opponent and therefore does not have to fear being injured or injuring someone else during training. During this process, the karateka develops and refines his/her motor skills, coordination, stances and breathing.  The karateka becomes aware of a strength that s/he was perhaps never aware of and the outward display and underlying rhythm of the kata becomes secondary to the manifestation of the inner power of the karateka.

In addition to the defensive aspect, kata training provides an excellent cadio vascular workout resulting in a fusion of fitness, flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and balance.

Shihan Warren Levi holds a 6th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He has a Bachelors degree in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology. He has won numerous World titles. Shihan Warren can be contacted at warrenlevikarate@gmail.com or 516-569-0808.

Reply: Yes, it is possible.

As in everything in life, there must be a BEGINNING, ie this is the transition from NOTHING to SOMETHING. The fact that you are querying if you can change your mindset is “SOMETHING”. (Compare this to the idea that a house cannot be built unless there is the initial thought process to build a house).

The next step is to process this “beginning”.  Determine what will be a realistic sustainable fitness program for you to achieve your goal of “starting” to enjoy exercise, and undertake the task to persevere with this fitness program for 3 weeks. Keep repeating to yourself that you love exercising and visualize how much better you will feel exercising than being idle. The brain takes approximately 21 days to let go of an old belief and to instill a new habit. (After deciding to build a house, plans will have to be drawn; bricks will have to be laid one-at-a-time and patience and hard work will have to be put into practice in order to build a foundation).

After persevering for the 3 week period referred to above, focus on how good you feel about yourself and the improvement in your fitness levels.  (The bricks that have now been laid one-at-a-time will be starting to take on the shape of a new house and there will be motivation and enthusiasm to complete the task of the initial decision to build a home).

Shihan Warren Levi holds a 6th degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. He has a Bachelors degree in Physical Education/Exercise Physiology. He has won numerous World titles. Shihan Warren can be contacted at warrenlevikarate@gmail.com or 516-569-0808.

I don’t think anyone truly understands when I say karate saved my life.  I was 25 years old, 5’7”, 230 pounds, and completely depressed.  I had Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain, chronic fatigue disorder, and I barely left the house, let alone my bed.  I lacked confidence, discipline, drive, and I was unemployed.  Now, less than 3 years later, I am faced with the prospect of earning my black belt in Shotokan Karate.

I got a part time job about then, around the same time that my parents started working out at Warren Levi Karate.  “Purely for fitness,” they said.  After a few weeks, Warren began introducing karate into their routine, and they were thrilled.  They asked me to join them, and I decided to try it out.  After the first two weeks, I was hooked.  I joined in my mother’s private lessons, and by the end of the first month, I was practicing moves in my room nightly.  About a month later, I applied to graduate school to become a teacher.

Slowly, my confidence began building.  I had never been good at sports, and yet I found that these moves were conquerable.  Sensei Warren would introduce a move; a set of blocks or strikes, that at first seemed unmanageable.  We would try and try again, and slowly we would master each move.  If one week a kick was weak because of lack of balance, by the next week, I would be able to do it better.  A year later, I began my observations for my masters in teaching.

My body began changing around the time I picked up a second day of training per week.  I was losing weight and feeling much better every day.  My mother and I kept training and practicing, and raising ranks in belt colors.  The aspect of discipline became more and more apparent.  We needed to bow twice, once when entering the dojo, and once when stepping onto the floor.  We bowed to our instructor as a sign of respect, and when he told us to do something, we did it as quickly as possible.  As time went on, we talked less and less during instruction, and listened to and followed commands more and more.  There was syncope in my life between the respect commanded by my sensei, the teachers I was observing, and my professors in school.  There was no doubt that my training in karate improved the discipline I had for teachers in other areas of my life.

On mornings I have karate, I jump out of bed and quickly dress.  There are few days when I sleep very late.  I have been an elementary school teacher for 2 years, and I always complete my work on time.  Overall, I have lost over 60 pounds, and feel significantly better.  The drive that karate has given me in everyday life is apparent.  My students have the discipline for me that I have had for my teachers.  Karate has added motivation, discipline, and confidence to my life.  Obtaining my black belt is a symbol of the hard work that I have put into karate, and the rest of my life.

One of my beliefs as a teacher is to instill in my students a love of lifelong learning.  One of my friends recently asked me if I was going to quit karate after receiving my black belt.  My answer to her was that I would never quit karate, because as you can see, karate saved my life.

Discipline, humility, pride, concentration, respect, confidence, adaptation, courage, obedience, knowledge, personal growth, obsession, thirst for more.

The above words are what come to mind when I think about the training to get to black belt.  I started karate with the idea of trying to get fit.  In the past I had done aerobic classes, dance, ballet and many different forms of exercise.  Karate seemed to be a logical progression for me.  I never, ever dreamt I would be go as far as I did, and never realized how rewarding it could be.

