A Karate Student's Responsibility
The self-defense skills taught in the dojo are a great responsibility. These skills must never be used to bully or abuse others. At Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, each of our students learns to recite a series of Student Creeds. The third creed is about knowing how and when to use one’s martial arts.
“I intend to use what I learn in class constructively and defensively, to help myself and my fellow man, and to never be abusive or offensive.”
Let's break down this creed:
“Use what I learn in class constructively”
When a karate student uses their martial arts constructively, they are using their martial arts to serve a useful purpose. Usually, this purpose will be building themselves or someone else up.An example of this would be building respect, confidence, and teamwork when working with others inside and outside the dojo.
“Use what I learn in class defensively”
When using martial arts defensively, a karate student is using their skills to protect or defend. First and foremost, a karate student will try to de-escalate a conflict verbally. If that fails, however, he or she is prepared to protect someone or oneself in a physical confrontation.
“To help myself and my fellow man”
Karate can be a great responsibility, but also a great reward. Those who have trained in martial arts are respectful, excellent at teamwork, and are fierce protectors of others. This attitude can not only bring out the best in other people, but also inspire them to begin practicing martial arts.
“Never be abusive or offensive”
A martial arts student should never use their martial arts to attack others or be actively aggressive, just as they should never use their martial arts to be insulting and offense.For example, a karate student should use their martial arts defensively, rather than trying to hurt or attack others. A karate student should also remain humble and avoid bragging about their karate or viewing themselves as better than others for knowing karate.
Stephanie Rodenhiser is a 4th Degree Black Belt at Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, having trained since she was eight years old. She teaches students of all ages and especially enjoys teaching kids and adults who work hard and develop great outlooks on life.
How Karate Helps Kids Build Self-Discipline
Emotions can be very intense during childhood. When a child is happy or angry, it is all too easy for them to act impulsively on their feelings. Self-discipline is the ability to control one’s feelings and to act the way one knows is right. Karate training is an excellent way for a child to learn how to control their impulses and do the right thing. This will affect them and everyone around them in a positive way.
How to Show Self-Discipline
It is difficult to stay in control of one’s feelings all the time, but it is important to be able to control them when needed. When a child can control their feelings, they will find it much easier to focus and to demonstrate good self discipline. During karate class, students will be taught how to show self discipline and why it is important. During class, they will practice their self discipline and build good habits of how and when to use it.
Doing the Right Thing
A karate student with excellent self-discipline will do the right thing all on their own. They do not need a teacher or a parent to tell them over and over to do their homework. They do not need reminders to listen to instructions. Without being told, they follow rules at home, at school, and everywhere else they may go.
Controlled Body
A child’s body reflects whatever it is they are feeling. It is important to show good self-discipline in one’s body, especially during karate class. A child with good control of their body will not have wild movements or be spinning in place. Their body will be controlled and calm, with gentle hands.
Controlled Mind
It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. In children, it is sometimes a window into the focus of their mind, as children tend to look at whatever has their attention. A child with a focused mind will look at whomever they are listening to, showing their undivided attention. After they listen, a karate student with good self-discipline will act quickly to follow instructions.
Safety
Uncontrolled movements and a lack of attention can be a dangerous combination, especially around other people. Children will feel safer playing and adults will feel more at ease- allowing the child to have fun.
Role-Model
When one child acts in a controlled, safe manner, it can encourage other kids to be better behaved as well. For example, if some children walked into a karate class and saw a student paying attention and showing good focus, they would show good focus as well.
Focus
At Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, each of our students learns to recite a series of Student Creeds. The second creed is about self-discipline and how it brings out the best in everyone, summing up the above points.“I intend to develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best of myself and others.”
Stephanie Rodenhiser is a 4th Degree Black Belt at Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, having trained since she was eight years old. She teaches students of all ages and especially enjoys teaching kids and adults who work hard and develop great outlooks on life.
10 Ways Karate is Great for Kids Physically and Mentally
10 Ways Karate is Great for Kids Physically and Mentally
Childhood is one of the most important times in a person’s life for growth and development. During this time in childhood, one’s mental growth and physical health undergoes constant evolution and change. Karate training sets an excellent foundation for good physical and mental habits for children of all ages.
