It Starts With YOU!

On Monday, during our 5 week Fitness Bootcamp training, one of the participants had caught my attention. I wasn't teaching the class... my wife was. I was standing on the side holding our 10 month old daughter. I couldn't believe this girl. She was rotating through every station- mountain climbers, jump switch lunges, push ups, etc., and doing it 100%. Maybe you don't understand... some of these stations are very physically challenging and very enduring. While everyone was sweating and breathing hard, she was smokin' through the exercises. Perhaps I am amazed because it was my 3 year old daughter.

Granted, her petite, little, 30 pound frame (soaking wet) doesn't require much work to move around. There is a greater lesson here. About 90% of the things Rachel and I have said or done has been mimicked by our kids- Isaac and Reese, and even Zoey. Later that day, I pondered... "Are we good role models for Isaac, Reese, and Zoey? Are we setting the best example we can set?" I decided a long time ago, parenting is difficult, when it's done right. I also decided that it's easier than we all think, at the same exact time.

Let me explain when parenting is difficult. It's difficult when you teach your kids that smoking is bad, but you still smoke yourself. It's difficult when you teach your kids to not use foul language, but you continue to use foul language. It's difficult when you teach them not to fight with their siblings, when you are fighting with your spouse. It's difficult when you don't set and achieve goals, but you want your child to be successful at reaching their goals. It's difficult when you want your child to be healthy and active, but you aren't healthy and active yourself.

Get the picture? Much of what we want our children to learn can be taught simply by living the life we want our children to have. That is the simple part. Now, here is the caveat... if you are going to be a teacher, it's good that you show up to class. We have to be present to teach these life lessons. My wife and I have realized something over the past 2 weeks. We have become much closer as a family, and have had many great discussions about these very lessons. How? It's simple... dropped down to having only 1 car! Before you say, "Hold on a minute! We're not going down to one car, that's impossible!"

Let me explain. We got rid of our studio-apartment-on-wheels (H2 Hummer), and I bought a 1969 Ford Bronco to restore. Well, being that Rachel and I work in the same place and we're only 7 minutes from the Taekwondo school, we decided that 1 car will work, temporarily, for a week. 8 weeks later... and still driving 1 car, I'm still working on the Bronco. We decided that we are having a ball driving everyday as a family to and from the Taekwondo school. I decided that I would just keep the Bronco in the garage and continue to make greater headway in restoring it, instead of restoring and driving it simultaneously- which would slow the progress down immensely. I realize everyone is not in this same position, but that's not the point. Continue reading.

Several years ago, a parent in our program- Julie Oliver, who by the way, is still with us, told me something I will never forget. We were having a discussion about getting the kids to all of their activities. I told her, why don't you just hire a driver, then have just quality time elsewhere instead of just quantity time in the car. She said, "I actually cherish that time in the car, especially right after school, and from sports when the kids are the most chatty." She continued, and I won't forget this, "Quantity time = Quality time in my book."

Lesson #1
Overspend on time with your kids. I have a personal training client who is arguably the busiest person I know. He travels around the world frequently. He is the leader of a publicy traded company on the NASDAQ. When his time is limited, he does private Taekwondo lessons with his kids.

Other busy leaders I know do the following:
1. They volunteer on the playground.
2. They volunteer in the classroom.
3. They coach or assists with their child's sport team.
4. They join Taekwondo with their kids.
5. They take their kids to school or pick them up.
6. They teach them a hobby or a recreational sport on the weekends.

Lesson #2
The lessons start from you. Don't have a "Do what I say, not as I do" attitude. In our Taekwondo program, I have actually had parents cry to me, and thanking me for the guidance we have not only given their child, but have given them. It never occurred to them that things like Respect, Confidence, Self Esteem, and Goal Setting begins with them.

Over the years, I've actually grown to really love the UBC (Ultimate Body Challenge), because I've seen how it affects everyone's lives. Again, I've had participants become very emotional and thankful for the healthy lifestyle they have learned and adopted. More importantly, they are thankful that they now have the tools to pass on the same healthy lifestyle to their kids. More Info on The UBC.

It's amazing how many of us want to be healthy, and want to eat right, but we just don't know how to go about it. We really live in a culture that is unlike the rest of the world. Only in a America, is there a greater chance of dieing from obesity and heart disease, than from starvation.

My goal is to do everything I can to live long enough to enjoy Christmas with great grandchildren. Although, I am only 34 now, I intend to continue living a healthy lifestyle so that me and my family will be free from disease and happy for as long as possible.

Leading By Example

How to Teach Confidence

Allow your child to...
1. See you set goals.
2. See you struggle.
3. See you succeed.
4. Teach your child to follow 1,2 and 3.

How to Improve Your Child's Self Esteem

1. News Flash... Realize it has very little to do with your child.
2. Never use negative words that make a child feel defeated.
3. Allow them to take age appropriate risks. I find most parents would not allow a 3 year old to carry a carton of eggs because, "you might drop them." $1.99 is an age appropriate risk in my book. When you show a child that you believe in their ability, they will believe in themselves.
4. Ask your child about their opinion on something.
5. Take your child up on a recommendation. If their recommendation wasn't the best, make light of the situation and find something positive about it.

