http://www.themartialartforlife.com en-gb themartialartforlife.com 2010-3-29T00:00:00Z themartialartforlife.com http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#61682 Alongside health and personal development as a martial art Choi KwangDo also has a focus on developing self defence skills. Having said that the fact that learning Choi KwangDo does not entail sparring often raises questions and a fair amount of criticism. Sparring is commonplace in many martial arts and can take a number of forms. Loosely speaking sparring defines students engaging in combat with one another for the purpose of training or competition. Some martial arts allow no contact some light or semi contact and some full contact. The rules and format of sparring will vary between different marial arts.The question is do you believe that you have to practise sparring to be able to defend yourself effectively In Choi KwangDo we believe the answer is no. Based on this premise Choi KwangDo Defence Drills comprise of a series of exercises which allow students to practise and develop their self defence skills progressively with another student. More specifically the Defence Drills are ... 2010-3-29T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#53813 We are starting a new Choi KwangDo martial arts class for children in Ealing from January 2010.The class will be for children aged 6 12 years old and will run from 6.00 7.00pm on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the existing locationEllen Wilkinson SchoolQueens DriveNorth EalingLondon W3 0HWNB. The date of the first class in January is still to be confirmed.Places in the class are limited so if youre a parent and interested in having your child in our class please use the Free Trial form to register your interest and to receive further details. Enter Childrens class in Ealing in the Message box. Alternatively you may Contact Us. 2009-11-30T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#49762 We all have relative good days and bad days to various degrees and it appears that a logical conclusion is that our internal feelings are controlled by the external events that happen to us you have a disagreement with someoneyou may feel angry or upset. You loose something valuableyou may feel sad or disappointed. The events create a negative emotional state and the reactions often take place automatically and unconsciously. Yet we are aware of how our physiology can display our internal emotions. Someone who is feeling good about themselves and feels confident will normally maintain an upright posture with their head held high. If someone is feeling sad or low their shoulders may hunch along with our backs and their head may fall forwards or tilt to one side. People see these signs and instinctively respond to them by asking questions like whats wrong or are you feeling okayWhen someone is feeling happy or confident it is the opposite and numerous studies clearly show that by making ... 2009-9-30T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#45211 Firstly most martial arts schools will expect a beginner to attend two classes per week. Attending one lesson a week may be possible but if two or more classes per week are offered and you are only taking one it could mean that your progress will be slower than your expectations or worse still slower than other students in the class this is not always the case so confirm this with the instructor of your chosen school. Secondly many schools will suggest that you make an initial commitment for a set duration of time eg. 1 month 6 months or up to 12 months and then review your progress at the end of this time. Whilst this may seem unreasonable to some initially it is actually a very sound principle. Think of it like this GCSEs are a two year academic course taken aged 16 in secondary schools in England thats 24 months. If a student stops attending lessons after just 12 months and doesnt go back how likely are they to do well in the final GCSE exams How confident will the school be in th... 2009-7-19T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#40958 One of the many great things about training towards black belt and beyond in the martial arts is that it helps students to understand the concept of delayed fulfilment. Allow me to explain Im sure youve heard all the catchphrases thatwe live in a world where we have Fast food Next day delivery Instant messagingThe list goes on. People dont like to wait. In particular many young people appear to be growing up thinking that you can become famous overnight. However this desire to have everything immediately can have further implications for some people. It can mean that when long term effort is required...they dont bother. Why Sometimes people have a tendency to gravitate towards doing what is easy yet we know that when we suppress this tendency which is ultimately the essence of self discipline we know that we can get more done and be more effective. We also know that some things in life take time.Is this you If so this is where lessons from or even lessons in the martial arts can benef... 2009-4-30T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#34711 It is not uncommon for students to be taught a technique or combination of techniques in one lesson and completely forget it by the next This is because the amount of information that we are able to recall and remember remains high following a learning period but only for a very short amount of time. After this it begins to drop rapidly. The best way to boost recall is by reviewing the information ie. regular practise. This is the reason why most martial arts school recommend training twice a week. However whether you are training once or twice a week your training should be supplemented by practising at home. As little as 15 minutes a day will drastically improve your recall of information and subsequently your performance of the techniques exercises and drills. In fact if you have been shown something in class for the first time or engaged in any kind of learning experience I thoroughly recommend reviewing it as soon as you get home or after the learning session has finishe... 