The Physical Benefits
The physical effects of practicing karate are important to the health of a child’s body. It is easy to distinguish between the active kids with healthy habits and the couch-potatoes. There are many ways karate is great for kids’ bodies, but the following five examples are the most prominent.
Exercise: Not only does the exercise of martial arts burn fat and excess calories, but it also helps channel the extra energy children always seem to have.
Strength: When practicing punches and kicks, children will naturally begin to build stronger muscles. There will not be any bulging muscles for pre-teens, but they will find their body becoming stronger and more fit.
Hand-Eye Coordination: The ability to catch thrown objects, throw objects with accuracy, and having good balance all fall under hand-eye coordination. Not only will hand-eye coordination help a child excel in school sports, it will also help with their balance and ability to catch themselves if they fall. This is a skill that will be used in everyday life.
Healthy Habits: Karate instructors emphasize the importance of health not only inside their school, but outside of it as well. This involves healthy nutrition, good sleeping habits, and the ability to channel energy in a productive manner.
Self-Defense: Martial arts is first and foremost a method of protecting oneself in unsafe situations. When kids learn karate, they learn how to protect themselves in a physical confrontation.
The Mental Benefits
Mental effects of karate training are less obvious than the physical effects, but arguably more important. If a student does not have the right mind-set of safety and self-defense, karate instructors will be certain to instill it in them. There are a multitude of ways karate is great for kids’ minds, but we will cover five examples.
Focus: The ability to focus on one thing and remain focused is an important ability taught in karate classes. Not only does it help in the dojo, but the ability to focus can be utilized in any situation, from school to home.
Self Control: When children are taught karate, they are taught how to control their bodies and minds. The importance of being in control of oneself is emphasized to all students. An instructor or parent should only need to tell their karate student instructions once. When gaining more self-control, a child will do the right thing without even being told.
Teamwork: Karate classes are a fantastic place for children to meet others with similar interests. They get to practice their social interactions with new people when first starting. Over time, kids can build strong friendships in the dojo by working together cooperatively.
Confidence: Kids tend to be inherently shy and may not always say something when they are confused or upset. Having fun and learning at a dojo will build their confidence and ability to speak up for themselves. This is a skill that can take years of practice to build up, but it will be helpful throughout the rest of their lives.
Respect: Martial arts can only be taught and learned with great respect. Kids are encouraged to have an open mind and to be accepting. Respect is hugely important to any martial artist, whether they be four or eighty four.
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At Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, there is a series of Student Creeds that each of our karate students learn to recite. The first creed focuses on developing their bodies and minds in a positive way and sums up these ten points.
“Remembering that the martial arts begin and end with respect, I intend to develop myself in a positive manner and avoid anything that would reduce my mental growth or physical health.”
When the karate students recite this student creed, they are promising to develop themselves in positive, healthy ways. They are agreeing that their mental and physical growth is extremely important and that they will avoid anything that would have a negative impact on their lives.
Stephanie Rodenhiser is a 4th Degree Black Belt at Buzz Durkin’s Karate School, having trained since she was eight years old. She teaches students of all ages and especially enjoys teaching kids and adults who work hard and develop great outlooks on life.
The Way Place
The word dojo is Japanese for way place. Of course, this can be interpreted in many ways. It can be taken literally to mean a place where you learn the way of karate, or it can be more figurative, meaning where you find your way. I like the second meaning. To me, my dojo is where I find myself, a second home, and where I go to feel complete.
Every week for the past sixteen years of my life I have been walking through the same crystal-clear front door, into the same clean white building. As I open the door I hear the same bebeep bebeep of the doorbell letting everyone in the building know someone has arrived. To the right is Mr. Durkin’s office where, if I listen closely, I can hear a quiet conversation between cellos, violins, and pianos coming from the stereo behind his round wooden desk.
As my mind processes all of this, I am greeted by a cheerful, almost song-like, “Hello, Sara!” (with emphasis on the “He-”) from Mr. Stickney who, as always, is sitting in the blue and gray chair hidden by the old potted tree in the lobby area, preparing his lessons for the day, enjoying the calm before the storm.