How to Teach Your Child to Not Give Up

1. Look in the mirror and ask yourself what project you started and never finished. Every project starts with enthusiasm. In the beginning you're excited, the spouse is excited, and the kids are excited. What happens down the road when nothing is ever brought to completion. NOTHING! A project should have a Beginning, a Journey, and a Destination. All three should be EXCITING, in their own way. Don't teach your child just the Beginning phase.
2. The Journey is the most difficult stage- encourage your child by pointing out small milestones and reminding them of the Destination.
3. Strive to achieve the Destination as much as possible.

How to Teach Your Child To Be Healthy and Active

1. What do your children see you doing for 1/3 of your life- eating, watching tv- sorry, you may call it "relaxing." We have 24 hours in a day- 8 hours for sleep, 8 hours for work, 8 hours for anything else. If you're like most, you're sedentary at work for 8 hours. Unless you sleep jog, you're sedentary for 8 hours in bed. Okay, what is going on for that other 1/3 of your day, or better yet, the other 1/3 of your life?
2. That's great that you go to the gym, but is it teaching your kids anything about the importance of exercise? Take them with you once a week.
3. Lose the cable TV! Between kids movies from the Library's weekly Bookmobile trip and Netflicks, we watch only what we sign up for. And, by the way, save like $90 a month.
4. Teach your child the components of food- Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fat, and what each of their purposes are. Don't know the purposes? Learn! Sign up for the UBC (Ultimate Body Challenge), and get the best education on exercise and eating to live a strong healthy lifestyle. Before long, your child will be asking you, "is this a carbohydrate or a protein?" What they really want to know is if they are feeding their organs or their muscles.
5. Join an activity where you move and sweat together. Hmmm... how about Taekwondo as a Family (big smile).

Hopefully, you've gathered that all the things I've mentioned above start from YOU. In fact, some start with you, and end with you. As for my 3 year daughter, don't expect to see her on the sidelines anytime soon, at least not as long as mom is setting the example.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Martial Art Lessons in Boise & Eagle

My Goal Setting Project

As you may know, goal setting is a huge part of my life. In fact, I practically set goals for everything. I believe that it's such a powerful tool, that I pass it on to all our students. For the past few months, I've been looking at several students goal setting projects. Every year, I am sure to set a goal right along side everyone else.

This year, I'm setting a goal that has created a little bit of excitement. I'm going to share it with everyone. By the way, the format is the exact one that I expect all the students to follow. I've shorten this goal to just phase I of the Bronco Project for easier readability.

Goal-

Restore a 1969 Ford Bronco (302 V8)- Phase I: Rebuild and restore engine and compartment.

Deadline-

Oct. 15th (2 weeks behind schedule)

Benefits-

• Always wanted to restore a Bronco
• Big challenge
• Will learn something new
• Something to be proud of
• The kids will have a blast riding in the Bronco
• Hopes of passing this car onto Isaac and teaching him how to care for it
• No monthly car payment
• Although it's not meant to be an investment, the car will be worth over twice as much money as we put into it (hard costs).
• The project creates an outlet to relieve stress (my therapy)
• Occasionally, the family get's involved with helping me.
• Develop a new appreciation for old engines and the mechanical masterpieces they really are.
• Safe automobile (built like a tank)

Action Plan-

1. Purchase Ford overhaul manual
2. Create parts & price list in Excel
3. Create budget for different phases
4. Line up help
5. Line up tools
6. Schedule days with family to devote to Bronco
7. Determine which tools will be rented, borrowed, or purchased
8. Select machine shop
9. Create invoice folder
10. Create work log
11. Create schedule of work
12. Commence work!

I've double checked and my goal is indeed SMART- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Tangible. I also think of the T as Time Driven.

Check out the video clip of the completion of Phase I.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
http://www.freekaratelesson.com

The Secret to Goal Setting

Over the past year, I've had many people ask me about The Secret. I've considered making a blog post about it earlier, but decided against it because it seemed that enough people were already talking about it. Well, right now, in our Taekwondo program, we will be discussing Goal Setting and Self Discipline. So, I thought, what the hay. Let's discuss it briefly, but more importantly I'd rather utilize the internet bandwidth more profoundly by talking about something with more substance.


First, the whole premise to The Secret is the law of attraction. If you believe in something passionately enough, you will achieve it or aqcuire it. The first thing we must understand is that The Secret is not some uncovered mystical magic ingredient we've all been searching for. In fact, there are a whole slew of authors that have been preaching this stuff for years, ie. Zig Ziglar, Harv T. Ecker, and Brian Tracy. Even further back, you'll find authors such as Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale and Napoleon Hill talking about these very same concepts.


Then you have 90% of all athletes who have used the concept of law of attraction for decades. Quite honestly, I am not a fan of The Secret, but I am a fan of all the authors I mentioned above and here is why. The Secret basically says, do no planning in achieving your goals, just think passionately enough and you'll get there or acquire it. In fact, The Secret says you just need to picture your perfect body and you can eat anything you want. Hmmm... Check this out for real results on the perfect body- http://www.freekaratelesson.com/weight-loss.html


In my opinion, The Secret did so well because it seemed be the missing ingredient in many peoples lives. To add to that, the book or dvd appealed to even more people because you don't have to work for it, but rather think passionately about it and hope that you manifest whatever it is you want. There is one major, major difference between the book/dvd of The Secret and all the time tested classics of the legendary authors and it is this- You Need a Plan!


