“We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.”
H.G. Wells
Weekly Mind Bender
You have a fox, a chicken and a sack of grain. You must cross a river with only one of them at a time. If you leave the fox with the chicken he will eat it; if you leave the chicken with the grain he will eat it. How can you get all three across safely?
Take the chicken over and leave the fox and the grain. Go get the fox drop it off and pickup the chicken. Take the chicken back across and pickup the grain and leave the chicken. Drop the grain off with the fox and take the chicken over now all of them are on one side!
Daily Dose of Inspiration
“Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. “
Henry Van Dyke
Your Health and Where you Live
Money Sense magazine has just released its “Top 200 Places to Live in Canada” for 2013. Apparently, where you live and corresponding environmental factors can directly impact your health. Money Sense based their rankings on factors such as crime rate, property tax average, average income, weather, accessibility and others. Check out the list to see how your city compares to other great spots in Canada.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Although this inspiring moment happened over 20 years ago at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, it still brings a tear to your eye. Derek Redmond’s incredible finish remains an inspiration to this day.
Making Martial Arts More Accessible
I previously wrote about Martial Arts and the immense benefits of this for both children and adults. However, in highlighting this, I am cognisant that some people will have physical, financial, and geographical barriers to participating in a Martial Arts program. As such, I wanted to provide some more information to make Martial Arts more accessible.
From a physical perspective, like all activities, Martial Arts can be modified to meet any level of physical ability. Personally, I have vertigo so I cannot engage in ground techniques. So, I stay on my feet working on kicks, punches, forms, and self-defense. Erik Kondo (http://martialartistwithdisabilities.blogspot.ca/2008/07/erik-kondo.html) has paraplegia and is a third degree black belt. He has posted several videos online about self-defense from a wheelchair, and has also published an online resource on the 5 D’s of self-defense (http://www.not-me.org/). Michael Sirota (http://www.sirotasalchymy.com/master.html) runs an entire Martial Arts program for people with disabilities and structures each program individually. With a creative Sensei and a motivated participant, anything can be done. Tai Chi is also a Martial Art, but is grounded in slow, sequential movements that can be done in sitting or standing. My grandmother had Parkinson’s Disease and practiced Tai Chi for years as a way to prevent the decline of her balance and mobility. There are many local chapters of Taoist Tai Chi (www.taoist.org/ontario).
Financially, like many organized sports or activities, Martial Arts can be considered expensive. However, as a parent, I have found Martial Arts to be less expensive than the organized volleyball, basketball, tennis, cheer and dance my girls have participated in. In the world of rehab, a one year Martial Arts Program could be easily justified on a treatment plan. Or, if you are funding this yourself, there are different dojos with different fee structures so calling around can help you to find one within your budget. Our local YMCA offers Martial Arts as part of the family membership, and a family membership at the Y has multiple benefits for a reasonable fee. I also believe the Y’s offer membership rates that can be geared to income. Some dojos offer Martial Arts on a monthly basis, and others require a contract. You can decide through speaking with different programs which option works best for you. Also, some community centers offer Martial Arts for very low prices, or again are geared to income. I have also experienced Sensei’s coming into physical education classes to demonstrate some of the skills and techniques at no charge.
Geographically there may be barriers to finding a local dojo, or transportation problems prevent easy access the community. Perhaps looking for videos, online resources, books or even using video games to teach some of the skills could be possible. Or, perhaps there is a carpooling opportunity with another family in the same area. Explaining access issues to the Sensei at the nearest dojo may result in some solutions.
The bottom line is that as with anything, where there is a will, there is a way. And the benefits of engaging in Martial Arts are so immense that taking some time to research local opportunities and to ask questions to make this accessible to you or your child will be well worth the effort.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
“I know I was born and I know that I’ll die
The in between is mine,
I am mine.”
Pearl Jam: “I am Mine”
Do You Know The Signs of a Heart Attack?
This public service announcement featuring Elizabeth Banks for “Go Red for Women” is quite comical, however, teaches a serious lesson on being prepared. It’s National Emergency Preparedness week in Canada. Be prepared and know the signs of a heart attack. Doing so could save your life or the life of someone you love.
Daily Dose of Inspiration
Source: reddit.com via Katie on Pinterest
Martial Arts is All That…
Julie Entwistle, MBA, BHSc (OT), BSc (Health / Gerontology)
I started Martial Arts at a time in my life when I was discontent with my emotional, physical and cognitive health. I was unhappy with myself and listed all the reasons I felt that way to come to a very solid conclusion – I was not getting enough exercise. After having four kids in five years, my exercise and sports were naturally not at the forefront of my time. My solution? Karate. Why? It would provide me with the physical outlet I needed, would be a cognitive challenge, and would feed my emotional need to do something for “me”. Also, I considered self-defence, like CPR and First Aid, a tool I wanted in my “just in case” tool box. But what I found through Martial Arts was much more than I expected. I always struggled to explain this to others until I read a wonderful post from Sensei Master Michael Sirota (http://www.sirotasalchymy.com/master.html). Sensei Sirota lives in British Columbia and has created an entire Martial Arts program for people with disabilities. He is heavily involved in the Para-Olympics and is, in my mind, a pillar in the Martial Arts Community. I was fortunate enough to meet Michael in person last year.
In his post “Why Martial Arts”, Sensei Sirota highlighted the benefits:
Self-Defense: “practice the fight so you don’t have to”. This speaks to the fact that Martial Artists develop a quiet confidence that is seen but not heard. This confidence makes them less vulnerable as a target of violence, and teaches them to identify potentially dangerous situations early to promote avoidance.
Athletic Enhancement and Fitness: Many athletes combine their sports training with Martial Arts to maintain endurance, flexibility, coordination and swiftness. Being able to strike, kick and move quickly mimics the explosive, fluid and coordinated movements needed in sport. There are few other activities that burn as many calories, or result in such an overall body workout.
Other Health Benefits: Martial Artists tend to take diet and exercise seriously. This is part of the intensity of their training and their commitment to wellness. Martial Arts requires concentration and focus, things relatable to all areas of life. Martial Arts is a commitment with the built in motivation of moving through belt levels to achieve the goal of Sensei.
Respect and Courtesy: Contrary to popular belief, Martial Arts is about restraint and playing nicely in the sand box. It has been proven that children (and adults) trained in martial arts tend to be disciplined, composed and respectful. This is beneficial in all areas of life, especially relationships, school and work.
So, if you are looking for fitness, emotional strength, confidence, and cognitive stimulation, there are few other activities that will provide more bang for your buck. And, fortunately, there are many forms of Martial Arts to choose from, making it likely that you can connect with a style and form that aligns with your interests.