by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 24, 2018 | Uncategorized
Here are Five great ways to help your kids become more resilient if they live in Ranchi Bernardo or 4S Ranch! Join a Mindfulness Stress Reduction program Pioneered by Jon Kabat Zinn, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction(MBSR) has become a staple in the mental health world. In a world that rarely lets us be present and in the moment for long, MBSR helps train your brain to stay focused on one thing at a time, helping you learn how to relax, and ultimately question your thinking. It has become a staple in cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. Check out the course at UCSD and teach it to your kids. We teach basic meditation in our martial arts classes. It is a great skill to get started. UCSD Guided Exercises Teach them to Exercise Very few activities change your mental state faster than exercise. In fact, it is the fastest way to change how you feel. Exercise has been an important part of resilience for highly successful individuals for years. Teach your kids the importance of exercising everyday to reduce stress and stay fit. Learn how to start small and progress below. Martial arts is a great way to exercise and it doesn’t require weights, you can do it pretty much anywhere. Exercise Progression: How Much, How Fast, and Why It’s Important Eat Healthy Kids are going to copy your habits, and it starts young. If you are teaching them to eat unhealthy than you are training them to deal with health problems their whole life. There is a lot of debate about what makes up a healthy...
by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 20, 2018 | Uncategorized
One of the best things I have learned from Master Giuseppe is to keep an open mind and keep learning. I have never met someone so skilled continue to learn from so many different people. It has been inspirational to me to see that kind of growth through a CANI attitude(constant and never-ending improvement). That is one of the reasons why I continue to train not only in my art but in others as well. I do it for a few reasons. In Rancho Bernardo, and San Diego in general, there are some amazing martial artists. I did not start a martial arts school to make money, I started it because I loved martial arts and I thought that was what you did if you wanted to train a lot at 19. I’ve trained BJJ and Muay Thai one street over, I have trained with a TKD black belt who had a competing program across the street. I still teach a jumping spinning back kick the way I learned it from him. I love martial arts, I am not going to sit around on one thing when there is so much more to learn. When we first opened our school, we had Master Mario Gajo(Guro back then) come in and ask about our space. He started teaching stick fighting to us, again, a great opportunity to learn. I have gained so much by keeping my doors open and not pretending like I know everything, no one does. I feel bad for those who just run martial arts like a business It keeps me up to date. I remember this...
by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 17, 2018 | Uncategorized
Our school does a great character development program. Every class we talk for a few minutes about leadership, respect, self-control, discipline, or honesty. This is a great way for your kids to hear about these vital skills they need to develop over the span of their lives. I say skill because they are definitely things that can be improved over time. A great example is discipline. In the Willpower Instinct, Kelly McGonigal explains the difference between I will power and I wont power. I will power is basically your discipline skill, how well when you decide to do something important that takes action you can follow through. I wont power is your self control, when you decide not to do something how well you follow through. These two concepts can be tricky for kids because how you describe it in your head can change which skill you are exercising. My dog is fat, I need to take him for more walks. In Rancho Bernardo that should not be a problem, but there is a problem, I don’t like getting out of bed. That is my I will power. Examples like this are easier for kids to get. Not so easy is something like eating healthy. This technically takes I will(eat healthy) and I wont(not eat junk) power at the same time. Is it no wonder we struggle with health when we have to exercise both all day long to stay healthy? Teaching kids these concepts early helps them to develop them. It makes it so they understand it is a skill that can be improved. We gamify the cards...
by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 16, 2018 | Uncategorized
I was 18, I had just become an instructor in Rancho Penasquitos. I was sitting down to a meeting with the other instructors. Our head instructor was going over students who needed special attention when someone walks by and sticks their head in. They asked if we teach Muay Thai(We didn’t). Our head instructor yells back, “Sure we have that,” and sends someone to get their information. I was immediately put off by the clear misdirection. This guy was looking for something totally different than what we taught, why would my instructor say we had that? I asked him privately when I had the chance. I know the other instructors felt the same as me but they preferred to keep their thoughts to themselves. He said that it did not matter what that person said they wanted because it was more about what they were trying to get out of Muay Thai. I didn’t agree at all. Being a young adult with a clear path set in front of me(college, teaching martial arts, family, kids) I could not see how someone would not know what they wanted. How naive I was. Well as it turns out he was right. Fast forward to my life now, and I never ask someone what style they are looking for. I have had enough experiences where my school is exactly what the new student wanted and they decide they hate it. I have also had folks coming in looking for a cage experience that like my program just fine when they get on the mat. Typically if you get on the mat and...
by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 12, 2018 | Uncategorized
A parent came into our school this week and was very open and honest about the experience. They live in Rancho Bernardo. She explained her child had been bullied at school and saw an ad for martial arts helping with bullying. She brought her child in but honestly didn’t see how martial arts could help. I couldn’t help but agree with her understanding of martial arts. It is not like we can teach her kids to hit someone in the throat if they hurt her feelings. Listening to her describe the situation intently, I thought of my own daughter and what I intended martial arts do for her. I don’t feel I adequately answered her question, never being great at verbally describing things without first writing it out. So here is biggest factor for bullying I could come up with. Rancho Bernardo is a very safe neighborhood, but not from the things are kids worry about. Our kids worry about making friends, fitting in, and being socially accepted. We worry about that too, which is why we teach them to be respectful, disciplined, honest, and have self control. All of these things help them interact and become valuable members of society. Something that isn’t usually socially acceptable though is confrontation. Arguing, or confronting others, is not something we endorse. I was bullied in elementary, middle, and high school. I did not want to confront my bullies elementary school, I wanted them to be my friend. Eventually I learned after being bullied by them for a year or so they were not my friends. Well one kid wasn’t, the others...
by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 10, 2018 | Uncategorized
There are a couple of things that I have learned over the years from teaching kids and adults in Rancho Bernardo and 4S Ranch. There are so many martial arts schools around here, and you really don’t need to find “the best” one. There are plenty of good ones. I have made friends with a lot of instructors around here. The only schools I wont befriend are ones that I don’t believe teach their kids to defend themselves. I just don’t stand by that. At the same time, some of the schools I thought were more based on games than learning have taught me how to disguise repetition to make kids have a good time. If you are having fun learning becomes so much easier. I mean when my daughter and I play pokemon go walking around Rancho Bernardo, if she isn’t catching pokemon and we are just walking, she quits pretty quick. She knows it just exercise at that point. So here is a quick list of what makes a good instructor. 1. They have to care-if your instructor isn’t learning your name, isn’t active and keeping track of your progress, and isn’t trying to make you better in the manner you wish, they aren’t a good instructor. 2. They teach to you the way you learn-We all learning differently, I am a kinesthetic learner, or kinetic if you want to be all auto correct about it. That means I learn by doing, among other things. If you talk to me really fast, and I am not energized with you I have no clue what your talking about. ...