You don't make it to the Olympics in Taekwondo because you just dreamed about it. Michael Phelps isn't the great swimmer he is because he just hoped. The self made millionaires of the world didn't just think about it. The dad that is involved in his childs development didn't just wish he had more time with his kids. The child that stands up to a bully didn't just pray he would go unnoticed at school. All these people got off their rear end and did something. They formulated a plan and went through with it.


Here is my secret- if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Okay, enough about secrets. Let's chat about what makes people successful. When I say successful, I don't mean acquiring wealth. I mean accomplishing any goal you or any student might have. I believe 100%, if you teach your child how to accomplish goals now, they're going to be tackling monsterous things as an adult. But... here is the caveat. Goals start from mom and dad.


Suprisingly, I find many people that are content right where they are in life. As a former speaker, I also learned that people actually feared success. I've always heard about it, but never realized that I would meet people who were afraid to venture out and achieve something great.


Passenger airplanes fly 30,000 feet above the ground at 500 mph. When they land, they have all the weight that stresses the wheels, the gears, and the frame of the airplane. The airplanes have large maintenance costs because of the stress it receives from flying. There are literally hundreds of things that could go wrong with that plane while it is flying. All in all, it's dangerous for a plane to fly. Now, aeronautical engineers will tell you that it is significantly more dangerous for the plane to just sit on the runway. The static weight of the plane, and the rust that will form by sitting stagnant on the runway will ultimately wear out the plane faster than the one that ventures the skies.


It's dangerous for a ship to cross the ocean. It might not come back. It's more dangerous for the ship to ride an anchor in the harbor collecting barnacles.

It's dangerous for a farmer to plant crops. There might be a drought, there might be a flood. I think we all agree that it's more dangerous for the farmer to NOT plant the crops.

It's dangerous to set goals... we might not succeed. It might take too much effort. It might take too much time. Years ago, somebody said it would probably take him 5 years to get a Black Belt, and that he would be almost 50. I responded with, "...how old would you be in 5 years if you didn't go for your Black Belt?"


I encourage all parents and students to really take to heart the Goal Setting and Self Discipline homework assignments we will be distributing soon in the academy. I am going to be keeping my eyes peeled for some exciting goals out there. I am also excited to see the goals that our instructors will be setting for themselves.

I'd love to hear your comments on goal setting.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Martial Art Lessons in Boise & Eagle

Sunday Stroll...at 600 MPH in a Fighter Jet

6:03 pm- I arrive with Rachel, Isaac, Reese, and Zoey to the Appleton Hanger, home of the Hawker Hunter fighter jet. Steve Appleton, one of my Taekwondo training clients, invited me to fly with him in his privately owned Hawker Hunter.

The Hawker Hunter is a British fighter jet originally used by the Royal Air Force. Later, it was exported and used by 19 other air forces. Two countries were known to have been the most enthusiastic about the fighter jet, Sweden and Singapore, and always improving the plane. Steve’s Hawker Hunter actually came from the Singapore Airforce.

6:05 pm- Steve’s wife, Dalynn, asks, “So are you ready?”
My response, “I think so.” As I think about the 20 ounce coffee I just had on the way to the hanger. Give me a break! I was camping all weekend and was exhausted. I wanted to ensure that I would be 100% alert for this experience.

Dalynn, gave me some tips, “Tighten your legs, push your feet into the floor, and if you feel sick, Steve will give you a bag to carry with you.”

6:10 pm- “Are you ready?” says a cheerful Steve.
Part of me felt like snapping to attention and saying sir, yes sir! Apparently, I prepared myself too much by envisioning every scene from Top Gun prior to this day. I settled for, “Yes, sir.”
“Have you eaten anything?”
“Only breakfast, then a bowl of cereal at 3 pm.”
“Good.”
“Oh, actually, I had an iced coffee on the way over here.”
“You should be fine.”
I left out the part that it was 20 ounces, and a white chocolate mocha. Remember, I’m going to be flying at around mach 1 in a fighter jet. I think I need to be alert, right?

6:20 pm- We’re waiting for the fuel guy to come gas up the jet. Steve is frustrated. I’m relieved. I can’t stop thinking about how dumb it was to drink a 20 ounce white chocolate mocha just before I’m about to fly. The more time that passes, the better.

6:25 pm- Dang! Fuel guy is here!

6:35 pm- We’re in the flight suit room. For the record, that’s the name I gave this room. Again, visions of Top Gun begin flashing through my brain. All I can think about are the funky helmets that sport the call signs like- Viper, Maverick, and Iceman.

After I suit up, Steve hands me a neatly folded vomit bag to place in a pocket, strategically placed, just 5 inches below my neck. Great. Dalynn must’ve told him what kind of coffee I had.

6:40 pm- The excitement is truly beginning. I climb up the ladder on the glossy black fighter jet. Sitting inside this extraordinary machine was exhilarating. Although, with my tall frame, it was much like sitting in a Miata.

Seated in the plane, Steve remained on the ladder to go over important information. Not your normal flight attendant, seat belts low across the hips, 2 exits, type of spiel either. I’m talking about if you think we’re going to die, eject- type of spiel.