Discipline

Karate requires the discipline to practice, practice, practice.  You can never, ever get to the state of perfection.  It is a lot like life.  The more you learn, the more there is to learn.  The more you perfect, the more perfection you need.

Humility

Karate is a humbling experience.  Every time I think “I got it”, I don’t always get it.  Striving for black belt has taught me to be humble, and trying hard all of the time.

Pride

I am proud of my achievements.  I strive to do better and better, and always improve myself, but I am proud of myself.

Concentration

Karate has taught me the art of concentration.  Blocking out all other people, thoughts and stresses.  When I enter the dojo, I am concentrating on first stretching out my body so I am in peak shape, and then remembering Japanese, Kata, Kumite and all of the pieces that put together a black belt.

Respect

I have learned respect for other people’s ability.  Seeing the beauty of the art of Karate is awe-inspiring.  Another great area of respect is for my sensei’s.  It is powerful to have respect for those that teach you an art.

Confidence

I am much more confident about myself and my ability to handle dangerous situations, but along with this confidence comes humility also.

Adaptation

I am not 24.  I am not even 44.  My body, while in good shape, is older than some of the other black belts.  I am learning to adapt.  This is not easy for me.  I think like I am still 20, and I do not want to give in to the fact that I am not in perfect working order.  I have to adapt my kicks because my knees hurt, and if I do not stretch enough, my body lets me know for days.

Courage

I cannot believe that I stand in front of others and actually fight.  I have the courage to go up against those that are better than me.  This is a courageous feat that I am proud of.

Obedience

Obedience is the act of carryout commands.  I love the rules of karate.  I enjoy the rituals.

Knowledge

I love learning.  I learned Japanese commands, I learned the steps to many Kata’s and I love the increased awareness that this knowledge has given me.

Personal Growth

One of the most fun parts of becoming a black belt is learning with my daughter Jill.  We take lessons together, and it is a wonderful bonding experience.  One that has made a great difference in our relationship.
Obsession

Karate has become an obsession.  Before I go to sleep, my mind will repeat a kata.  When I am in the shower, I see that I am doing kumite.  Standing in line at a grocery store, I will start to go into different stances.  It is an obsession, but a fun one.

Thirst for more

It does not end here.  There is always room to improve a stance, to sink lower, to do it better, to learn a new kata.  There is always more and that is fun.

Question:

My 9 year old son started karate classes and in a short period of time I have already noticed a vast improvement in his concentration and his ability to focus. My son now wants to quit. I am very disappointed as I also wanted to quit a sport as a kid on a few occasions in the past, but am very glad that I persevered. Do I allow him to quit?

Reply:

If you are of the opinion that this is a temporary phase that your child is going through you should delay your child quitting karate. It is not uncommon for students to become temporarily discouraged when they have to meet the challenge of the increased focus, discipline and concentration required in order to learn new skills to acquire a higher belt ranking. Karate provides a systematic method for students to acquire the ability to meet these challenges and if you are able to encourage and motivate your child to persevere, not only will your child benefit physically and mentally, but you will be instilling the following valuable life lessons in your child:

1    the importance of setting goals and meeting them. To do this, encourage your child to carry on karate until he attains the next rank. This will motivate your child to achieve a goal and if he still wishes to quit once he has attained the next rank, he will be quitting at a point when he is confident and has a sense of achievement;

2    to be committed to see tasks through;

3    to not quit when he is not winning;

4    patience to accomplish goals;

5    an abililty to believe in himself and to turn an achievement into a reality.

These life lessons will benefit your child in the future whether it is to meet the challenge of obtaining a higher rank belt or to pursue an academic achievement, or generally, to overcome a difficult challenge in life.

Oss,

Karate is a Healthy Choice

Many people think of karate and they visualize dazzling high kicks and dropping into the splits ala Jean Claude Van Damm. Not everyone will be physically able to perform these feats that are seen at the movies that typically stereotype karate and we’re not going to pretend that we’ll be able to make anybody a star. Our purpose is to make sure that you work at a level that is comfortable, yet challenging to yourself.

Our workouts consist of a good mixture of cardiovascular endurance, strength training and flexibility exercises that are designed to benefit the whole body. Our instructors continue to research the best training methods known to the fitness world, and we’re serious about it.

People feel good when their healthy. It may seem like a redundant statement, but it’s something that people need reminding of. With a healthy body, you have a healthy mind. Everything from waking up in the morning, and thinking clearly at school or in our jobs in this fast paced society that we live in becomes easier to deal with and more enjoyable when your body and mind are in tune.

