by Will Deutschendorf | Jul 25, 2018 | Uncategorized
My wife’s parents love her. My in-laws are incredibly hard working people. They live in Del Sur and rather think of themselves first, they are always thinking of their kids. That can be good and bad though, for the reasons we outlined before in the last article. I never understood why I did not appreciate them more until I had an online conversation with a friend. In martial arts, you have a teacher who is on your team. They are coaching your child all the time in a way that you just can’t. Even with my daughter on the mat, I cannot interact with her the same way I do the other kids. For her I have to make martial arts a game, a special father daughter activity for fun. I learned this the hard way. I can’t stand watching her not give 100%, it is a pet peeve of mine. I internalize it as a personality trait instead of thinking about what else could be going on for that person. My daughter is a typical five year old, but because I am so emotionally invested I can’t see that when I am teaching. I push her too hard, I am not as positive with her. I criticize her, when I never criticize my other students. But I do it from a place of caring, so it is okay, right? Wrong! I am being an INVOLVED parent. I am putting what I think is important first without caring at all about my child’s feelings. When I am yelling at my daughter to try harder, I am not thinking about...
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...
