Very Involved Parents

VIP: Very Involved Parent

TOP 5 WAYS TO BE A V.I.P.

The following is a list of five ways that you, as a Very Involved Parent, can take an active role in your child’s journey toward becoming a Black Belt Champion in Life!

1. Teach your child the importance of being on time for class.

When it comes to regular classes, Coach Sparks always reminds us “It’s better to be 15 minutes early than 1 minute late.” This helps develop a sense of responsibility, with your child getting ready for their lessons.

Help them get in the habit of getting into uniform early, and checking to see that they have all the required items. Such as their belt, weapons or required safety equipment. When a child comes late for class they experience a negative feeling for the start of their class. They miss out on saying the student creed and if allowed to happen over time, tardiness will develop into a habit that shows up in every area of their life.

2. Stop in to Watch and Observe your Child in Class. We are all busy people and it may be tempting to drop your child off to class while you run an errand or two. While this may be acceptable once in a while, it should not become the norm. Your child will perform better knowing you are watching, especially if you are really watching.

Children like to please their parents; staying to watch your child will develop a sense of pride and accountability for their efforts in class.

By the way, PRIDE stands for…Personal Responsibility In Daily Effort!

3. Volunteer to Hold Targets for your child at home. We often run drills that parents can easily do at home with your child. Your child will love having you holding the targets for him/her to strike.

Maybe you can let your child be the instructor, and you can be the student for a while. Then switch the roles. If children look at practice as something that’s fun to do, they will do it without you having to push. Kids like accessories; invest in some hand targets and kicking shields that will allow your child to really get into their practice sessions with you at home. (Any equipment you see us use on the floor can be ordered and purchased at our pro-shop.) Plus it will help save your pillows and furniture in your home.

Follow the Praise – Correct – Praise formula when working with your child.

Getting too critical of your child’s form or detail will only put up a wall between you and them. Understand that with time and training, your child’s skill will develop to unbelievable levels.

When correcting, be what we call a Good-Finder. That is to point out all the good you see and sandwich it around any corrections you may suggest.

You know the old saying, “You catch a lot more bees with honey than you do with vinegar!” Your child will respond to the positive praise much better than they ever will by pointing out all the areas they need to work on. Spoon-feed the corrections and smother the praise and you wíll see your child ís confidence and skills grow at an amazing pace!

These are just a few ways be a V.I.P. even if becoming a student

yourself is not right for you. Remember to Team Up and never Give

Up when it comes to keeping your child on track with their martial arts training and progress.

Dedicated to your Success,

Ashley Sparks
Inferno MMA
http://www.InfernoMMA.com
(479) 715-6625

Can Martial Arts assist in treating ADD and ADHD?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affect nearly 5% of children in North America from ages 5 – 18 years. A child with ADD or ADHD may have certain issues at home or at school that can be hard for parents to handle. This is the reason why most parents chose to medicate their child with Ritalin or Adderall. These drugs only mask the issue at hand. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says keeping your children structured will assist in treating the disorder. Here are some tips to help kids stay organized and follow directions courtesy of the NIMH:

• Schedule. Keep the same routine every day, from wake-up time to bedtime. Include time for homework, outdoor play, and indoor activities. Keep the schedule on the refrigerator or on a bulletin board in the kitchen. Write changes on the schedule as far in advance as possible.
• Organize everyday items. Have a place for everything, and keep everything in its place. This includes clothing, backpacks, and toys.
• Use homework and notebook organizers. Use organizers for school material and supplies. Stress to your child the importance of writing down assignments and bringing home the necessary books.
• Be clear and consistent. Children with ADHD need consistent rules they can understand and follow.
• Give praise or rewards when rules are followed. Children with ADHD often receive and expect criticism. Look for good behavior, and praise it.

The martial arts emphasizes consistency, focus and structure. Not to mention, it increases self-esteem, self-discipline and self-control. At Inferno MMA we take great pride in teaching all our students these qualities. If your son or daughter has been diagnosed with ADD and ADHD call us at 479-715-6625 or visit us online at http://www.InfernoMMA.com to see how the martial arts can change his or her life.

August Newsletter

Click here for August fastbreaks.pdf

Firewalker

I participated in one of the most intense and crazy things that I may ever be a part of. This past weekend was Camp Outback. This is a martial arts training camp hosted by Mr. Steve Place in Siloam Springs, AR. This was a 2 day camp. Friday started off with a forms/hyung seminar. Followed by an XMA and a kicks seminar. These were both fun and exciting. But then Friday night at 7pm, we started preparing for the Fire Walk. This prep course was 4 hours in length and involved figuring out what REALLY matters in my personal and professional life. Once we discovered these things, we started working on our mindset. The mindset that I am referring to is the state of mind that will allow us to walk across a pit of hot coals safely. About an hour into the fire walk training, we were taken outside to see the fire. There were 2 fires. Placed about 10 feet apart and about 12-15 feet long. The Inferno MMA team was asked to stand in between the two fire pits. The heat was incredible! We stood there for about 30 seconds before hair on my arms and legs started to singe. That’s when it became REAL! We went back inside to continue our preparation for the fire walk. We continued this process for about 2.5 hours longer. Fatigue started to set in when finally we went out to the fire pits again and much to my surprise….people were walking across the pits of hot coals! It was finally time. I had been preparing for moments like this in martial arts training for many years. We had been preparing for this specific moment for 4 hours and it was finally here. Then it was my turn. I was hyper focused on the task at hand. Nothing else existed in my mind except for “cool moss” (if you have ever fire walked, you know was that means!). I looked up and started to cross the fire pit. The anticipation was finally over! As I walked I thought maybe I had accidently steered off of the pit. I took a quick glance down as I took my last step and sure enough I was still on the hot coals. The mind is truly an amazing thing. I finally understand what “mind over matter” really means. This was a measure of self-belief and a very spiritual experience for me. I learned a lot about myself during this event! Inferno MMA wants to thank Steve and Nanette Place for this opportunity!

