Changing 200 Lives Around the World!

Dear Students and Parents,

One of my main goals when teaching martial arts is to encourage my students to use the discipline, concentration and focus developed through training to make a difference in the world. Every year we put this idea into action by rallying behind a different children’s charity. This year we have had students organize Basketball Contests, Dinners Out, Bake Sales, Canning Events, Bowl-a-Thons, Book Sales and many other fundraising events. All of the funds raised this year will be donated to The Smile Train, a non-profit organization which provides free cleft pallet operations for thousands of children throughout the world. To date our students have raised almost $30,000for smile train. However we are not done yet!

I am asking every student and family to participate in and attend the Annual Martial Arts Extravaganza which will be held on Sunday, April 10th 2011. This years show will culminate with a huge board breaking demonstration. During this demonstration all of our students from age 3 to 73 will attempt to break 2000 or more boards in less then 5 minutes. If we are successful we will have raised a total of $60,000 for this worthy cause by the end of the show! What is most important is that this is enough money to provide operations to 240 children throughout the world!

Here are a few things that I am asking in order to make this a success:

• Each student will break 5 boards on stage the day of the event. Please do not worry of you think that your child is too young or that you are too old. We have age appropriate boards for the younger students and there is no such thing as too old!

• We will coach the students on exactly what they need to do in order to break the board during the weeks leading up to the event.

• Each student is encouraged to get five $20 donations / sponsors for their boards for a total of $100.

Once again, our goal is to get 100% participation in this event. Every family that raises at least $100 will be provided with as many tickets as would like for the show. We hope to see all of the 1800 available seats filled the day of the event. This event is not only about raising the funds it is about developing and demonstrating a sense of community. Please make sure that for every ticket requested there is a person in attendance.

I can promise that each and every family that participates will not only be impressed with the show but will leave with a new found sense of what is possible when a group of committed individuals join together to make a difference. What we achieve will be nothing short of a miracle.

Thank you in advance for helping to change the world… one kick.. one punch… one karate student at a time!

Bryan Klein

Battle of the What If's

Battle of the What If’s

Many of you know that I will be fighting in an Amateur Full Contact Bought at the West Windsor TKD and Kick Boxing Academy on Friday, February 11th. Many of my family members, friends (and sometimes even find myself asking) the question WHY?

This to me is an excellent opportunity to not only set a goal for myself to improve as a martial artist but to really step out of my comfort zone. It would be so much easier for me to let good enough be good enough but I would always have that unanswered question of what if?

What if I faced my fears head on?

What if I challenged myself to be all that I can be?

What if I pushed it to the limits?

I once heard a quote that the way we do one thing is a reflection of how we do all things. My greatest hope is that this experience will help me to put a few more what if’s behind me and become not only a better martial artist but a better parent, teacher and person.

Looking forward to a successful 2011.

Pursuit of MASTERY

When students enroll in my school I am always sure to tell them that the journey to black belt is not always an uphill ride. There are times when you are not going feel like coming to class or when you may even feel like quitting! It also always amazed me that there were actually students who gave up only months and weeks before their black belt testing.

Now that I have less then 12 days left until my test WCMA I reminded of what my students are going through during there test experience. The biggest opponent that we have to defeat is not the opponent in the ring across from us it is ourselves. The goal of our training is to build our inner strength by squashing any negativity that may stand in our way.

When we learn how to control our mental state and attitude we can truly say that we are not only Black Belts in Martial Arts but that we are Black Belts in LIFE!

12 Days to GO!

There are only 12 days to go to my test in California! So for the next 12 days I am going to commit to the folowing:

1. Bring my diet to a level 10.

2. Blog / journal daily.

3. Start every day with a win.

4. Take 15 minutes a day to meditate / visualize my success.

5. Perform in front of a group at least 1 time a day for the next 12 days!

Wish me luck!

BK

Misery loves company......