Shortly after being greeted by Mr. Stickney, I hear the crisp sweeping sound of Mr. Traynor’s white gi pants shuffling along the flat carpet. Before he is even visible, Mr. Traynor stage-whispers my name from around the corner, “Saraaa!” and I reply with a, “Mr. Traynorrr!” in the same fashion. By the time I finish saying this, Mr. Traynor has appeared under the archway to my left. He greets me with a hand shake and asks his usual, “How ya doin?” After going through the typical small talk, I turn to the right and glance through the seemingly invisible window to the main classroom.
Through the open blinds, I look at the shiny hardwood floor and think about the oddly calming squeaks it makes and the slight bounce it has from the rubber underneath. I think about being a small, shy white belt here for my first class and feeling so insignificant in such a huge room. The students who will be arriving shortly to take class are not far from where I once was. They will arrive with their brightly colored belts, full of energy, wide-eyed, and eager to learn. Back then, I would look up at all of the black belt diplomas around the room and think that I was so far away from receiving my own black belt. Back then, the dojo was just a fun place to go after school. I did not realize that in a few short years it would be my entire life.
Next, I proceed under the archway, past the bulletin board bursting with colorful posters advertising our next big events. I glance at the monthly schedules to see who has birthdays today so I can be sure to point it out if they come to class. As I round the corner into my office, I say hello to the ever-so-lazy fish that is sleeping in the fluorescent plant in his tank, and I flop into the black mesh chair behind my neat desk, ready to get to work. As I go through my day, I answer the phone, chat with parents about their days, and talk to excited children about everything they learned at school. Although the day is busy, all I can think about is going to class that night.
Finally, 7:30 is here. As I walk down the hallway from my office to the women’s locker room, I greet the other black belts eagerly waiting for class and ask how their days were. Once I manage to slink my way through the sea of people, I finally make it into the locker room. I quickly change into my gi and tie my belt, making sure the knot is perfect and the two ends line up exactly. Once I finish that knot, my entire mindset is changed. The paperwork I didn’t finish is gone. The homework due tomorrow doesn’t exist. The argument I had with my boyfriend never happened.
Next, I go into the dojo. My feet make the floor boards creak as I step from carpet to hardwood. I take a few steps in and kneel down. I take a deep breath, put my hands softly on the floor, and lower my forehead to them, then sit back up, back straight, hands on my knees, to complete my kneeling bow.
Waiting for class to officially start, I stand up and walk over to the mirrors lining the wall. I stand with my hands in front of me, finger tips shoulder height, elbows tucked in, feet shoulder-width apart, right foot forward and slightly turned in, back foot pin-straight. I practice stepping, striking, turning – all the basic foundation movements that the rest of the curriculum is built upon. I repeat each technique until I correct all the minute details that will make my stance just a little bit stronger and strikes just that much faster. I become lost in my reflection as I continue practicing each move, each strike.
After some time, Mr. Durkin calls the class to attention and asks us to line up. I hustle my way to the back row in the right-hand corner, the same place I always like to stand in class. Mr. Durkin says, “First Sanchin,” and we all snap-to. We stand in impeccable rows and columns, backs straight, hands by our side, eyes glaring in front of us. Twenty black belts perform the kata while Mr. Durkin’s counting acts as a metronome for the chorus of snapping gis and deliberate breathing echoing through the room. Each person’s kata and form acting as the many instruments of an orchestra coming together to create one intricate style of karate.
If someone were watching the class they would not just see a group of people doing the same kata, going through the same, repetitive motions. They would see twenty individuals performing the same movements, but somehow, in different ways - each person’s form and technique different from the rest. This is the beauty of martial arts. You can have twenty people from differing walks of life, join in one room to practice the same moves, from the same teacher. Each person has a common, yet individualized goal of bettering oneself through the martial arts and tailoring our karate in a way that will work for us if we ever needed to defend ourselves. Finding our own way of adapting techniques and molding ourselves both physically and mentally is why we practice in our dojo. We practice our style, our way. We find our way of doing karate, our way of life, our family, our friends. Everything in one Way Place.
Sara Mersereau began training at Buzz Durkin's Karate School in 2001. Over the years, her karate has helped to improve her confidence, determination, and strength.
