February 2012 Journal Entries (6)

I made this 7-page guide to help students and families that are working on leadership and community projects. It's designed to walk you through a project from start to finish. It also describes how a student can earn star patches to put on their karate uniforms by successfully documenting their project.

I wish that someone had given me a guide like this when I was a child to help with planning all of those school projects. My wish is that students find this guide useful for any…

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In reading the post about core philosophies I found myself drawn to this sentence: "often, the best teaching that we do is by simply working on ourselves. As an instructor you are obligated to continue to create a martial arts lifestyle for yourself." And immediately my mind goes to the question Mr. Oliver asked me at my green belt test about what my favorite part of karate is. I answered that kata is my favorite. I wasn't thinking far enough. My favorite part is how little of my karate… Continue

One of the core philosophies of our dojo is "Out of the Dojo and Into the World" - i.e. taking what is taught in the dojo and applying it to our daily lives.  I believe the most important value taught in the dojo is that of respect.  Treating people with respect, both in and outside of the dojo, helps lead to positive interactions, and creates situations where we can appreciate and learn from others.

 

I see respect in the Dojo stem from Mr. Oliver's respect of the students and…

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Recently, I have been directing weekly lessons to all of the assistant instructors at the school--things that we can all work on as teachers to make us better, our classes more engaging, and our dojo stronger. This is much like the training that my teachers, gave me. I thought I would share a recent lesson with the entire dojo to give you an idea of the kinds of things my "staff" of volunteers and I are working on:

The Core…

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Reading “Karate-Do, My Way of Life” aloud to my girlfriend, while she painted, was of utmost pleasure to us both, and I could go into great length of reflection. In a number of chapters, for instance, Gichin Funakoshi describes the growth of a Karate novice, about the clearing of mind and about attaining a love for the process of personal growth and challenge, rather than a love of any subsequent accomplishment. I believe I have discussed these aspects to some length with you in person, so I…

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Kaylee, a young student at our school, was recently featured in the latest newsletter for the Down Syndrome Information Alliance. The article is below, and discusses the work that she did.

Spotlight on Local Advocates: Kaylee Dinh and Sensei Oliver at Zen Martial Arts

Mr.…

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