October 2016

CO URAGEWhere to find it. H ow to show it.

"To dare is to momentarily lose one's footing. To not dare is to lose oneself."

Søren Kierkegaard

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Ef f ectRippl e

mont hl y

Everyday actions build up the fibers of courage. You?re doing this every time you step up to spar. Every time you stand in front of the class to earn your next black stripe. Every time you welcome a new kid into your school room. Every time you do the right thing versus hiding behind the wrong.

When you feel a little tingle (or a big surge) of fear, try out these techniques for boosting courage.

Be grateful. Sound weird? Who's thankful for fear? Truth is fear's a challenge, and challenges make us stronger. Ancient Greek warriors would thank the gods for putting them in scary situations like fighting minotaurs and sea monsters. Just saying thanks actually gives you strength--for real, try it out!

Build Trust. Ever gotten a piggy back ride? Was it fun? Yeah? Well what if your piggy dropped you on the sidewalk?! For a second, that thought might have crossed your mind. But with trust, the fear of falling disappears, it becomes the fun of riding. Scared of sparring? Trust in your own abilities, your partner's control, and the experienced judges in the ring. You've got it, so go for it!

Step out of Your Comfort Zone. This is the ultimate in sneaky footwork. We get soft in our routines. When something upsets them, we turn anxious. So try new things, take risks, step into the dark and stay true. That?s how you learn to be fearless.

Cour age, ever yday

Check out this sensei guiding a student through his fears.

Thanks. Trust. Action. These are the stepping stones to courage, and we can use them every day. Try them out the next time you're up against something scary!

Photo: Marcus Edwards

Bullies like to blind-side. It's like a board in front of your face, and you don't know when the punch is coming. But what about when you're on your guard, and that board's out in front of you, waiting for your fist to splice it in two. Pow!!

That's the trick, getting your fears out in front so you can stamp them out. It takes courage, not violence, and this is especially true when it comes to bullies. Try this:

Say "Stop." If someone's bothering you, don't ask them to stop. Tell them. Get a little distance, hold out your hand (you've done plenty of push ups, so that arm should be hard and firm), and use your voice. It's strong.

Ask: Are you trying to start a f ight? When you ask this, you make the bully think twice about what he or she is doing. If they say "Yes," don't fight--get a parent or teacher. If they say "No," start a conversation about what's going on.

Pay a Compliment. Yes, that's right. Say something nice to the bully. Why? Because it throws them off their game. You might have to say two nice things. Maybe ten. But this shows a lot of courage and can get a bully to back off.

St amp out bul l ying

Coaches: Role play some bullying scenarios with your kids, and have them use the interventions above. Courage will set bullies on their heels. Go for it!!

""Fortune favors the brave."

Latin Proverb

This warrior figure, carved in wood during the Kamakura period, stood as a spiritual guard outside a Buddhist temple in Japan.

Much like a gargoyle on the ramparts of a cathedral, the warrior stands to terrify any evil forces that try to enter the temple's doors. He's scary in order to keep the monks safe.

Photo: Marcus Edwards

Courage is combative. Its opponent? Fear. Fear's instinctual, built into our minds and nerves and bones. Fear kept our ancestors safe from lions, tigers, bears and each other. Our minds say if it looks or sounds or feels scary, don't mess with it.

Courage overcomes this mindset. It battles fear. It gets us to places we were afraid to go. But you can?t just dream about being courageous, saying someday I won?t be afraid anymore. You have to take action, step by step, getting closer to what you fear.

What's one way to do this? To compete. Competition is an exercise in courage-building. When you take on a sparring match, you risk getting hit. You risk losing. But you also set yourself up to score, to win.

Being courageous means that you do things that others don?t, things that others shy away from. There's a reason that at any sporting event, spectators outnumber by far the players on the field.

The Cour age t o compet e

Competition isn't easy, but you really give yourself a huge boost of courage when you step up to the challenge. The 'Do' in Taekwondo means "to do, to go for it." And going for it's a virtue.

