Saturday, February 2, 2008

GRIFFIN MARTIAL ARTS BELT TEST FOR MARCH 8TH 2008, 11:00 am


MASTER GRIFFN 7TH DEGREE BLACK BELT
Center in photo ( the tall one with glasses)
GRIFFIN MARTIAL ARTS
4101 CHICAGO AVE SOUTH, MINNEAPOLIS MN
612-408-3626
BELT TEST FOR MARCH 8TH 2008, 11:00 am

White Belts - Tan Belts need at least 16 lessons and 2 Spar Wars (Sat. 11am) classes
Brown Belts – Black Belts need at leas 32 lessons and 4 Spar Wars (Sat. 11am) classes


Test fee for Brown Belt and above is $75.00
Test fee of $50.00 must be paid two weeks prior to test date
Test fee for Black Belt is $350.00
See June Griffin for test application and to pay fee
See Master Griffin if you need to reschedule your test


STUDENTS READY TO TEST FOR NEXT BELT RANK LISTED BELOW


Name Current Rank Next Rank

William C. Brown Belt Brown Belt Red Patch

William S. Brown Belt Brown Belt Red Patch

Chris U. Brown Belt Brown Belt Red Patch

Chris S. Temp Black Belt Red Belt
Assistant Instructor

Keep kickin’

Master Griffin 7th Degree Black Belt
Instructor President, CEO and Founder of KardioArts Kickboxing
Email me questions at
mastergriffin@mastergriffin.com
612-408-3626
http://www.mastergriffin.com/
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Q: Who is able to take their next Karate Test?

Q: Who is able to take their next Karate Test?
A: If the students have at least 16 lessons, have a good attitude and are current with tuition and pay the exam fee plus have earned the
6 achievement tips--> courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and sparring
After march students will need a Weapon basics tip and a academic achievement tip
For the month of Feb. 2008



White Belt to Orange Belt
Helen O.
Smande P.
Zykius P.
Antionio S.
Azraeea S.
Juslee S.
Mahaila S.
Tehya S.


Orange Belt to Yellow Belt
Noreen S.


Yellow Belt to Light Green Belt
Decarion H.
Chaska S.
Justen S.

Light Green Belt to Dark Green Belt
Liam C.

Blue Belt to Purple Belt
Joey L.
Pat L.
Tanner L.
Gary S.

Purple Belt to Tan Belt
Charley W.


Keep kickin’

Master Griffin 7th Degree Black Belt
Instructor President, CEO and Founder of KardioArts Kickboxing
Email me questions at
mastergriffin@mastergriffin.com
612-408-3626
www.mastergriffin.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/mastrgrify http://gmaradioshow.podomatic.com/entry/et/welcome http://mastergriffinsblackbeltblog.blogspot.com/
myspace handwrapping video click here with master griffin www.facebook.com

Q: How do you Strive For Excellence?

Q: How do you Strive For Excellence?

Strive For Excellence In All That You Do Black belt excellence is built on the premise that anything less than a commitment to excellence is an acceptance of mediocrity. Does that mean that you have to be a perfectionist? Well, no. It does, however, mean that you should present your best effort each and every time you take on a task. Great achievement in life only comes when you make the decision to become outstanding in whatever you do. One of the most important attitudes of the black belt, however, is to focus on what works. Striving to be a perfectionist is actually counterproductive and creates undue stress. A fact that is missed by many folks is that at least 95 percent of everything they do every day works. On many days, 100 percent of what they do works. That’s life. Spending too much time on any one project in an effort to get it 100 percent perfect is unnecessary. Being too hard on yourself for not getting something perfect the first time is detrimental to your self-esteem, and results in you missing the satisfaction of the many successes that you have had. Maintaining a positive attitude, allows you to enjoy the successes that you have everyday. As long as you have given your best effort on a project, you can be satisfied in a job well done. You can always come back and make adjustments in the areas that didn’t work as well, so you’ll achieve 100 percent success the next time you do that particular task. Though, he only has three fingers on one hand, three toes on one foot, and an amputated leg, motivational speaker, Roger Crawford, became a star tennis player in high school and college. His attitude propels him towards success for whatever challenge he takes on. He says, “You miss 100 percent of all the shots that you don’t take.” Hmmm. Now there’s food for thought. As you know, even the greatest martial artists in the world never scores 100 percent of the techniques that they throw. Yet, they still keep throwing them, even if they know that they can’t be perfect. So, the question is… are you missing some shots in life simply because you’re afraid that you are not going to do them perfectly? Crawford tells his audiences, “I don’t know if a positive attitude works every time, but I know that a negative attitude work every time.” He should know. He’s living proof that a positive attitude overcomes adversity in even the most difficult of situations. A positive attitude is most effective when it is applied in a consistent manner. It needs to become a habit and, as with any other skill, it takes practice. We all inherently know what we must do to succeed. What sets a person with a black belt attitude apart is actually doing what you know you must do to succeed.