Misery Loves Company……

A friend of mine shared a story with me about a bucket of crabs. He told me how he would watch the crab that was on the top struggle to climb out of the bucket. The crab would fight and fight until he was just about at the top of the bucket. Just before he was about to escape the bucket another crab would reach up and pull him back in.

When we are pursuing excellence in our lives there will always be those people who try to “pull us back in the bucket.”

The fact is that if we allow ourselves to fall into the trap and do the same things as the other 99% of our friends…. we will get the same mediocre results!

This time I am choosing to say no….. strive for excellence and to leave mediocrity in the bucket!

What I have to offer my students....

I began my martial arts training 32 years ago when I was just 8 years old. Team sports just were not my thing…. I tried them all but spent most of my time on the bench…. School did not come any easier either…. So finally my parents enrolled me in martial arts! I imagine that it was there hope that the training would help to develop my confidence, discipline and my self esteem.

Throughout the years I have made many friends through the martial arts. In fact since my early years training practically all of my friends were people that I have met in one way or another, through my ma training. Some of my best friends today are those very same people whom I stood next to in Karate class 30 years ago today. We have shared so much together through the years, we struggled together, we achieved together, we failed together and have grown as people together.

I often think back on the times we shared…. Our school…. The instructors and all of the great experiences.

Some of those friends are truly great martial artists. Guys who could kick straight up in the air and wow and audience with their performance. My best friend for one was always a show stopper. As a kid I could remember the frustration of working so hard… putting in so much effort and then standing next to him at testing and not even coming close to his abilities.

I can tell you from experience that it took allot to persevere when it seemed my best efforts were never good enough to win the admiration of the audience, the first place in forms trophy or the respect of the other students . Looking back on it now it was the patience of my instructor that kept me going. It was his ability to understand my abilities and reward me for my progress. He held me accountable for one thing only being the best that I could possibly be in the given moment. And he rewarded me for it…. He rewarded me with his time….. His attention….. And his belief in me and my abilities…..

I can still remember his advice to the class he would say, “IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO BE #1.… BUT IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO TRY! THE ONLY PERSON YOU CAN NEVER COME IN SECOND PLACE TO IS WHO…. (WE WOULD SHOUT BACK) YOURSELF SIR!”

Well here I am 32 years later, still kicking…. Still punching…. Still stretching and doing my push-ups!

So what is the most valuable thing that I have to offer my students? I have My perspective…. When I was in class I was not always the best….. It is quite possible to say that I may have never been the best…. I was never the most natural…. The most gifted or the most talented….. I did not in m opinion even come close!

However the words of my instructor kept me going. He told me let go of what you don’t have control of…and focus on what you can change and control. I took his advice… I focused on the one thing I did have control over which was My Attitude. I always tried to be the hardest worker. I always tried to control my thoughts and focus on the positive and to this day I am still striving to be the best martial artist I could be.

To me that is self defense…..

You see… for most of us it is not a kick or punch to the head that will get us…. It is the small things everyday… how do we respond to pressure… what do we choose to focus on…… how do we spend our time….. What are our beleifs, values and most importantly our attitudes.

So the greatest thing I have to offer my students is not a block, kick or punch… It is the ability to defend themselves against a lack of focus, confidence, self-esteem, mediocrity and negative self talk.

I know from experience that as the saying goes your attitude really does determine your altitude in life!

Attitude is self-defense!

The sense of it all....

Lately I spend a good portion of my day kicking, punching, blocking and rolling around on the floor! When I look at how I am spending my day I have to ask myself what is the sense of it all?

I mean in a world where people have figured out how to send space shuttles to the cosmos, create artificial intelligence and clone sheap I am spending my time kicking, punching, blocking and rolling around on the floor!

Hopefully all of this activity will stand for something more. Just maybe one of our students will use the focus, pereverance, determination and discipline we are teaching on the mat to become the next great scientist, humanitarian, teacher or politician that really makes a difference in the world!

Until then you can find me on the mat!