Coaches and kids: Have you been to a tournament yet? Maybe you won 1st place, or 2nd or 3rd. Maybe you didn't--but think of how it felt to compete. Was it a rush? Are you hungry for the next competition? See yourself there, feel the courage in your veins (really, feel it!), and go for the gold!

Photo: Marcus Edwards

Dressed in full uniform as one of her karate school?s newest orange belts, Frances stood in front of the tall mirror at home, pulling her hair into pigtails before practice.

She?d spent the last week learning the new orange belt form, Tan Gun. Tan Gun had much more complicated moves than the gold belt form, Chon Ji.

Sudo block, for instance. She?d heard of a pseudopod in science class, a fish, or worm, or something. Her dad wrote under a ?pseudonym,? he said once. That meant a fake name. But a "pseudo" block? Why anyone would want to fake a block and get hit in the face, Frances couldn?t figure out. She shook her head, bowed and took position in front of the mirror.

Back stance. Sudo block. Pivot, punch. Turn, pseudo block, back stance. Oops, I mean front stance. Punch?

Argghhh... it was confusing. Tan Gun had some tough stances.

Fr ances (t he Or ange Bel t ) t akes a RiskA Little Tale of Courage (Part I of II)

By Mark Brady

Mr. Hunter, one of the black belt instructors, had said it was like climbing an ancient mountain. Frances felt dizzy just thinking about it. ?Hang in there,? she told herself. She reset and tried again.

Saturday was tournament time, the first ever for Frances. She didn?t know what to expect, exactly, but she knew she needed practice, practice, practice.

I llustration: Allie Hayes

On Saturday morning Frances entered the arena and saw a whole mess of martial artists, in gis of all colors.

The place rattled and thundered with growls and squawks and shouts. The air was thick and heavy, like a jungle. Frances craned her neck and looked around for the blue of her school when she heard a smack! and an awful groan.

?Whoa,? Frances said, watching two black belts help a fighter back to his feet in one of the rings. She clutched her chest, wondering what it?d feel like to take a sidekick right to the guts.

But Frances wasn?t there to spar. She?d be competing in forms, and she?d decided on Chon Ji. She had it in her pocket, down pat, having just passed her test with it a week before.

She wandered among the different rings, watching the sparring judges cover their eyes and shoot out their arms to assign points for strikes, watching the seated judges hold up numbered placards to score the forms. She stopped at a ring where lots of students from her school were seated.

Inside, Mr. Hunter had just bowed in.

?Judges!? he shouted. He turned and straightened his gi, a faded blue from so many years of training and tournaments. He tugged at the ends of his belt to tighten the knot, and turned. ?Judges!? he shouted again. He stepped forward.

I llustration: Allie Hayes

?Proudly representing Ripple Effect Martial Arts, my name is Arick Hunter. My instructor is Master Macy. With your permission, I will begin my form, Kwon Gye.?

Frances watched Mr. Hunter?s moves. Not quite swift like a snake?s. More about power, like a tiger?s. His strikes shot out like slashes from a tiger?s open paw. He moved into stances low and strong, rearing back to lunge, like a tiger in slow motion, bounding over the tall grass.

Still watching him finish the last strike, Frances felt a tap on her shoulder and turned her head. It was Master Macy. ?Frances,? he said, ?I need your help. We?re missing one orange belt on the demo team, and they?re about to start their musical form to Tan Gun.? He bent low, looking Frances square in the eye. ?How ?bout it Frances, will you stand in??

Frances felt cold. Tan Gun, she thought. It?s so new. And with the demo team? In front of everyone?

Chon Ji was specific--block, aim, punch, turn. She knew the pattern. But even after all her practice, Tan Gun suddenly felt like she?d grabbed a loose rock and tumbled all the way down that ancient mountain. Frances bit her lip.

Master Macy straightened up to look over his shoulder at the demo team moving toward their space on the floor. He looked back at Frances. ?It?s now or never Frances,? he said. ?Will you do it??

What will Frances decide? Will she take the risk and go for glory? Or will her hesitation eat her alive?

Find out next month!!