Keep kickin’Master Griffin7th Degree Black Belt InstructorPresident, CEO and Founder of KardioArts Kickboxingemail me questions at mastergriffin@mastergriffin.com612-408-3626www.mastergriffin.com http://picasaweb.google.com/mastrgrify http://gmaradioshow.podomatic.com/entry/et/welcome http://mastergriffinsblackbeltblog.blogspot.com/ myspace handwrapping video click here with master griffin www.facebook.com

Rocks and Diamonds ?

()()()()()()()Pressure Creates Diamonds ()()()()()Thousands of years of tremendous amounts of is needed to create a diamond, the world's most precious gem. How does this relate to martial artists and our goals? Isn't it true most of us avoid a pressure situation and hard work, yet isn't working hard and facing up to a pressure situation exactly what we need to succeed and become that diamonds? This week lets confront our fears and pressures that face us. This week lets welcome pressure situations knowing that it's needed to become a treasured gem.
()()()()()The Big Rocks ()()()()()One day an expert on time management was speaking to a group of business students, and to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you'll never forget it either. As this man stood in front of a group of high-powered overachievers, he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one by one, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top, and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, "is the jar full?". By this time the class was onto him. "Probably not", one of the answered. "Good!" he replied. And he reached under the table again and brought out a bucket of sand. He started poring the sand in and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class shouted. Once again, he said, "Good!" Then he took a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!" "NO" the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rock in first, you'll never get them in at all". The title of this story is the "Big Rocks of Life" What are the big rocks in your life? Creating time to practice? Your form? Your sparring? Teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all? So, tonight or in the morning when you are reflecting on the day and (this story I hope), ask yourself this question: "What are the Big Rocks in my life?

what are some Great Achievements in the martial arts?

Great Achievement
Great achievement in life only comes when you become outstanding at what you do.
Anything less than a commitment to excellence is an acceptance of mediocrity. Unless you make the conscious commitment to become excellent at what you do, what you are doing is unconsciously accepting that you are only going become mediocre.
Every excellent performance builds your self-esteem and reinforces your self-confidence. It improves your performance in every area. If you only do things in an average way you don't get anything. You don't get the charge. Always strive for perfection.
Black Belt Excellence is a commitment to be the best!
Whether it's a corporate black belt or academic black belt, it's the commitment to excellence that separates the winners from the losers in life.
The attitude of Black Belt Excellence is the attitude of achievement!


How to Become a Peak Performer
Peak performers in every field are made, not born. They are a product of nurture, not nature. Men and women who accomplish great things in their lives are not necessarily better or more gifted than others. They are usually just people who have pushed their potential farther than ordinary.
That is the essence of our school and our belt system. We don't expect you to know the first thing about martial arts or how to earn a black belt. We will teach you and nurture you. Your job is to try and try as hard as you can to reach your potential. We will give you 100% and it's only fair you do the same in your training.


The Foundation of Excellence
Its been said that many people are unhappy because they wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and the person staring back them is not particularly good at anything. We all need to be excellent at something. True self esteem is built on the foundation of excellence.
And until you make the decision to become excellent at what you do, you'll always perform at low levels and never achieve your full potential.
Anything less than a commitment to excellence is an acceptance of mediocrity. Until you make a conscious commitment to become excellent, you are subconsciously accepting that you are only going to be mediocre at what you do.
Our society only pays excellent rewards for excellent performance. There are no statues in the city park for average people. There are no rewards for being the best TV watcher.
Of course, in order to become excellent at anything you will have to study. Read about your subject every day. Take courses; listen to audiocassettes while driving in your car.
But make the decision today, right now, to be the best!

