Thanks for your toy donations, and a great 'walk' down memory lane

I would like to take this moment to thank all of our students and families who helped contribute to the toy drive. I just delivered all the toys, nearly 30 in total, to the Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital. They were ecstatic to receive such a large number of toys for some many age ranges.

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital is a place children go to heal and take the steps toward returning home. This is no easy task and requires a lot of hard work and a tremendous amount of patience from the children as well as the staff.

For those that do not know, I was a patient of Mt. Washington when I was 13 – 14. I had recently had my hip fused as a result of a bacterial infection and needed help to ensure I would be able to live a typical life. It was a long 6 months or so.

Being stuck in one place with little to do is exhausting. You have to try to remain positive, while focusing on getting better; it’s difficult. This is where the toys you donated come into play. They give the patients a chance to be children, escape from reality for a while, and play.

This was the first time I had been back to the hospital since my stay there in 1994. It was weird to go back, I won’t lie. The moment I drove up, saw the teal colored pillars and stick figure logo, I got chills. I felt a little jealous that I was in relatively good health, thankful for everything they did for me, and hadn’t made the commitment to go back. I can tell you my time there was not easy, there was a lot of pain, a lot of screaming, and more than my fair share of tears. But, thanks to the people that worked there, especially the physical and occupational therapy departments, I have a great life.

I have an appointment after the new year to go back and take a tour and speak with some of the people that work for the hospital. With any luck, some of the people I am most thankful to are still there for me to show my gratitude.

Thanks to everyone who helped contribute and who allowed me the opportunity to walk down memory lane. It’s a lot easier this time. 

December belt testing

This month's belt test is a bit different than most. With the joy of the holidays comes the frustration of scheduling events that strive not to conflict with other engagements. This year, in an attempt to give the most opportunity for our students and families to be able to enjoy a prime Friday evening, we have shifted the schedule. Here's the plan:

All children will test on December 14 at 5:00 PM. [There will be no classes afterward]
All youth and adults will test December 15 at 6:00 PM. [There will be no classes afterward]

This way everyone get the time they deserve for testing and we dont have to be concerned with keeping the kids up to late on a school night.
Both tests should be really high level. Brandon Hopkins is  testing for his red/black belts on Wednesday.
Dakota Mollen and Douglas Vaughan are testing for their 2nd Pooms (children's level 2nd degree black belt). Dani Martin is testing for her adult level black belt, 1st Dan.

Good luck to everyone testing.
Everyone else, remember, no classes on Wednesday/Thursday of next week. 

20th Anniversary Picnic

20 Years! I think that's cause for a celebration!
Please Join us at The Lions Club Park in Hampstead, MD. on July 30 2:00 - 6:00 pm 
We are asking everyone bring a dish to help in the festivities. Be creative and have fun with it. It doesn't have to feed everyone. But if we all contribute a little, we can all enjoy get enough. Sign-up sheet is in the lobby. 
We will also be hosting a kick ball game, along with other outdoor fun, and a WATER BALLOON FIGHT! Wear clothes you don't mind getting wet!


Make sure to tell us your attending on our Facebook page

Fourth of July Reminder

Quick Reminder: No classes will be held on July 2 or July 4. Have a fun and SAFE Fourth of July.

Quick Reminder

We had a belt test that WAS scheduled for tomorrow (June 22). We will be combining the children's level belt tests on Friday. Happy Summer, officially. See you in class this week.

June Book List

Welcome to the Global Martial Arts Academy blog. This is my first blog and I am really excited about the opportunity to share some of my knowledge with all of you in a new medium. The purpose of this particular blog will be to recommend books for every age and belt level to help in the aid of your training. Training your mind is just as important as training your body. Kids, remember, you can use these books as part of your Book Club credit.

For The Kids!
With the movie currently out, and I am sure you've gone to see it already, I have no doubt you'll love the book. I haven't seen the movie, yet, but I expect the old rule I live by will be true: never judge a book by it's movie.
Book Description (from Amazon): Po and The Furious Five have a brand-new foe. Lae Shen and his powerful cannon are more powerful than kung fu, so how can our heroes defeat them? The answer lies in Po's mysterious past. Fans can relive all the adventure, humor, and heart of the movie in this wildly entertaining novel featuring 8 pages of gorgeous full-color photos from the movie!

For the Youth Students

If you loved Kung Fu Panda when you were younger, this is the based on true events story of five kids in China in the mid 1600's. This is the first book of seven and I can tell you they are all fun books and are quick reads. Each book is written from the perspective of the main character and offers you the chance to get more of the story. I will warn you, the books do get a little violent the further you go, but nothing that I would consider to be excessive. 

If you like this book, or finish before next month...get a jump start on the remaining 6 books :)

Monkey (Book 2), Snake (Book 3), Crane (Book 4),

 Eagle (Book 5), Mouse (Book 6), Dragon (Book 7)

For Adults Students

One of the best books I have read on martial arts. I re-read this book once a year and I still find it insightful. I can assure you there is something within these pages that will strike a chord with you. My personal copy is filled with notes and highlighter marks. 
Written by Joe Hyams in the early 80's, the lessons within are timeless and easy to apply to multiple facets of your life. Throughout his life, he trained with Bruce Lee and Bong Soo Han...among many others. 
Book Description (from Amazon): Hyams reveals to you how the daily application of Zen principles not only developed his physical expertise but gave him the mental discipline to control his personal problems-self-image, work pressure, competition. Indeed, mastering the spiritual goals in martial arts can dramatically alter the quality of your life-enriching your relationships with people, as well as helping you make use of all your abilities.


If there is one book you read this summer on martial arts...make it this one. 


For The Parents

A fantastic book for parents of children in and out of the martial arts. This is one of the books we used to build our themes of the month. Unlike most of the parenting books I have seen, this is laid out in 12 steps with week by week chunks to make the entire process easier to digest. 
This should be a must read for all parents. 
Quote From www.rocksolidkids.com: Your children will behave better, get in less trouble, be more disciplined and become happier. And, in the long run, they will grow to become successful and stable adults.

Physical Fitness, Self-Control, Focus, Respect, Confidence, Honesty, Courage, Contribution, Positive Outlook, Responsibility, Persistence

Most of the books listed above are books that I have already read. Some of them are on my to read list, and a few have been recommendations from other sources. Let me know your feedback on the selections and how much you enjoyed them in the comments section or via email. Enjoy!

I Envy Professor Dumbledore

I recently was watching one of the Harry Potter movies with my kids and in one part Professor Dumbledore pulled a memory from his mind and shared it with Harry Potter.  Seeing that made me wish I had that power.  He had the ability to pull memories straight from the recesses of his mind and share them with anyone.  If I had this ability, then I could share my memories of the humble beginnings of every student, and their growth as they progress to black belt and beyond.

This is why every time I am watching a student test for another rank; especially black belt, I wish everyone watching could share my memories of this student.  When a student tests for black belt most people watching just see what they can do physically at that moment and nothing about their character.  Only those closest to them can possibly know how their character has developed.  I have the unique position of knowing them as a rookie martial artist and them as a person.  I also have the unique perspective of knowing how difficult it can be to perfect a martial art from my personal experience, and the experience of literally thousands of other students.  This is the perspective or thoughts I wish I could share and why I envy Professor Dumbledore!