Melanie Gibson General Martial Arts, Guest Writers, Training Tips

Guest Writer: How to Turn the Great Outdoors into a Martial Arts Ground

Hello Little Black Belt readers! I’d like to introduce my very first guest writer, Diamond from the health and wellness website eHealthInformer. Enjoy!

 low-block-in-sunset

Some of the most influential martial artists preach that no matter what form you practice, you can take it anywhere with you. Martial arts are about physical and mental health, radiating balance and positivity throughout the student’s life. This opens up a huge amount of opportunity for the martial artist, as it means they can and should practice anywhere they please. Ideas such as this also help students to reinvigorate their love for martial arts, as repetition and constantly similar surroundings can cause boredom that leads to bad form and concentration levels.

Martial arts can’t be confined to a dojang or studio. They can certainly be taught and practiced there, but it’s a lifestyle choice, not a hobby. Now we’re going to explore the possibilities and opportunities for how you can turn the great outdoors into a martial arts ground.
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Melanie Gibson General Martial Arts, My Guest Posts, Self-Development and Leadership, Training Tips

Guest Post: 4 Tips to Becoming a Better Martial Artist in the New Year

This article was originally a guest post on the website BookMartialArts.com.

I’m not into New Year’s resolutions, but I am all about self-awareness and continuous self improvement, which can happen at any time of the year. Start out 2017 right with a renewed commitment to your practice. Even if you don’t do martial arts these tips can help you set and achieve goals in any area.

2017

 

It’s a new year and a time of hope, renewal, and fresh starts. It’s also a time for our good intentions and best-laid plans to run head on into reality. Statistics for failed New Year’s resolutions run anywhere between 45-80%. That can be disheartening to the martial artist who wants to kick start his or her practice at the beginning of a new year. There are ways, however, to make your short-term and long-term goals stick. Focusing on small milestones, following your motivation, challenging yourself, and finding what inspires you can help you make improvements throughout the year and meet or even surpass your goals.

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Melanie Gibson Injury and Recovery, Training Tips

When Your Brain and Body Are Conspiring Idiots

mind-body-split

Sometimes our best laid plans are sabotaged by our own habits, shortcomings, misgivings, or desires. We fall into patterns that are comfortable and routine although not always the healthiest or the most challenging for us. Lately I feel as if my brain and body are two kids that goad each other into getting into trouble. Here’s what some of their conversations look like:

Brain: “Let’s do a spin kick! We finally got it down and it was looking really good last week.”
Body: “Nah. I’m gonna tighten up the left hip to limit mobility and give us vertigo every time we try to lower the shoulders.”
Brain: “But we understand exactly how to do it! This is a fundamental—“
Body: “NOPE. Hip tightening in three…two…”
Brain: “You’re a jerk.”

Body: “It’s really early and I’m awake and energized! Let’s go swim laps before the 5:30 crowd gets to the pool.”
Brain: “Nah, let’s go back to sleep. This bed is so comfortable and warm. Besides, it’s cold and dark outside and we hate the cold. Besides, don’t you think more sleep will help us feel refreshed?”
Body: “But swimming makes us feel even more refreshed! We can nap after we swim!”
Brain: “You’re getting very sleepy…”
Body: “You are such an a…..zzzzzzz”
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Melanie Gibson Class Diaries, Self-Development and Leadership, Training Tips

Teaching Means You’re Learning for Two

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You’re never too young to learn a good palm heel strike to the face.

A few weeks ago my Grandmaster presented me with a small patch for my uniform. In bold yellow letters it read, “INSTRUCTOR.” Technically as a first dan black belt I’m an “assistant instructor,” but Grandmaster and the other instructors decided to give me a little promotion since I always helped out in my own classes and classes for lower ranking students. Or maybe they just figured they’d better give me something to do since I hang out at the dojang so much. Either way I was pleased and very humbled.
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Melanie Gibson Class Diaries, General Martial Arts, Training Tips

The Case For Getting Your Ass Kicked

smiley-boxing-gloves

“I think I went a little too hard,” a young red belt whispered grimly to me after a sparring match at a recent tournament. He and a young red belt girl also from our school were doing an exhibition match. Typically students from the same school don’t compete against each other, but because at the time the coordinators couldn’t find competitors in their age, rank, and weight class, these two agreed to have a friendly fight (or…well…we coaches and their parents agreed for them).