“If you hear me say, ‘Eject, Eject, Eject’, don’t ask any questions because you’ll be talking to yourself.” Now, I know good and well the chances of this situation are slim, but it’s still a possibility, so I paid attention like I never did before. In fact, my Sophomore English teacher would have been proud. At this point, I knew how to eject myself from the plane, should the occasion arise. In fact, I was so intrigued by the ejection seat, I couldn’t help, but to think, “What if I ejected just for fun.” Note to self- Edit this last sentence of the Blog before allowing Steve to see it.

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with G forces, it’s the amount of force one experiences when accelerating. 3 G’s refers to your body experiencing a force 3 times that of gravity. In some cases, pilots can actually pass out during flight.

“In the event that I pass out, and we’re at a high enough altitude that time is not too critical, I would appreciate it if you would eject my seat. If we’re going down fast, then take care of yourself.”

Quite frankly, I could only nod my head. My only thoughts, at that moment, was Steve’s wonderful family. I’m willing to bet, Steve made this request because he too had only one thought, his wonderful family. Steve reassured me that he'll do the same for me.

6:45 pm- Steve climbs in and begins flipping all sorts of switches and pushing buttons. All of a sudden, two screens light up with Window XP booting up. I mean this next statement no harm to PC users, in fact I am a proud PC user with MS Windows. Honestly, I couldn’t stop thinking about how my laptop seems to be having problems with viruses and spyware. I couldn’t bring myself to ask Steve if he had Norton Antivirus loaded on his plane. Note to self- delete this, too.

I’m sure it didn’t have Norton Antivirus, nor did it need it. Steve had this plane 100% equipped with the most amazing, cutting edge, modern technology, built specifically for this plane.

6:50 pm- We’re up in the air. So far, so good! And, the take off was amazing. It didn’t take long before we were really high and going really fast. Really high and really fast is highly technical aviation speak.

6:55 pm- We’re heading into the Owyhee Canyon. Did you notice the time difference? It was about 5 minutes! I believe it takes about 2 hours to drive to this particular part of the canyon.

Literally, before I know it, we are down inside the canyon... the canyon with recreational boaters, jet skiers, etc. I have know I idea how close we were to the water, but I can tell you, I was looking at the canyon walls, and we were below the tops of them. I’ll have to admit, I was mildly scared as we were tearing through there at 500 to 600 mph. At the same time, I was absolutely amazed at how Steve flew this plane so effortlessly and gracefully, carving from right to left. I couldn’t help imagining the awe we must have struck in the boaters below.

The end of the canyon was approaching, and Steve says, “When I tell you to, squeeze your legs tightly.” My response, “I haven’t stopped squeezing since we took off.” Thanks for the tip, Dalynn!

We shoot out of the canyon like a bullet, straight up in the air. Straight up… like towards outer space straight up! Just before we both were about to become astronauts, Steve did a “half loop”. I’m still replaying it in my mind, trying to figure out exactly what we did. All I know is that all of a sudden, the earth reappeared from the wrong direction. Perhaps, I need to go on a second ride just to make sure I know what we did. Note to self- bold last sentence so Steve reads it.

Sometime pm- It’s time for me to fly the jet. The Hawker Hunter is equipped with two “sticks” to fly the plane. Steve says, “Go ahead, take the stick.” Nervously, I grab the stick right in front of me and begin taking the plane up and up and up. “Okay, go ahead and bring it back down.” So I push the stick forward to level us out. I’m trying to get us to 10,000 feet. The slightest push forward makes me feel like an elevator dropping from the 50th floor to 0 in 1 second.

Steve takes control of the plane and introduces me to the “barrel role”. I believe the barrel role is a defensive maneuver used in air to air combat, aka- “dog fighting.” It’s when the plane completely roles sideways 360 degrees and returning to a rightside up position.

“Here, you give it a try.”
“What??? You’re kidding me!”
“Just take the stick and push it all the way to the left.”
Hesitantly, I took the stick and pushed it to one side and sure enough, the plane obeyed the movement from the stick, with what seemed like the grace of a ballerina.
“Can I go the other way?”, but this time, with much enthusiasm.
“Sure!”
I’m hooked! In fact, you can just start calling me Maverick. Wait, I hear Tom Cruise is a little crazy… how about Iceman. (Knowledge of Top Gun required for last statement)

Sometime later pm- I absolutely enjoyed the flight immensely. I am slightly disappointed in the stimulation overload my body experienced. The exhilaration was like drinking from a fire hose. Things happened so fast, I literally had to come home, lay down, and close my eyes to replay the entire flight in my mind. When you experience that much stimulation, it truly is very difficult to take in all at once. Two words sum up the experience- Truly Amazing!

8:15 pm- I handed back the same neatly folded vomit bag back to Steve.

Currently, I have been training Steve in Taekwondo. We've been training pretty intensely since he is determined to get his Black Belt. I could be mistaken, but I believe just as Rachel was snapping this picture, he was muttering, "You're in my world now, buddy!"

Moments before we begin taxing.

The helmet is gray, and it doesn't say Maverick or Iceman on it, but you can clearly see, I'm still happy to be here!

This picture was taken just after a bogey shot out our fuel tanks. Fortunately, the onboard Windows XP is capable of crash recovery!