2009-1-8T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#32544 Learn more about Choi KwangDo martial arts training at the Health amp Beauty Fair at Ellen Wilkinson School on Saturday 22nd November 11.00am 3.00pm. Ellen Wilkinson SchoolQueens DriveNorth EalingLondon W3 0HWJason Wright 2008-11-18T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#31453 The human being is a wonderful mechanism. In particular the human mind has always been a subject of great fascination. Every day our brain processes organises and retains thousands of pieces of information much of it without us even noticing. As a result we are often able to recall pieces of information effortlessly. On the other hand some pieces of information may take us some time to recall clearly while others we will completely forget The example I often refer to in class is riding a bicycle. When you are first learning to ride a bicycle there are many pieces of information to remember balance steering pedalling continuously etc. Many if not all of these things needs to be remembered and performed at the same time if you are not to fall off the bike and hurt yourself. Having said that falling off and hurting yourself could be considered as conducive to the learning experience. Learning martial arts is no different. Take the Choi KwangDo Outward Block for example you need to ... 2008-10-22T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#29194 Regular class attendance is the single most important factor towards your development as a martial artist. In class you are able to have your movements corrected and developed by a qualified Instructor as well as having both technique and mental aspects enhanced through group interaction. In Choi KwangDo each individual is accepted for what they are regardless of race sex creed national origin talents or disabilities with the basic premise that we all share a common goal self improvement. With this idea in mind you should come to feel as if the Dojang training hall is almost like your second home with a feeling of warmth and fellowship towards all of your Dojang mates. Emptying Your Cup Upon entering the Dojang try to empty your mind of the days worries and events so that you can better concentrate on the development of your Choi KwangDo techniques principles and philosophy. By this you and your fellow students can derive more benefits from your classes and leave feeling refreshed and... 2008-8-31T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#27765 When is the right time to start thinking about being a Black Belt You may be thinking that the best time would be when you get to the belt before Black Belt. In Choi KwangDo this is would be Brown Belt Senior. You may even think that it might be better to starting thinking about Black Belt several months before this. In Choi KwangDo this could be Purple Choi the first belt in the Advanced Stage of the coloured belt syllabus and approximately 1 year before Black Belt. Essentially the best time to start thinking about being a Black Belt is when you are a White Belt. The journey from White Belt to Black Belt can be anything from 3189 to 5 years of training or much longer in some martial arts. Aside working on the martial arts techniques and drills during this time a student working towards Black Belt will be continually cultivating and demonstrating positive attributes in terms of thought and behaviour ie. an attitude. The Black Belt Attitude means striving for personal ... 2008-7-31T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#25492 In the martial arts Black Belt is a metaphor for excellence. In fact even those who may admit to knowing little about the martial arts have an understanding that Black Belt defines a level of expertise. A Black Belt in martial arts will have mastered a repotoire of physically impressive movements. A Black Belt will have also spent time cultivating and demonstrating positive attributes in terms of thought and behaviour ie. an attitude. The Black Belt Attitude means striving for personal excellence in all areas. In Choi KwangDo attitudes are promoted within a framework defined by My Promise for children My Pledge teenagers and adults and the Principles of Choi KwangDo all students. Every skill requires practise and review and in Choi KwangDo we observe the following two checkpoints to kick no pun intended the Black Belt Attitude into action Checkpoint 1 Tying Your Belt If you were walking down your local high street and saw a person wearing a blue leotard red pants over the leotard ... 2008-6-15T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#23098 Tuesday 22nd April CKDMAI arrives Wednesday 23rd April Malaria Competition Winners Location Ellis Academy of Choi KwangDo 18 Warrick Road Redhill Surrey RH1 1BU Time 600pm Training With Grandmaster Choi 730pm Dinner With Grandmaster Choi Thursday 24th April Black Belt Testing Location The Royal Alexander amp Albert School Chapel Gatton Park Reigate Surrey RH2 0TD Time 600pm 9.00pm Friday 25 April Senior Black Belt Testing Location Ellis Academy of Choi KwangDo Time TBC Saturday 26th April European 20th Anniversary Seminar Location Seminar K2 Crawley Pease Pottage Hill Crawley West Sussex RH11 9BQ 930am 1200pm Seminar Start AdultsChildren1200pm 130pm DemonstrationLunch130pm 430pm Adult Seminar430pm Finish Seminar Banquet Location Copthorne Hotel amp Resort Effingham Park West Park Road Copthorne West Sussex RH10 3EU Time TBC Monday 28th April Faculty Meeting Location Ellis Academy of Choi KwangDo Time TBC Tuesday 29th April CK... 2008-4-20T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#22219 Just a matter of weeks until the European 20th Anniversary Seminar... To commemorate the occasion Martial Arts Illustrated magazine features Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi on the front cover plus a 5page article. Its in the April edition which is typically available in larger newsagents through March. If you missed it...dont worry. Click here to view very short previews of the complete current issue Alternatively you can sign up at no cost and purchase the digital edition of the April issue at the standard cost of 1633.50 each. Hard copies are also available at an additional 1631.50 for UK postage. Jason Wright 2008-3-31T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#20670 Like any activity you do need to make a commitment to become skilled at martial arts but as people are so busy with work study and family life...making the time can be difficult. However with practise