Steps To Achieving Excellence
1. Make the decision to become excellent. Today, right now. Set it as your top priority.
2. Remember you will only achieve excellence doing something you enjoy. Something you care about, something that interests you and holds your attention. A key responsibility in adult life is to find the right field for your unique gifts. Here are some questions:
a. How would you describe you ideal job?
b. Imagine a billionaire that could give you any job in the world. What would it be
c. What work would you choose to do if you won a Million in the lottery.
d. How would you spend your time if you only had 6 months to live.
e. What job would you do if your were absolutely guaranteed of success?
Once you've chosen your field, spend one hour a day in study to become better at it. Most people don't read, most people don't learn or pursue knowledge. When you begin to read or learn, you begin to pull ahead of the pack.
Every excellent performance builds your self-esteem. It reinforces your self confidence. And improves your performance in every area. If you only do things in an average way you don't get anything. You don't get the charge. Always strive for perfection.


What is Black Belt Excellence?
True success in life only begins when you make the commitment to become excellent at what you do. Without that commitment you'll always perform at low levels and never achieve your full potential.
There are no rewards in this society for mediocre or average performance.
We receive excellent rewards for excellent performance, average rewards for average performance and below average rewards for below average performance.
Black Belt Excellence is a commitment to be the best!
Whether it's a corporate black belt or academic black belt, it's the commitment to excellence that separates the winners from the losers in life.
The attitude of Black Belt Excellence is the attitude of winners!

()()()()()()()The Person in the Mirror
Its been said that many people are unhappy because they wake up in the morning and look in the mirror and the person staring back them is not particularly good at anything. We all need to be excellent at something. True self esteem is built on the foundation of excellence.
And until you make the decision to become excellent at what you do, you'll always perform at low levels and never achieve your full potential.
Anything less than a commitment to excellence is an acceptance of mediocrity. Until you make a conscious commitment to become excellent, you are subconsciously accepting that you are only going to be mediocre at what you do.
Our society only pays excellent rewards for excellent performance. There are no statues in the city park for average people. There are no rewards for being the best TV watcher.
Of course, in order to become excellent at anything you will have to study. Read about your subject every day. Take courses; listen to audiocassettes while driving in your car.
But make the decision today, right now, to be the best!

()()()()()()Three Keys To Excellence
1. Know what your doing. Learn, study, research, ask questions. Know all there is to know about your chosen field.
2. Believe in what you are doing.
3. Love what your doing. Listen to yourself. Don't make excuses. You must fulfill you unique potential as a human being.

()()()()()()Two Best Questions For Achieving Excellence
Whether it's at the end of a sparring match or the end of each day, step back and ask yourself:
1. What did I do right? Review your performance in all areas that day.
2. What would I do differently?
Do not review what you did wrong.
Next time your face the situation but take a moment to reviews the things you did right and what you would do differently next time.

how to become A Great Martial Artist Become A Great Martial Artist

A Great Martial Artist Become A Great Martial Artist
If you want to be a great martial artist, you must always work towards one primary objective: “Strive to be a better martial arts person and
practitioner tomorrow than you are today.”
As a martial arts student, you learn that you attain your black
belt not only by progressing through the ranking system while developing good physical skills, but also by developing good character. A martial artist must have both attributes to be great. When you focus on
being a better person and practitioner tomorrow than you are today, you remind yourself that there is always room for improvement.
Like any other goal you set for yourself, you must have a plan of action to help you achieve your goals. It is then up to you to live by your plan and make any necessary adjustments to allow you to stick to it. We have created a sample “Plan of Action” for you to follow in your quest to be a great martial artist. Write each of these points down on a piece of paper and tape it to your bathroom mirror (or other location where you will see it every morning). This will give you an opportunity to review your plan each day, helping you to remain focused on being the best martial artist you can be.
2
“I Will Become A Black Belt” “I Will Become A Black Belt”