Thanks for the ride, Steve!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Taekwondo Master Gone Economist

Not a single day goes by that I don't think about writing in my blog. I'll have a profound thought, a wonderful life lesson, something ironic, you name it and I'll forget to write. Well... I had a profound thought tonight and said to myself, "go bust out the laptop and blog about it."

Now, I don't claim to be very knowledgable about the economy, but I think I can hold my own in a 3 round, 2 minute conversation with someone. I'll admit I don't know too much about how Bush and our next president affects the economy. I mean, I kind of thought I knew, but then I read something that doesn't make sense, or it contradicts itself.

I'm a thinker, actually... more like a dweller. I dwell on things until I can come up with an answer that makes perfect sense. Perhaps, it's my engineering background. Anyhow, let's begin with what I know and what I don't know.

I know that when you're dead broke, you don't go and buy stock on your credit card, just because the company is going to report outstanding earnings.

I don't know why there are so many business coaches that have never created a successful business for themselves.

I know that if you're thinking about selling some investment property, you should do it before Obama gets elected since we'll probably never see taxes this low for awhile (currently 15%, Obama will raise it to 25%). Note: I wish I knew enough about the candidates to be able to bash one or the other. Unfortunately, I don't. So please don't interpret this as a pro McCain statement.

I don't know why people say they don't have time for things. We all have the same number of minutes in a day, including the busiest people in the world.

I know you don't buy United Airlines stock right after terrorist use the planes as weapons of mass destruction. Do you recall when Jack in the Box served burgers with the Salmonella bacteria in it? People made a fortune on Jack in the Box stock from their recovery. Well, United Airlines never recovered. In fact, they were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

I don't know as much as I'd like about history. Therefore, I checked out a book on Julius Caesar. Did you know it has been theorized that his namesake was derived from an ancestor who was believed to have been born by a caesarian section? Seriously, I got the book to study the leadership skills of this historical figure.

I know it's possible to buy a 20 year, high yielding bond at 8% interest right now.

I don't know why more people don't enrich their lives with books, exercise, good nutrition, and martial arts (The Academy of World Taekwondo- 381-0587, ask for Kendal). ;)

I know the ancient chinese philosophy of Yin & Yang very well. I know that it can be applied in every situation of life. I dare you to try and stump me:). Taekwondo is a huge part of many of our students lives. For me, Taekwondo is my life. I can't help to naturally think about everything in terms of Yin & Yang, which basically boils down to balance.

Remember when the bottom fell out the stock market in 99'? Or was it 2000? What came next? The real estate market? What happened immediately after that? The economy! Let's look back at history. Do all three things always correct themselves? Of course! The reason why they correct themselves is because we, as in you and me and everyone else driving the market, make the needed adjustments.

I was just watching something on TV about an hour ago. They were basically talking about how to survive in a recession. The financial expert was talking about saving a penny here and a penny there and eventually you'll save quite a bit. She also discussed down sizing and becoming more economical with things.

Remember, I'm a dweller. While she was talking, I couldn't stop thinking about the economic stimulus checks we all received. We all know what those checks are for, right? We're supposed to be buying plasma TV's, stereo's, and clothes with that money. Okay, now we have two very oppossing philosophies. Or, do we??? You see, one is simply Yin (conservative spending) and the other is Yang (liberal spending). The bottom line is, you can't have one without the other. Too much Yang will have to result in an abundance of Yin in order to correct itself.

The US economy will not collapse, because businesses that were Yang yesterday will become Yin tomorrow. The trend will eventually trickle all the way down to the everyday consumer. Once the larger corporations, businesses, and consumers begin adjusting their Yang ways to a more Yin approach will we find everything back in balance, which is essentially the meaning of Yin and Yang- balance.

Remember, I love making lessons out of everything. Here it is. If you're feeling the affects of a down economy, perhaps you have not adjusted your Yang ways. Maybe it's time to throw a little Yin into the mix. Make a list of your Yang and another list of your Yin. Is your Yang bigger than your Yin? I guarantee if you make adjustments to balance the two, you'll still have the means to enjoy those family vacations to Disney Land.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Motivation & Taekwondo Training... Let's Get it Going!!!

The human body is a miraculous creation capable of many great things. Next year at this time, you will be a new person. Literally! All the cells of our bodies are replaced every 12 months. How come we look the same year after year? Maybe even worse as time goes on. It's because our minds get in the way! We start a new regimen with high hopes of achieving our vision. We hit the workouts and the diets hard making it our number one priority. Time goes by with little improvements, but we're determined to finally make a change. More time goes by and we see even less improvements so we begin to slow down a little bit. We start missing workouts and slipping up on our diets. We start saying, "Monday, I'm going to hit it hard again." Somehow Monday seems to have come and gone and now it's Thursday and you haven't trained once. So you settle for mediocrity.

Imagine that you have a vision in your right hand. Hold it up high. In your left hand you have reality. Hold it down low. Connecting your two hands is a rubber band. Peter M. Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline, calls this your creative tension. Your goal is to bring your left hand, reality, to your right hand, vision. The vision hand is up high for a reason. It symbolizes the top, a mountain peak so to speak. The reality hand is symbolic of your present state, at the bottom of the mountain preparing for your journey. Too many times in life do we strive to bring the reality hand to the vision hand, but rather give up, letting the vision hand come to the reality hand. When we do this, we're quitting. We're settling for mediocrity. Mr. Senge says, "Most people's lives are like the food in my freezer. Not quite bad enough to throw out and not quite good enough to eat."