one can pick up basic self defence skills fairly quickly. For these reasons we hold regular Free Self Defence Classes at our schools in Hendon and Ealing North and West London. Youll have the opportunity to learn and practise self defence techniques in a controlled noncompetitive environment without having to join the school or make a long term commitment. Our Free Self Defence Classes are held approximately every 8 weeks and are open to members and nonmembers. The 60 minute classes are aimed at teenagers and adults although children aged 10 12 years can also attend if accompanied by an adult. Its not realistic to think that one can become an expert after just one or two classes but after learning a variety of simple and effective self defence techniques you may begin to feel more co... 2008-2-29T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#18705 Have you been to the cinema recently Watch or hired any good DVDs Nowadays so many films feature some type of heroic martial arts style fighting. No longer content with your regular fisticuffs fight scenes in films are often a hybrid of a variety of martial arts fighting styles with the stars of the film undergoing several months of rigorous training with a professional coach to ensure their readiness for the part at least thats what it often shows in the DVDs special features This is excellent for raising awareness of the physical capabilities that martial arts classes can develop but what about all the other qualities It was highly refreshing to stumble across an endorsement on the benefits of martial arts in the national press at the end of 2006. A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research examined what had become of thousands of children born in 1958 and 1970. Researcher found that those who were involved in structured and purposeful extra curricular activities were m... 2008-1-16T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#18515 To really appreciate the benefits of Choi KwangDo martial art training or anything else for that matter you have to experience it. Even if you were to read and download all of the information on this website youd still only gain half of the story as they say. While many people decide to join our school after their first or second lesson others come to that decision after one or weeks. We offer prospective students the opportunity to try our classes for up to 30 days an entire month to begin to experience the benefits of Choi KwangDo. All at no cost and no obligation. So...what are you waiting for To arrange your free 30 day trial simply go to the FREE Trial page and enter your details remembering to state which location Hendon or Ealing you are interested in. You will be contacted to arrange a suitable date and time for your Introductory Lesson. Alternatively go to the Contact Us page for telephone numbers or an email address. We look forward to training with you in 2008 Jason W... 2008-1-12T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#17221 What do you think of when you hear the term self defence Practising releases from various restraining positions Avoiding dimly lit streets Hitting an attacker and then running away Any if not all of these initial responses could be correct although in Choi KwangDo the definition to self defence additionally follows two distinct paths Firstly by employing principles of biomechanics body movements are optimised to create powerful striking techniques while simultaneously reducing the the risk of hyper extension in the joints. Small adjustments to techniques can translate to greater output even for those who are of small or medium build. These techniques are utilised within training drills desgined to develop various aspects such as reactions counter attacks verbal skills preemptive attacks and releases. Such drills help to stimulate the central nervous system enabling it to more effectively recruit the muscles required to execute the movements as well as respond with those movements fa... 2007-12-5T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#16550 Less than six months to go until the biggest event on every CKD student and instructors calendar the European 20th Anniversary Seminar with Grandmaster Choi. The 15th anniversary in Stevenage was attended by nearly 1000 students and instructors. Make sure youre part of the 20th anniversary celebrations To register for the seminar and for the more uptodate news and information visit the official European 20th Anniversary Seminar page. Jason Wright 2007-11-16T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#16350 Some of you will already know that Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi the founder of Choi Kwang Do was a guest on LBC 97.3FM one of London biggest talk radio stations in September 2007. You can hear the interview when you subscribe to our monthly eNewsletter before Friday 30th November. Once youve subscribed heres what youll receive 1. The monthly TheMartialArtForLife.com eNewsletter news and articles on Choi KwangDo training health and fitness and self improvement. 2. A free eBook 7 Tips For Choosing A Martial Arts School. 3. The mp3 audio of Grandmaster Chois guest appearance on LBC 97.3FM in September. Click here to subscribe now Jason Wright 2007-11-10T00:00:00Z http://www.themartialartforlife.com/page8.htm#11938 There are many reasons to enroll in a martial arts programme such as Choi Kwang Do. For children in particular although by no means exclusively Choi Kwang Do helps to build self confidence and discipline which provides a solid foundation for them to develop strong character. Choi Kwang Do is fun activity for children to engage in and throughout their participation children will learning important lessons and values that will shape how they view the world around them. Even though Choi Kwang Do teaches to avoid confrontations if the need arises students can be secure in their knowledge of how to defend themselves from physical harm. There is also the additional benefit here in that the techniques that may be employed in self defence are biomechanically designed and not stressful on the body. Students who participate and progress in the martial arts generally develop a positive attitude that they can take with them to help them accomplish other important tasks and life challenges. As w... 2007-11-9T00:00:00Z