Lisa Wolff is a First Kyu Brown Belt at the Karate School and has been training here for about seven years. She enjoys coming to train and works hard in each class. She was born on June 23rd, 1986 here in Plantation, and she has a 9 year old brother, Daniel who also trains at the karate school and is a Purple Belt.
Lisa started training when she was six, having been introduced to the Martial Arts by her best friend who was also taking karate lessons. After trying out her friend’s karate school, she decided to train here at the University Karate Center, where she has been ever since.
Lisa currently goes to school at Coral Springs Charter, and is in the 8th grade. In her free time, she enjoys playing Hockey and Basketball, as well as going to the mall, and hanging out with her friends. When she is older, Lisa wants to go to school to become a Psychiatrist as she is interested in helping people.
She says that Karate has not only taught her how to defend herself but also that fighting is best avoided. She believes that "you should talk out your problems instead of fighting because fighting doesn’t get you anywhere in the long run."
Lisa is an active member of the Junior Black Belt Club and hopes to test for her Black Belt during the next year. She has always been supportive of the Dojo, often helping out at demonstrations and Karate Birthday Parties. She has been developing her leadership skills within the Sempai Program for Assistant Instructors, and is popular as a helper in class.
BalancingResponsibilities
Part of being an excellent student of Martial Arts is learning to carefully balance your responsibilities. Adding a Karate schedule to job, school, family or homework etc., requires a good deal of care. The funny thing is, doing well in one area will help you do well in all the others. Taking care in all of the things you do is part of the philosophy of developing Black Belt Excellence.
Planning
It all starts with planning. Planning means thinking carefully about the days ahead, and having a clear picture of what’s in store. Remember that: one of the best ways to balance responsibilities is to make sure you know what they are! Write down a list of all the tasks you have for each week. That way you’ll know exactly how much time you have to get everything done properly. Here’s a hint, use a calendar to write down your daily tasks. That way you’ll know just what’s in store day by day.
Thinking of Others
We all depend on our friends, family and instructors to help us meet our daily needs and responsibilities. Without the care and attention of these important people, balancing responsibilities wouldn’t be possible. When you learn to balance responsibilities for yourself, you’re also helping other people too. For example, having all your homework, or household commitments finished on time means you’ll be able to concentrate with with a clear mind during your Martial Art classes.
Priorities
One of the quickest ways to throw things out of balance is to lose sight of what’s most important. Always keep in mind what needs to be done first. Why is this important? Because we’ve all had the experience of realizing too late that we didn’t have time to finish an important assignment or chore. Knowing what has top priority will help to avoid doing any task at the last minute.
Finding your Balance
Thoughtful planning of your daily activities will make you a more complete Martial Artist. Always remember that learning to balance responsibilities takes practice. So don’t get frustrated if you don’t succeed immediately. Finding your own way to achieve goals is part of balancing responsibilities. Take occasional breaks in your work schedule., Try out new ways to arrange your schedule until you find the method that work best for you. And remember to have some fun!
The Natural Harmony Of Cooperation
This month’s article is about foundations: foundations of exercise and foundations that fit Martial Arts training into the rest of your activities. At the heart of these foundations is, the experience of living in harmony with others. This means sharing the concerns of the group and, on occasion, putting those concerns above our own personal needs. For martial Arts training, cooperation is a function of Black Belt Excellence. When we show respect, courage and self-discipline, we bring ourselves in harmony with the group. We set examples for newer students to follow, and in doing so help them to become part of our group. That’s what cooperation is all about: finding ways to make the group stronger.
Whenever we are involved with a group, cooperation is important. That’s when working well with others can really make the difference. Showing patience when someone is struggling with a Martial Arts technique, or helping to set up an event are ways we can show cooperation.
Selflessness
Learning to think of others is essential to cooperation. Striving to become less selfish is always a worthwhile goal. Cooperation is a way to draw closer to family and friends, work mates and fellow martial artists. Therefore, thinking of others can help to build greater unity with them. Ask yourself if there is anything you can do for someone who plays a role in bringing harmony into your life.
One way to develop a cooperative attitude is to become involved in group activities. Whether you help set a table for a meal, go to a birthday party and bring a gift, or join a club, the effort to be a part of something bigger than just ourselves is where cooperation starts. None of us stand alone in the world. We all need the help and companionship of others. If we take part in a common activity, we can practice cooperation and respect for others. We can learn how each one of us is essential to the whole, and at the same time we see how no one needs to stand completely alone.
Bringing it all together
In this final month of the year when so many families come together, and when we enjoy a break from school or work before the beginning of the New Year, it’s good to remember the importance of living and working in harmony with everyone around us. Taking the opportunity to cooperate with each other reminds us of the way we can all work with one another to achieve all of the good things that can come our way.