Awareness and Self Defence

The key to self defence does not rely on punching and kicking. As a matter of fact, we discourse physical action in any confrontation unless it is an absolute last resort. Learning to be aware of your surroundings and avoiding dangerous situations is the focus of awareness. Simple things that people probably already know are used as constant reminders so that awareness becomes a natural way of thinking. We don’t want people to be paranoid or scared to walk around their own block or to go to school, but many bad situations can be avoided.

Concentration and Focus

Concentration is something that for many people, has to be taught. Many doctors are now recommending people with A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) and A.D.H.D. (Attention Deficit and Hearing Disorder) learn karate because of the concentration skills that are developed through the training drills and the practice of kata – a serious of movements, much like a dance choreography with the use of karate techniques.

Balance

Balance is a physical, and mental attribute that is developed as a result of karate training. Balance in the physical sense is acquired by performing drills that make you aware of what your body is doing while in motion. Balance as a mental characteristic is developed as you use karate as a mental stimulant.

For most people karate will not be as natural as walking so you will have to rationalize your movements as you learn them. With the presence of a good physical and mental balance you will enhance and develop your skills.

Control

Control is a result of focus, concentration, and confidence. Through the efforts of repetitive karate training people learn their limitations. The more aggressive person may want to push those limitations, which is not a bad thing, but they learn to deal with what they have in front of them. Emotions such as anger and fear may never leave a person completely but by practice, like anything else, you can learn to control them.

Respect, Discipline, and Humility

Most educated people associate karate with discipline. This is because of the format in which the classes are taught. In karate there is a ranking system which lets people know where they stand. Karate doesn’t have to be militaristic to the point it was originally intended (after all it is a martial art developed to defend ones’ life) but these values are instilled. Generally a person who enters a karate class will see that people will bow to each other, call the instructor Sensei (teacher) and conform to the rules and guidelines set forth by the club. This makes a person feel rather awkward themselves if they don’t conform to their surroundings. If there is a problem child or an adult with an overbearing demeanor they will be dealt with on a personal level. Most difficult people can be taught humility simply by being in an evironment where it is prominent.

Goal Orientation

People need direction. Most people enter a karate club with visions of wearing a black belt. The realization of reaching that goal can be overwhelming without proper direction. As instructors we help individuals set reasonable goals so that a person can make these ambitions attainable. Instead of thinking about a black belt that may be five or more years down the road, we focus on our ranking system which breaks it down to a few months at a time. At each level the student knows in advance what is expected of them to reach the next level. People that learn the importance of mile marking goals can more readily accept some of lifes challenges and learn to make realistic goals for themselves when there isn’t someone there to do it for them.

Self Confidence

You have to feel good about yourself and you have to trust in your abilities to be confident. Karate teaches you how to handle pressure by applying a little bit at a time. Every individual has certain a limit and once you find it you feel comfortable. Once your comfortable you can start to expand or push those limits and feel good about trying something you never imagined you could before. Karate is an endless learning experience that provides constant challenge keeping you alert and to let your confidence grow.

Role Models

Like a school teacher, we as karate instructors have a responsibility to our students to instill positive values. Children benefit by the mental stimulation of learning the choreographed moves of the kata and the discipline of conforming to the rules of the club. An adult doesn’t have to feel self conscious about getting the physical benefits of the exercise provided. Karate instills the confidence to walk away from confrontation, not to contest it head on. To teach these values at an early age will benefit a child for the rest of their life. On an adult perspective, it can shed a bit of light through the stresses of our daily routines.

Constant Supervision & Guidance

Karate clubs, unlike many health clubs provide constant instruction by experienced leaders. Most people don’t have the discipline to work out by themselves and it’s human nature to work on what we already do well rather than to work at what is more difficult. By having the instructors lead a class through a planned routine you get a good balanced workout. Karate also promotes group support by having students work with each other under the guidance of an instructor. This teaches a more experienced student to work their leadership skills by passing along information that they have gathered over the years. A less experienced student will also ask questions that will challenge the senior student. This is a challenge that requires the senior student to put trust in their abilities and in return a adds a real sense of accomplishment.

Karate as a Sport

Karate as a sport has been on a steady incline since the late 1960s. It provides a method of testing your abilities in a controlled environment. The sparring is fast paced not only for the spectator, but requires precision skill and control by the competitor. In karate you pull your technique, scoring points by showing the judges what you could do in a self defence situation. The kata competition shows a combination of grace and power in technique through a series of choreographed movements that represent the competitor defending themselves in a multi attack environment. Both provide a sense of self accomplishment and build confidence by performing in front of their peers and an audience.

Karate is Fun!

Not only do you benefit from learning the techniques and routines that karate provides, you do it with other people that share a common interest. Any extra curricular activity you involve yourself with should be a release from the stress or anxiety that is built up in our daily routines. People involved in karate can established friendships for life.