How to Confront and Resolve Conflict
At its core, karate is about dealing with conflict. Through our training, we learn not only how to defend ourselves from attacks, but also how to recognize a potential threat and, if possible, avoid a physical altercation.
So, how can karate teach us to avoid conflict? To help explain, let me first share a story about my friend, who for the purpose of this story, I will call Frank.
Frank was out for coffee on a busy afternoon – so busy the coffee shop had a line going out the door. The man in front of him was becoming irritated with the wait and physically began to show it. He began to tap his foot loudly, he started sighing and grunting with exasperation. With his arms crossed he began to pace within the small confines of the line divider.
After their orders had finally been placed Frank and the man stood side by side waiting for their orders. The man continued his impatient show, while my friend watched him patiently and curiously. Soon Frank’s order was called.
The other man took it as his own and grabbed it hurriedly. Noticing the mistake at once, Frank casually informed the man that he had the wrong order. Red faced, and furious, the man turned to face him. In an instant he threw the coffee to ground, got inches from Frank’s face, and began to yell obscenities, go on about how busy he was, and yell how he didn’t have time to get told what to do by a younger man.
The entire coffee shop fell into silence. You could only hear the heavy breathing of the man and the quite bubbling of brewing coffee.
Frank knew he could take the man if it came down to a fight. He had been training for over half his life in karate. Instead, Frank took a deep breath, stood his ground calmly and looked at the man. He then smiled, looked at the barista, and asked, “Can I have another coffee please?” He calmly looked back at the man, looked him in the eyes, and said, “Sorry about that. I hope you have a better day.”
The man was baffled. You could tell by his confused face and awkward movement that he didn’t know what to do from here. He was expecting a different reaction from the young man, but he didn’t get it. Instead he soon left the coffee shop shamed by a youth half his age.
Now, how did Frank use his karate training to avoid a fight?
He recognized a potentially dangerous situation. Karate training heightens awareness and teaches us to recognize the signs of possible danger. Frank witnessed a highly impatient and agitated man who was progressively losing control over his actions. He kept his eye on him and kept his distance when possible.
He took a deep breath. Karate teaches you how to breathe to develop power in your technique. It also teaches you to continue to breathe when under pressure. When you hold your breath the body tenses and it is harder to think straight. When breathing, more options become available to you.
He communicated with confidence and respect. These are two key components of the mental aspect of karate training. If Frank had not been confident with his body posture or his eye contact the man could have felt compelled to continue to vent his frustration on him. If Frank had not talked to the man respectfully a fight would very likely have broken out. Instead, he put aside his ego, was polite, and came out better for it.
Bill Leith's training at Buzz Durkin's Karate School began in 1995. He's credited his martial arts training with improving his self-discipline, confidence, and fitness.
How Karate Helps Kids Focus
Martial arts is not just about self-defense. With proper teaching and time, it also becomes an effective tool to develop social and life skills. Learning focus is one of the top reasons parents bring their children to our school.
I recall one of our students who needed a heavy dose of focus development. When his mom brought him in for his first lesson, this kid was off the wall. I don't mean that in a metaphorical sense. I mean literally, this kid was bouncing off everything and anything he could find: walls, pads, mirrors….It was ok though. This is the kind of child that martial arts instructors specialize in teaching. His training taught him three things:
First, karate gave him an outlet to burn excess energy. Karate is great at keeping kids moving and allows them to channel their energy in a safe and appropriate way.
Next, he learned self-discipline. He learned the proper times and places to unleash his energy on the world (i.e., not on mirrors). He also learned when and how to control his mind and body so he could complete tasks.
Lastly, his karate taught him how to set goals and achieve them. He learned methods and skills that kept him on task. And he learned ways to reclaim his focus whenever it might escape him.
Now, this all didn't happen overnight. It took time, and in addition to his own hard work, it took the patience and persistence of his parents, teachers, and role models. The results were phenomenal. He began to excel in school and sports, and later he graduated college with a Master’s degree. Today he teaches children with special needs, a task that not only requires focus on his part, but also requires him to impart the importance of focus on his students.
Bill Leith's training at Buzz Durkin's Karate School began in 1995. He's credited his martial arts training with improving his self-discipline, confidence, and fitness.