When doing push-ups, think the words “Black Belt” every time you push up. The same goes for sit-ups and other exercises. You must learn to say this phrase to yourself and believe it. The fact is that you will become a black belt if you want it bad enough.
Today’s black belts comprise the most diverse group of practitioners in the history of the arts. Brawny, tough guy fighters no longer dominate the black belt ranks. Instead, the new majority consists of moms, dads, athletes, businessmen, college students and children of all ages. This goes to show that as long as you believe in yourself and are willing to work hard there’s nothing you can’t accomplish. Realizing this is the first major step in becoming a black belt. It’s the “Black Belt” attitude. It lies within you and once it’s found, the sky will be the limit on what you can accomplish. Also, never sell yourself short or think that earning a black belt is not within your reach.
When you watch black belts execute powerful or advanced techniques try to envision yourself doing the same. But always remember, those black belts were once beginners too. The difference is that they made black belt one of their main goals in life and stuck by it. That was the first critical decision that resulted in their success. Through the years, they kept telling themselves,

“I will become a black belt.”
You, too, must do the same. Your true potential will never shine through until you fully believe in yourself and what you are capable of doing. Until you realize that you will be a black belt someday, your training will probably lack direction. More than that, it will be almost impossible to stay focused since you haven’t given yourself anything to focus on. No matter what you’re shooting for, it’s quite difficult to aim at a target that simply doesn’t exist. So first find your target, next take aim and then fire! In this case, your target is black belt and you will become one.
In the 1960’s, under the communist government of Mao Tse Tung, China’s “Cultural Revolution” banned all martial arts practice. Many arts were eventually lost forever, while other masters fled to Hong Kong, bringing their various Kung Fu styles with them. There, a motion picture studio run by the Shaw Brothers began the arduous task of documenting many of these rare and obscure styles on celluloid. Shaw Brothers grew to become the largest (and richest) movie studio in Hong Kong, fi lming over 400 movies. These movies were immensely popular not only throughout Asia, but also in America, where they were shown in theaters and on TV.


A Goal Reminder
The following guidelines can help you set effective goals:
Be Positive. State your goals positively:
‘Execute this technique well’ is a much better goal than ‘don’t mess up again.’
Be Specific. Set a measurable goal. By assigning deadlines and amounts regarding your goals, you’ll have a clearer vision of the exact goal to be achieved.
Break it Down. Setting priorities helps you not to become overwhelmed by too many goals, and helps you to remain focused on the most important ones.
Write it Down. The very act of committing your goal to paper increases your chances of achieving it.

Boosting Your Child’s Self Esteem
One of the most important aspects of personal growth is developing a healthy Self-concept. What we think of ourselves, and the way we decide how to value ourselves, makes more difference than almost any other factor in determining what we do with our lives.
Parents have the awesome responsibility and privilege of guiding their children to develop a healthy sense of self. Following are some guidelines to help in that task.
PRAISE
Everybody needs praise, but not all praise is equal. To be effective, praise must be genuine: “I like the way you are remembering your assignments,” rather than, “Wow! You’re so smart you’ll soon leave all the other kids behind.” The most effective praise may be directed toward the child’s weakest areas:
“I know it’s hard for you to keep your room clean, so I’m really proud of the job you’ve done this week.” By letting her know you notice her efforts in these tough areas, you bolster her confidence.
CRITICISM
Help your child develop the “emotional shrug” to handle criticism. Learning to distinguish between justified and unjustified criticism is a big first step. Then the child can learn to respond to justified criticism by agreeing and thanking the person. He can also learn to respond politely to unjustified criticism and let it “roll off his shoulders.”
TEASING AND INSULTS
These are really the same as unjustified descriptivism, and the “emotional shrug” is appropriate. Empathize with your child and help her learn to respond kindly and with pride to such behavior.
REJECTION
It’s tough to be overlooked for an honor, not invited to a party, cut from the team, or turned down for a date.
Through patience and empathy help your child to affirm his worth despite disappointments. Teach him to work on being his best self, developing
positive relationships, and emphasizing his strengths.
Help your child understand that she will not be the best in everything, and some people will not like her, but that she is a good person and is important to you and to God.
APPEARANCE
Encourage your child to learn to like his appearance even if he isn’t a “hunk” or she isn’t “Miss America.” Teach good grooming and help him learn how far a smile can go toward making a person attractive. If she really is overweight or underweight help her to work toward healthy eating and activities to normalize the weight, but don’t push.
MISTAKES
No one can be perfect, so help your child learn how to handle mistakes and failures. Tell him about your own failures and how you got past them. Teach your child to set reasonable goals and work toward achieving them, but not to be dismayed when she comes up a bit short. Show her Tong Bi Quan-Mandarin-a martial art that mimics the actions of the long arms of an ape. that giving your best effort is more important than succeeding.
SPIRITUAL RESOURCES FOR SELF-ESTEEM
Your child is a person of worth because God created him as a person of worth--and that’s true of you, too.
Sometimes we teach children, “God loves you when you are kind . . . or do your homework well . . . or mind your parents” . . . or whatever else we want them to do. We should be teaching them, “God loves you!” Period, exclamation mark, and definitely no question mark!
The very best source of a healthy self-esteem, for your child, and for you, is knowing you are accepted and loved by God. Then, on the basis of his acceptance and love, you can accept yourself and free yourself to be all you can be.