This little guy is a natural. He’s fierce, scrappy, and I’m so jealous of his jump spin kick. He was trying to hold back and be more controlled since he knew his opponent (and his classmate) was smaller and less quick in the sparring ring, but sometimes he couldn’t help going full force.

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Melanie Gibson Class Diaries, General Martial Arts, Training Tips

Black Belt: A Year in Review

Melanie meditating
Photo by Alfredo Delgado Photograpy. The Trying-Really-Hard-Not-To-Laugh expression is all me.

I tested for first degree black belt on October 24, 2015. It was quite a trying month in more ways than one. By the time I tested I’d driven through enough torrential Texas downpours (of course this year it’s nearly 90 degrees and sunny) and gritted my teeth through enough hamstring and hip pain that I wasn’t nervous at all. I was definitely excited, but I wasn’t nervous. A few days later on October 28, 2015, I was officially awarded my black belt. It was one of my proudest moments and signified a beginning rather than an end.
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Melanie Gibson Class Diaries, Mental Health, Training Tips

Dealing With Uncertainty Like a Black Belt

uncertainty-2

A few weeks ago in taekwondo class we were practicing a kicking drill: one person held a square pad in each hand and walked backwards while another person moved forward, kicking the pad with each step. The twist was the holder changed the target’s position every time, so the person kicking had to quickly respond with the appropriate kick: snap kick, roundhouse kick, side kick or turning back side kick, and spin kick. The purpose of the drill was to practice reacting quickly to an uncertain situation. If the target is open we should take advantage of the situation and respond with the most appropriate kick, which may not have been the one we were expecting to use.
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Melanie Gibson Mental Health, My Guest Posts, Training Tips, Work and Martial Arts

My Guest Post: How Martial Arts Can Reduce Work-Related Stress

This article was originally a guest post on the website BookMartialArts.com.

work-stress-man
Some knife-hand blocks would serve him well right now.

Work-related stress has unfortunately become a norm for many adults across the world. Limited resources, long hours, demanding deadlines, job insecurity, and interpersonal conflict can greatly affect one’s emotional and physical health. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, chronic stress can cause headaches, insomnia, and irritability. People under stress are sometimes more susceptible to colds and other viral illnesses. Untreated, long-term stress has also been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.

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Melanie Gibson General Martial Arts, My Guest Posts, The Poomsae Series, Training Tips

My Guest Post: Discipline of the Body and Mind: Using Forms As Moving Meditation

This article was originally a guest post on the website BookMartialArts.com.

Poomsae_Training (Medium)

Several martial arts use forms, or, sequences of blocks, kicks, and strikes, as a means of practicing offensive and defensive techniques. Strong stances, powerful blocks, and forceful strikes balance out the calm, calculating flow of most forms. The variety and combinations of movements allows martial arts students to experiment with how their bodies move and respond in different situations. While forms lack the urgency and timing of an actual fight, they harness the power of repetition and refinement that can be practiced without the limitations that can come from working with a partner.

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Melanie Gibson General Martial Arts, Self-Development and Leadership, Training Tips

You Can Rest on Your Laurels, But Don’t Stay There Too Long

apollo
“I’m just resting my eyes for two seconds!”

“I believe in my own skills. I just always try to look forward to what they can be rather than to always look back on what they used to be.”

This was my brother’s response to a friend complimenting him on his musical talent. My brother is a musician (primarily piano and keyboards), and has been able to support himself with his talent since graduating college. He’s proud of that fact, as is the rest of his family. His passion isn’t just his hobby; it also happens to be his paycheck. If only we could all be so lucky.
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