USBA joins forces with "Martial Artists Against Bullying" Campaign

As you know, we are strong believers in personal safety at USBA. We have done our best to arm our students with practical life skills that will help them in real life. As part of that, we have made an effort to address the bullying behavior that continues to be prevalent in modern society.

Although extremely important, we believe that it is not enough to just teach our students how to defend themselves against bullying. We want to teach them how damaging bullying can be, so that they will be less inclined to bully others as well. We also want to arm them with effective strategies that they can use to come to the aid of others being bullied.

For all these reasons, we are proud to announce that we are now part of the “Martial Artists Against Bullying” (MAAB) movement.  This is an international organization made up of professional martial arts instructors from all over the world. The MAAB has put together a comprehensive anti-bullying program called “Done with Bullying.”

In order to make the maximum impact on our community, we require an even mix of students and non-students to participate. For that reason, we encourage all participants to bring a friend or classmate with them. This is a FREE COMMUNITY EVENT!

We will be hosting these seminars throughout the month of October. Please register early as there are limited spots and seminars will fill up quickly. We will follow up with dates and times very soon!

Sincerely,

Ivan Kravitz

What the Olympics Can Teach You About Achieving Your Dreams! - By Jim Rohn

Every four years the world is given the gift of the Olympics. For a few weeks, nations lay down their arms and come together to let their world-class athletes compete on a level playing field to find the best in the many events. It boggles the mind what these young men and women can accomplish with their bodies—great feats of skill and determination bring them to the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Incredible.

As I think about what it takes to become a world-class athlete capable of competing at the Olympic level, I realize there are some foundational lessons for all of us to learn as it relates to becoming world class in whatever we set our mind to.

A 22-year-old man doesn’t simply wake up one day and find himself on the Olympic basketball team. No, it started years before. In fact, it probably started when he was only 6 or 7 years old. Maybe his father took him to a basketball game and that little boy said, “Someday daddy, I am going to be a basketball player.” That was the first sign of desire. Desire is key. World-class people start with desire. They have to at some point want it.

But we all know people who dream of big things but never accomplish those dreams, don’t we? Why is that? After all, they have desire. They want it. But the engine that drives the dream is dedication. Desire tells you what you want while dedication gets it for you.

Someone might see a young gymnast and say, “Wow, that looks easy.” What they don’t see or perhaps overlook is the years of practice, the years of getting up at 4:30 every morning and going to the gym before school. It is the dedication of the young athlete, the many times of failing in practice, the many times of falling off the equipment and faithfully getting back on that turns a wisher into a world-class doer.

A person with desire but no dedication will never achieve much. You must have the powerful combination of both.

So let’s take a closer look at each of these and gain some insight into what desire and dedication are all about.

1. Desire

There are three parts to desire:

• Dreaming
• The Vision
• Focus

Have you let yourself dream lately? Just sit down and begin to imagine all of the incredible possibilities your life could become? Spend some time just dreaming.

Next is the vision. Once you dream, you begin to cut back on all of the possibilities and narrow it to what possibility it is that you really want. You begin to create a vision for your life.  You begin to see it as you want it.

Lastly under desire is focus. Once you have the vision, you have to really focus in on that dream. This is where you get really specific about what your life is going to look like.

2. Dedication 

There are also three parts:

• The Plan
• Beginning
• Perseverance

Without a plan you will drift to and fro. You will certainly not carry out your dream if you do not have a plan. So write it down. Set your goals. Know what you want and how you are going to get there.

Second is the beginning. This might sound simple and yet it is simply profound. Many people have a dream and they even have a plan, but they never begin. So simple: Just start. The first step on the long journey is still just one step. If you have a dream and a plan, take a step in the right direction.

Lastly is to persevere. Every road to every dream has a section that is hard to travel. Every great dream will encounter difficulty. The question isn’t whether you will encounter trouble, but how you will respond to trouble. Will you quit when the going gets tough or will you persevere? I have found that every successful person I know has encountered problems along the way that tempted them to quit. Yet they persevered and achieved their dream.