We live in a life controlled by the dynamics of cause and effect. Why do people smoke? Because they're not going to die the moment the cigarette touches their lips. Why do people eat those Krispy Kreme donuts, even though they're so high in fat and partially hydrogenated oils? Because they don't see the effects at that exact moment. I guarantee that if at the moment you swallow that delicious donut your pant buttons pop open with each bite, you'd reconsider. Since that doesn't happen, we continue our eating habits, waiting for Monday to come.

Okay, so how do we get out of this viscous cycle? It's easy! I hope that puts you at ease a little bit. And it's hard at the same time. Unfortunately, there is no potion that will transform you or make you workout. I read a book recently, called Good to Great by Jim Collins. It's about the qualities of a company that make it successful. Many times during the book I kept finding myself thinking about these companies like our bodies. Basically Mr. Collins research shows that great companies are not built overnight, but rather over time. They also experience many setbacks that help make them the great company that they are. When this crawl, walk, run approach is taken, a great company becomes "Built to Last." Our bodies are no different. If your mindset is to transform your body with ease, and be sent on your way, you'll be sadly mistaken.

You must make a new lifestyle for yourself. Not a diet. Not a workout. A lifestyle. Have you ever heard a person in great shape say they're out of shape? Does it make you sick? This person probably hasn't been training in Taekwondo as often as they like or maybe they're in an off season, but an athletic person is never really out of shape because being conditioned and healthy is a lifestyle for them.

You may have made a committment to your Taekwondo training. Make this a priority like you make brushing your teeth a priority. You brush your teeth probably because you know and have experienced the effects of cavities.

You need to supply the personal commitment to start leading a new lifestyle. Diligent Taekwondo training can be a big commitment. It's easy to do if we cancel all of our daily appointments, miss out on family time, etc. Usually, when we do this we're bombarded after several weeks of neglecting the important things in our life. Do not make Taekwondo training a hiatus from the rest of your life. Just like eating steak, cut the fat out. Your day should consist of what matters most. Try using a planner or some other time management system.

Good luck to you!

Respectfully,

Master Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Mia St. John wins WBC Title

We Won!!! Well, actually Mia won, but for the record she couldn't have done it without her "seconds". Seconds, or better put- 2nds, refer to the boxer's team. The team consists of the Trainer- Charles, Assistant Trainer- me, and the Cut Man- Sergio.

Next time you watch a boxing match, pay attention to the coordinated effort that goes into taking care of the fighter. It's absolutely amazing. I'm used to Taekwondo matches where our player (as we call them in Taekwondo), comes back and it's the coach and the athlete. On the other hand, a Taekwondo player is not taking the same facial beating that boxers endure.

If you watched the match on TV, you probably missed my job. No worries... I'll cover it right now.

Click, Click, Click. That is the 10 second warning. At this point, I pick up the stool, double check that I have the jar of vasoline in my pocket. The Cut Man has the ice pack and the trainer has got the water.

DING... In one consorted effort, three men are in the corner, 1 in the ring, and we're prepared to cool the fighter down, temporarily close cuts, bring swelling down, stop bleeding, hydrate, add vasoline, and oh yeah... offer some good boxing advice. It takes about 3 seconds to have all three of us in place.

DING... Mia stands up and we need to be gone! If we're not out of the ring within a few seconds, Mia could be penalized. Prior to giving a penalty, the referee gives us the command, "2nd's out!" At that point, we MOVE and the fight continues.

As I mentioned yesterday, we were a little nervous about the crowd of 20,000 people. Quite honestly, seeing the crowd last night, there was no reason to be worried at all. Mia esta muy famosa aqui. She is a national celebrity. Mia's face appeared in every newspaper and news channel in Mexico. As a matter of fact, the governer of Zacatecas, a state in Mexico, sent her an enormous bouquet of flowers. If that wasn't enough, the governer had her representative- Juan Carlos, make sure we were well taken care of.

Today, Juan Carlos and his chauffeur took us on an amazing tour of the Azteca Pyramids. I took some fun and exciting video while racing my sister to the top. Unfortunately, I haven't converted the video to put in this blog.

After the pyramids, they treated us to an amazing dinner in the historical district of Mexico City, right next to el Capitale. The restaurant itself, Cafe de Tacuba has an amazing history. Once originally a monestary for monks, then converted to a cafe'. It became a famous cafe' in the early ninteen hundreds where many political figures once ate. In fact, some of them were even gunned down in this cafe' because of the corruption in the government in the 1920's and 30's. I'm sure that corruption is all better now.

Tomorrow, I will be heading back to Boise. I really do enjoy the culture and musica de Mexico. I also enjoy walking or riding my bike alone in Boise and not worrying about a thing. There was actually nothing to worry about on this trip, mainly because we were treated like royalty by the state of Zacatecas. It does look as if we will be returning in November, but this time to Zacatecas itself, for one more fight. I do plan on bringing my entire family this time so they can learn more about the culture of my mother. My mother actually grew up in Zacatecas, and her entire family still resides there. It's going to be quite the cultural experience for us.

See you soon!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

Chief Master Instructor

The Academy of World Taekwondo

Ph: 208.381.0587

http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Hola, from the La Ciudad de Mexico!

