This is our last newsletter for the year of 2013. Thank you to Chris Root for putting it together for us every month. Also, thank you each for reading it every month. I say this because I know how many copies I make each month, and I know how many do not get picked up and read. It is not read by the majority of our members, which is a shame because I think we try to impart some important messages through this humble publication. So, besides our usual request that you encourage new members to join and current members to stay, if you do indeed habitually read this, please tell your fellow members about it and the inspirational and educational articles it contains each month so that more people can benefit from reading it.

Over the years I have repeatedly written about progress in our art. I have alway s stressed the need to continue so that solid and permanent changes take place in your martial art expertise. Well, I am very good at what I do. There is only one reason I became as good at this as I am. It is because I never stopped. I remember my first days as a white belt. I was no gifted or perfect karate student. Many people were better and more advanced than I was. If you want to be great there is no magic or secret to it, just never stop. I also didn’t make excuses for not knowing things. I didn’t talk myself into quitting because of things I created to rationalize it. I never pretended to be better than I was, I never acted as if I was better than others and I never told myself I was done making progress. I did other things than just practice karate, but I never decided to stop making karate a priority. I just told myself I would never quit because I knew I would keep getting better, I didn’t know each day if I got better, I just knew I would and left it at that. I always knew that I would improve if I believed in myself. That is it. If it sounds simple to you that is because it is just that simple. Do not ever quit and you will continue to be great and continue to improve for the rest of your life. People quit karate, jobs, marriages, and almost every other thing they do all too frequently. Perhaps staying with your karate practice can help you make longevity in other areas all that more possible.

I won’t begin to discuss in detail all the various and numerous reasons people make for leaving the Dojo. The sad thing is people do leave. Money and time are the dominate reasons, but since dinner out at a restaurant cost more than a month of study here and one class lasts no longer that a tv drama each day, those reasons seem trivial. It is all about motivation and priorities. Many people who leave once thought our Dojo was the coolest place they ever walked into, and their eyes were wide with eagerness and anticipation. They were content and satisfied. Did the Dojo change? No, the motivation and the priorities of the person does. Is it easy to do this for years? No, it isn’t. Unless…you let it be that way. The person who stays with a dojo forever let’s it be the way it was for them at the beginning, something valuable and fun. The real secret is that there is no secret. Every beginning student has visions and dreams of being a karate master. The truth is every student can become a very high ranking master as long as they never quit.

Shakespeare said “to thy own self be true”. Don’t quit and make up reasons why you should and did. Karate is universal, it can live with every race, creed, religion, political beliefs, age, whatever. Karate can make you a better catholic, republican, Jew, white, black, democrat, anything. Why is this? Because continuous uninterrupted karate practice brings you inner peace and the ability to see everyone through positive, peaceful, strong and objective eyes. Karate will just make you better…but you have to be in it to win it…

This month we are asking you, our students, the parent of a student, the friend or family member of a student, to write something for our newsletter. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated, just something from the heart about how you feel or what you think of our Dojo and our practice. Every January we publish all of the contributions in the Annual January members edition. Writing your thoughts or feelings about your school and reading everyone else’s can in itself be motivating for you and inspire you to stay and train harder. So please submit something personally at the Dojo or by email to chriscjrlaw@gmail.com by the end of December and thank you!

Humor is very healing in many aspects of our lives and at FMK we believe that it is an essential part of the learning process.

According to recent studies, laughter produces endorphins which lessen pain, increases production of T-cells, interferon and immune proteins called globulins and even significantly lowers Cortisol levels and returns the body to a more relaxed state.

Comedy helps our psyche and well being, and many studies show that scientifically it does even more than that! Humor may be interjected in various phases of the instructional process. Humorous breaks during a lesson promote learning by allowing the brain a “breather” to process and integrate. Humor nurtures the trusted relationships needed for engaged learning.

Therefore, it makes sense to us to incorporate humor as part of the learning process. The benefits of humor indicate that laughing could help strengthen your immune system – meaning you’re less likely to have to take time off work or make insurance claims at Aviva.co.uk, Aviva.com or Blue Shield. Most importantly, the emotional benefits of laughter can be useful for anyone learning martial arts or self defense. Here at FMK, we pride ourselves on this unique approach to learning.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional Health Studies have pinpointed 18 different kinds of smiles.

The most common is the smile of enjoyment

13 muscles are used to smile, but 47 are required for frowning. You have to smile nearly a quarter of a million times to make 1 wrinkle.
Laughter lowers the levels of Cortisol in the body. Cortisol suppresses the immune system.
Lowering these levels enhances the work of the immune system and may prevent disease.
You can stimulate your heart and lungs, elevate your blood pressure and improve breathing capacity by laughing.

For Parents:
Adding humor to your life will allow your child to grow into a fun and light-hearted person, one that will never know the meaning of ‘depression’. The end result might very well be that laughter will help everyone in your family live longer too!

As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily.

Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.

In terms of exercise:

You can get the same benefits from laughing 100 times a day, as you can from 10 minutes of rowing.

Charles Darwin believed that one’s facial expression can actually influence one’s moods. Studies in bio-feedback confirm Darwin’s belief.

15 minutes of laughter equals the benefit of 2 hours sleep.
One good belly laugh burns off 3 1/2 calories.
Laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your life span.

The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable–it also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.

Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.

“What did the zero say to the eight?….. Nice belt!” – Old Karate Proverb

You can avoid many confrontations and resolve arguments and disagreements by communicating in a playful or humorous way. Humor can help you say things that might otherwise be difficult to express without creating a flap. However, it’s important that you laugh with the other person, not at them.

When humor and play are used to reduce tension and anger, reframe problems, and put the situation into perspective, the conflict can actually become an opportunity for greater connection and intimacy.