Let’s take a look at the progression—think about where you are in the progression of becoming a world-class dream pursuer:

1. Dream.
2. Create a vision.
3. Focus the vision.
4. Develop a plan.
5. Begin to pursue the dream.
6. Persevere.12

Friends, I hope for you the fulfillment of every dream that you have. That is what life is about, isn’t it? But to do so, I know that you will have to combine your desire with dedication. And when you combine those two, you will be well on your way to leading a world-class life.

WINNERS ARE ENTHUSIATIC!!!

Winners share their excitement for life and have a contagious enthusiasm and energy for excellence.

Whiners share their woes and tend to spread the negative news of the day. They walk around with a black cloud over their head and darken a room upon entering.

Winners brighten the entire dojo with their smile and always bring out the best in their team mates. They are positive and productive…they give great value and encouragement to any team, dojo or family.

Enthusiasm is contagious…so is the lack of it!

It’s been said that the best Black Belts are just White Belts that never quit. Meaning that a White Belt is eager and enthusiastic, as well as curious to what lies ahead in their training. Great Black Belt Champions stay eager and excited about learning, training and growing.


Black Belt Champions are Winners. They know what they want and they are always ready to take action toward their goals. They love what they do and they do what they love.

Winners are ambitious. Winners are enthusiastic.

Winners surround themselves with other positive people.

Be a Winner – Share your Black Belt Spirit!

KOHAI (Eager Student)

KOHAI (Eager Student)

The practice of Martial Arts is deep in tradition and teaches us many terms, titles and customs that have been proven to lay a solid foundation for becoming a strong Black Belt Champion. One of the most important benefits of training is the powerful relationship and bond between a student and their teacher. (SENSEI)

Martial Arts relationships always begin and end with respect. It is an age old custom to always show respect and appreciation toward each other. The term KOHAI, to us, means eager student, someone who strives to be their best and demonstrates a lot of enthusiasm toward their Martial Arts training.

Karate Kids should always show an eager attitude at the dojo, at home and at school. This positive and excited mindset will bring out their best in all areas.

Adult Peak Performers should show their eagerness in the dojo, as well as in their professional and personal lives. It’s a great way to bring out the best in yourself and others. It’s better to be the person that brightens the room when you enter-versus when you exit.

Black Belt Champions at all ages, stages and levels should forever remain a KOHAI. It’s one thing to get excited about your training, staying excited for the long haul will bring you to greatness in all areas of life.

KAIZEN WARRIOR

KAIZEN is a Japanese business philosophy that describes the mindset of always striving to make gradual and steady progress. This is one of the reasons Japan's economy became so strong after World War II.
Great Black Belt Champions are really modern day KAIZEN WARRIORS, because they are always aiming to improve their knowledge, their skills and their conditioning. They are always seeking the next level of progress and growth.

The ancient Samurai Warrior were well known for their practice of KAIZEN. A constant effort to improve their fighting skills and abilities, empty hand combat, weaponry, horsemanship and any other areas that could make them more effective and increase their odds of victory in the battlefield. Any improvements, even tiny little incremental gains could save their lives in the various situations they may encounter.

KAIZEN can easily be applied in modern times, especially in the dojo. By engulfing this philosophy, it will allow all of us to continue to enjoy and share the many benefits of a positive, progressive and well-disciplined learning environment. Anyone can become a KAIZEN WARRIOR, provided they are truly committed to making steady improvements, in every aspect of their life. Becoming a great Black Belt Champion in and out of the dojo leads to becoming a better overall person. When this happens…everyone Wins!

Think about one or two areas you could improve that could really make a difference in your progress and growth. Once you pinpoint these, you need to set a goal to take immediate action until you make it habit.

Then you repeat the process again and again until the process become habit.

This is how your become a modern day KAIZEN WARRIOR.