Hola! Que esta' pasando, estudiante's y amigo's? What is happening, students and friends? I am in the Mexican spirit. I have arrived safely en la Ciudad de Mexico. I promised a blog post last night, but had difficulty tracking down some internet service. Esta bien, ahora!

If you haven't heard, I am here for my sister's retirement boxing match. Por que Mexico City? Well, we are half Mexican. Hence, the reason I write half espanol:). Seriously, she chose to accept this fight in Mexico City because she has an enormous fan base here. In fact, they are literally insane for her. The weigh in was like a concert with thousands of raving fans.

Learn more about Mia at http://www.MiaStJohn.com

A little about la Ciudad De Mexico. I wouldn't recommend traveling here for vacation. Stick to Cabo, Cancun, or mi favorito mejor- Puerto Vallarta. Honestly, I'm not into Cabo or Cancun, since it's hardly leaving the United States. Puerto Vallarta still has quite a bit of Mexican culture. Don't get me wrong, it's still for turista's. However, it's also a city that the Mexican people vacation to as well.

Anyhow, we are not here for vacation, so it doesn't matter. My job is to protect my sister and get her from point A to point B safely. A task I'm very familiar with given all her fights in Vegas during her days fighting on Oscar De La Hoya's cards. The big difference is that the population of Mexico City is nearly 9 million people, crime ridden, horrible infrastructure, corupt policia's, and to top it all off... the event tonight is free. 19,000 fans that don't have to pay a dime. Very different from a Las Vegas crowd where tickets are no cheaper than $250 for the nose bleed section and go up to $5,000 for ringside.

Watch for the piratas! That's pirates, in case you were wondering. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time to see things in history like Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and the pirates. The past is a world that can seem so fairy taleish. Actually, many things of the past are alive and well today. You just have to travel to the right part of the world to see it.

In Mexico City, there are 110,000 taxi's. Of that 110,000, 30,000 of them are not registered. You have no idea which ones are registered and which are not. A common practice in Mexico City is for a friendly taxi cab driver to pick up a tourist from the airport, drive for 15 minutes or so, then at a specific stop light 2 armed piratas will jump into the taxi and the driver will continue driving, usually at high speeds. During this time, the piratas will thoroughly go through the turista's belongings and will rob them of all their valuables, then be dropped off in a remote area.

I'd like to think I fended off a possible attack. When I arrived, a taxi driver was trying to get me to come with him. I tried making it clear to him that I first need to see if I am being picked up by the hotel. He told me to meet him at puerto ocho, door 8. He walked off, briskly. About a minute later, an armed officer told me the taxi's are not for turista's. He made it very clear not to accept a ride from anyone, but rather to buy a shuttle ticket.

My sister's trainer, Charles, had a very different experience. He arrived at around midnight, and therefore, had no driver from the hotel to pick him up. He took the taxi. About 10 minutes into the drive, the taxi had taken, what he thought was an unsual turn into an alley. The taxi quickly came to a stop, and before he could question the stop, 2 people got into the taxi and demanded 500 pesos for the taxi to keep moving. Charles is a large man, who has boxed professional, and trains many top ranked professional fighters. This dude is tough, and he looks tough too! I wish I could say he took on all 3 men with his boxing skills, that would've made a great story. Instead, he did what an intelligent martial artist would have done. He lowered his shoulder, and barrelled into one of the men, bursting the door wide open before the pirata could close it, and ran screaming "policia, help... policia, help".

One thing that surpises me is the amount of policia here. Something that always boggled me was that they always have their lights on. After this incident with Charles, I now have a theory on why they drive with their lights on. The number one crime in Mexico City is robbery, and it mostly takes place in Taxi's and while walking. Fortunately, Charles saw the lights of a Policia and knew if he could get out of the taxi he would be safe.

Here is the hilarious part. The policia had trapped the taxi with it's car and questioned the taxi driver and his "amigo's." The taxi driver explained to the policia that the passenger misunderstood and there is no problemo. The policia then assured Charles that it was okay to ride with them. WHAT??? Well, it turned out alright since the policia followed the taxi all the way to the hotel. Talk about an uncomfortable ride!

That's all for now. I'm going to hit the gym, then we're off to the event. The fight is tonight on TV Azteca. In an email, I announced that the fight will be on TeleVisa, which is actually the station that is in Mexico. El estation en La Estados Unidos (USA) es TV Azteca's.

Stay tuned for more!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587

Your Life's Wobble Board

Last week, I offered a friend some help in building a jungle gym. Not your normal jungle gym from Costco or Home Depot, but rather a custom built one. The wife of my friend said, "Yeah right, when are you going to find the time to do that?

I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to explain to this person why I have time to not only build a jungle gym, but build a jungle gym for someone else. On top of all that, what on earth does this have to do with Taekwondo? Ahhhhh... but, it has everything to do with it.

Take for instance a middle punch. You don't have to understand martial arts to understand what I'm going to describe. With your middle punch, one fist thrusts outward toward the target, and at the exact same time, the opposite fist comes back in toward the body. It's a push/pull sort of motion.

You'd be surprised, the mechanics of this super simple motion become very complex, very fast. In fact, it becomes so complex that in college I actually studied the middle punch with a 2D motion simulation program. Without boring you with all the details of my findings, let me tell you what factors contributed to a stronger punch and which contributed to a weaker punch.