By Joseph Galea

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Q: How many years does it take to master the Martial Arts

Q: How many years does it take to master the Martial Arts
Nice Question
A: Depending upon the style from 3-6 years to earn a black belt
another 10 years to "master a martial art"most distinctions are made at 4th degree black belt or 5th degree black belt.

some styles don't have belt like older kung-fu about 10 years to create a master level in the junior levels, some arts may take 20 years with complex weapons, self-defense forms and sparring.0
most styles have some simple requirements but have high standards which those techniques are executed in front of senior black belt masters.

www.mastergriffin.com
keep kickin'
master griffin
612-408-36-26

Martial arts Q: Are there more men than women who take martial arts classes?

Mastergriffin’s black belt blog questions for wed jan 2x

Martial arts Q: Are there more men than women who take martial arts classes?

A: Generally speaking there is a ratio of about 4 to 1, four guys to every girl in martial arts. However we have found that the ratios switches when including kardioarts kickboxing at griffin martial art, we have a 12:1 ratio , twelve ladies to one guy.
This makes the class very difficult to teach casue I am a guy and the ladies as a rule are much smarter than us guys. The Gals have a lot of patience with me, they are great listeners and execute the techniques with great skill with out ego ( that’s what the guys have). Over all the numbers of both men and women are growing as a family activity, we a lots of families training at our studio at the same time.

Great question

Keep kickin’
Master Griffin
7th Degree Black Belt Instructor
President, CEO and Founder of KardioArts Kickboxing
email me questions at mastergriffin@mastergriffin.com612-408-3626www.mastergriffin.com http://picasaweb.google.com/mastrgrify http://gmaradioshow.podomatic.com/entry/et/welcome http://mastergriffinsblackbeltblog.blogspot.com/ myspace handwrapping video click here with master griffin www.facebook.com

martial arts Q: Are there more men than women who take martial arts classes?

martial arts Q: Are there more men than women who take martial arts classes?

A: Generally the ratio of men to women is 4 guys to one lady.

For our kardiokickboxing classes there is 12 gals to one guy, very hard class to teach becasue i am a guy, and men are not as smart as the ladies, but the students tolerate me very well.



the numbers are rising for family martial arts training and in this approach we have the entire family takiong lessons.

Keep kickin’Master Griffin7th Degree Black Belt InstructorPresident, CEO and Founder of KardioArts Kickboxingemail me questions at
mastergriffin@mastergriffin.com
612-408-3626
http://www.mastergriffin.com/ http://picasaweb.google.com/mastrgrify http://gmaradioshow.podomatic.com/entry/et/welcome http://mastergriffinsblackbeltblog.blogspot.com/
myspace handwrapping video click here with master griffin http://www.facebook.com/