Integrity in a Child’s Life

Children learn how to behave and develop values through the examples that are set for them. As parents, teachers, instructors or adults in general, it is crucial that we instill the right principles in our children. One of the greatest principles of the Martial Arts is integrity, having high moral values and sticking to them no matter what.

If we as adults, parents, teachers, etcetera, stick to our principles first, it will end up instilling this value in our children. As martial arts instructors, we strive to encourage our students to be disciplined, display perseverance and represent other principles of the martial arts, as well. We must stick to these principles, one of which being integrity, at all times. If we stray from these principles, not only are we hypocrites, but we are letting our students believe that it is not important to be consistent and have a moral code. We are letting them know that they may break the rules at any time which is not acceptable.

If we want our children and students to have integrity, we must show it in our everyday lives. We must instill it in them. It is not something that they are born with but something that is learned over time and by experience.

Is this a principle of your household? Is it something you value in a martial arts setting?

Self-Control

Of course, we all know that Self-Control is a dominating principle of the martial arts. It is a characteristic of a strong person. Someone who knows right from wrong. Someone who is not frivolous or impulsive. Impulsivity and frivolousness, more often than not, are detrimental not only to ones’ well-being, but to the perceptions of others.
For example, if someone is in a public place and becomes the subject of an altercation and is impulsive enough to start throwing punches and getting out-of-hand, trouble obviously will occur. With this trouble comes the perception of violence and a bad temper. However, if self-control is exercised, there will be no punches thrown until it is time to literally defend his or herself. This gives the perception of dignity and strength. Which way would you rather be perceived?
I know I would rather look like the bigger person. I would rather be known for my self-control than my ability to fight. This is what we teach here at Inferno MMA. We teach our students to be proud of their abilities, yet dignified and controlled and not to use their martial arts outside of the school unless forced.
Self- control is pertinent in life; otherwise, all you will run into is trouble and mistakes.

Keeping Your Children Active

So many children would like nothing more than to wake up in the morning and sit in front of the television for hours on end. But, instead of letting your kids sit in front of the television all summer playing video games and eating junk food, it is time to get them involved in an activity. Martial arts, swim team, tee ball, summer camp, whatever it is, it is necessary! Our children are more overweight and inactive than ever! Therefore, it is incredibly important to avoid contributing to this epidemic. Stay on top of your child’s health and wellness by not only suggesting a physical activity, but requiring his or her participation in one per season.
Unfortunately, 31.7% of children and teens ages 2 to 19 were above the 85th percentile of Body Mass Index (height versus weight) in 2008 which means that 31.7% of children between 2 and 19 years old are in the top 15% BMI, that’s almost a third! This cannot continue. Aside from eating healthy, encouraging children to stay active (although it creates work for you running from activity to activity) is not only better for your child, but the longevity of the youth of this country in general.

Academic Excellence

It is that time of year again, the school year has ended and the children have received their last report cards for the year. The question becomes will there be trouble when the report card is opening or congratulations. As many of you know, Inferno MMA is dedicated to rewarding those students that excel in school. A good student is dedicated, motivated and on a quest to do their best, just like a black belt.

We believe in rewarding such excellence to reinforce the importance of above average performance in the classroom just as we reward above average performance on the mat. We do not believe a reward should motivate student’s to do well, only condition the children that when they work hard, success will follow, hopefully, setting them up for a lifetime of achievement. This is just a small dose of success- pizza and friends!

What do you think about rewarding children for a job well done? Is this a necessity in our society or something that is moving our children in the wrong direction?

Healthy competition

Healthy competition is a necessity for the growth and development of any human being, especially those in the early stages of their lives. Children need to know what it means to work hard and win or lose. Without this, the development of their experiences and relationships with competition (something that is a part of the real world) are hindered.

The martial arts instills healthy competition on a daily basis. Stripe testing, Belt Graduation, Tournaments, and even the races and games at the end of class all pertain to healthy competition. The martial arts teaches its students to be good sports and not to be sore losers. The martial arts teaches its students to strive for more and work their hardest. These are all lessons children absolutely must learn.

Here at we are dedicating to instilling the Principles of Black Belt and teaching the life lessons children need to grow and develop in their futures.

Staying in your Routine during the Summer

The summer tends to be a time when adults fall out of their daily routines, mainly exercise, and throw caution to the wind. This can be detrimental to anyone’s state of mind. Training and eating healthy are unsurpassed ways of keeping your mind and, obviously, your body, healthy. Sometimes it is easy to forget, but a healthy mind and body leads to a lot more than simply looking good in a bathing suit. It is so much more than that. A healthy mind and body creates happiness, less stress, more tolerance, the ability to think more clearly and work harder.

Whether you train in the martial arts, take an aerobic class, lift weights, run miles, swim laps, whatever the case may be, exercise is the key. That is why this summer Inferno MMA challenges you to stay on track. Exercise, eat well and be happy. Life is too short to lose your momentum. Keep going and see how great you feel!