I llustration: Allie Hayes

You can't spell "encouragement" without "courage." Courageous kids say I?m psyched. I?m ready. I?m gonna take this all the way. But we have to foster this feeling. How can you inspire courage in your kids? Here are some ideas.

Be positive (while being critical). Kids can malfunction (or freeze up) when they think they're in danger of making a wrong move. Negativity makes it worse, but it's possible to be critical and still be helpful. If their front kicks are flawed, instructors don't say "those kicks look terrible!" They say "looking pretty good, but let's make your kicks a little better. Here, try it with me." Try this approach with math homework, with reading, with dinner, anywhere you see them struggle. Working together, sorting it out. You got this.

Ask questions (and try to identify). Questions show care, that you don't know it all but want to learn from your kids. What are you scared of? The dark? How does it make you feel? I used to be afraid of the dark, too; then my dad said "let's leave the door open a crack so the light can get it. How does that sound? What do you think we should do about the dark? The questions get things rolling. Pretty soon the fears are paved over.

Challenge them (and help them through). Kids don't grow without a push. Anyone who's witnessed (or been through) a black belt test weekend can attest to this. It's tough to push kids when they're struggling; feels better to let them off the hook. But parents are there to push. We're also there to encourage, to reward real effort. It's great to say "great job!" But it's also our job to challenge them to make that 'B' an 'A', to make those kicks a little higher, to get a little louder with those "yes sirs" and "yes ma'am's."

Give those kids a high five and keep that courage building. Yeah!!

coaches' cor ner Photo: Marcus Edwards

Dat es t o Rem em ber

STRIPE WEEKS!

Oct 17-21, Nov 7-11

BELT TESTS:

Nov 15, 16, 17, 18

BLACK BELT TESTING:

Nov 18

Halloween Par t y:

Oct 28 Harmony School 6-8 p.m.

BOARD BREAK!! November 12 (Longmont

school--Fort Collins students welcome!!)

CLOSED:

Nov 24, 25

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Newest BBC and Leadership Mem bers

Trysten MakelaMatthias WiddelSophie Widdel

Matthew DellotaNoah HerndonKeith GittleinAudra CoppaNick CoppaJoe Coppa

Naomi Stolte

New St udent s!

Hunter Geer

Quinn Mackenzie

Angus Reed

Jacob Hunt

Anni Kramer

Grey Wilson

Rutledge Knecht

Visit mykarateclasses.com

for the most up-to-date class

schedules!!

Are you loving your experience at Ripple

Effect Martial Arts? Help us spread the word!

For t COl l ins School Updat es!!!

Sign in to FaceBook and Google+ and share your excitement. Thanks for

your support!

Dat es t o Rem em ber

STRIPE WEEKS!

Oct 17-21, Nov 7-11

BELT TESTS:

Nov 15, 16, 17, 18

BLACK BELT TESTING:

Nov 18

Halloween Par t y:

Oct 28 6-8 p.m.

BOARD BREAK!! November 12 (Longmont

school--Fort Collins students welcome!!)

BELT PROMOTION:

Nov 19

CLOSED:

Nov 24 (Happy Thanksgiving!!!)

BLACK FRIDAY FUN!

Nov 25--Coaches, drop your kids off for a few hours while you shop!

See Angie or Mr. Wagoner for details!!

Newest BBC and Leadership Mem bers

Wyatt Coonen Regan Dreher

Will FerrieMason FischerDrew Gallagher

Austin GaoColleen Huff

Katie HuffErin Jeffreys

Kassie MudgetteChance Preuss

New St udent s!

Ottto Arthur

Zane Botello

Georgia Franks

Jameson Franks

Oliver Hart

Allison Jeffreys

Keeli King

Benny Marxer

Jack Marxer

Riley Neering

Cohen Rose

Faerah Siefken

Collin Weber

Adam Williams

Amy Yu

Visit mykarateclasses.com

for the most up-to-date class

schedules!!

Are you loving your experience at Ripple

Effect Martial Arts? Help us spread the word!

Longmont School Updat es!!!

Sign in to FaceBook and Google+ and share your excitement. Thanks for

your support!