Force from a punch is generated by the acceleration from several muscles working in sequence with each other. At the exact same time, it is possible to have your muscles working against you while you're punching. Even the most experienced martial artists are still developing the mechanics of their punch. If I could sum up the solution to a powerful punch in 3 words, it would be Yin & Yang.

Yin & Yang is about balance and harmony. When your body is physically in balance, executing a middle punch, you become very powerful. The same goes for other techniques, like the roundhouse kick.

Yin is considered the passive side and Yang is the aggressive side. As you raise your leg for a roundhouse kick, your contracting muscles accelerating your foot from the floor toward your target is considered Yang. Now, in order for your leg to travel smoothly, without resistance, you must have elastic muscles that are not pulling your leg back to the floor. In other words, flexibility- Yin. Students will often be attracted to the power of a technique, disregarding the Yin aspect. The same goes for when a student longs to kick way over their head, and focuses on stretching, but neglects building the strength to bring the leg that high.

The ancient philosophy of Yin & Yang is all about balance. Balance is something that not only takes place in the Taekwondo classroom, but also in life. In our school, we have a piece of exercise equipment called a wobble board. It's a round disc with a half dome on the bottom, located in the middle. This round board requires you to stand on it while maintaining balance. The neat thing about this board is that you're constantly applying Yin & Yang to remain as static as possible.

Don't worry, I'm making my way back to the jungle gym...

Imagine standing on that wobble board, immediately you're rocking in an infinite amount of directions trying to maintain a static position. Now, imagine on one side of the board it says FAMILY, the opposite side says CAREER. Also, imagine that another side says FRIENDS and the opposite side says HEALTH. Let's keep going... HOBBIES and opposite is PERSONAL GROWTH. Should we do one more? How about MONEY and opposite is SPIRITUAL.

Now that you're on your imaginary wobble board, you'll find yourself constantly wobbling. In fact, it's impossible to remain 100% static on a solid surface. We're constantly applying too much Yang to one side, then having to come back with some Yin to balance it out.

How do I, personally, balance on the Yin & Yang wobble board of life? Well, it's simple, and it's not because I train everyday. I make sure that everything I do in a day fits into one of those categories listed above. I make sure that I don't get involved with activities that don't contribute to any of my categories, like watching TV. If you've read some of my earlier posts, you know Rachel and I are proud of our rabbit ears. Every now and then I do tune into Leno or Conan while I change gears before I begin reading.

I happen to love construction. I love building and I love the tools to do it. I enjoy friends and I enjoy making new friends. Let's take a look at the wobble board. The two things I mentioned above are HOBBIES and FRIENDS. When I have the opportunity to do both, it's a no brainer. This past weekend was a double no brainer. My whole family spent the afternoon at this FRIENDS house. The kids played together, we hung out as FAMILES, and I fullfilled a HOBBY.

Here's the lesson-

1. Determine your categories that are important to you or use mine.
2. Choose your daily activities that fit in those categories.
3. Avoid doing activities that prevent you from getting closer to your category goals or have nothing to do with it.
4. Then apply the ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin & Yang and constantly work at keeping your balance with all of them.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Web: http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Eat to Live

Many students, Taekwondo or Thai-Robics, always ask me about nutrition. I love it! I love when someone is interested in making a change. Tonight, I'd like to blog about a way of eating that will help you look your best and perform at your best.
The last thing I'm going to do is write down how many calories you're supposed to consume or the amount of protein, carbs, or fat, you need in a day. That's absurd- soley because I need to know your body composition. By the way, we do those for free in the Ultimate Body Challenge (UBC).
More importantly, I'm going to try and expand your context. If you've read books on nutrition, you've expanded your content. Think of context as the bowl that holds the content. Get it? :)
First of all, if you want to be successful at the nutrition game, you must decide right now why you eat. Of course, when asked, everyone says they, "eat to live." Why do you eat dessert? Most desserts have very little nutrtional value. Still, people treat themselves to some sort of dessert every single day, be it a grande white chocolate mocha, or some sort of ritual bedtime treat.
If you treat yourself to a dessert on a daily basis, you are living to eat. When you live to eat, you get fat! I'm not going to sugar coat this (pun intended). This is the truth, and hopefully I can shift your thinking.
Life is an amazing experience. In fact, for me, it gets even more amazing everyday I wake up. Everyday, I learn something new. Tony Robbins often says, "If you're not growing, then you're rotting." One of the most amazing things about life is that we have choices. We are blessed with the ability to choose. Everyday, I see people that have chosen to be obese. I see people who have chosen to be poor. I see people who have chosen mediocrity.
Whoa! How did get on this subject from nutrition? Let me explain... I am attempting to live my life to the fullest. I am teaching Taekwondo students how to defend themselves, compete in tournaments, or how to use their skills in other areas of life to help them become successful. I teach Thai-Robics and Sport Fusion to help people get more out of life. I plan on conducting workshops on a global scale someday. I plan on building another jungle gym for my kids, when we move, like I did this past weekend.
Life is too great to devote it to eating. This is what I call "living to eat." If you want the most out of life, "eat to live." Decide right now that the foods you eat are not for pleasure, but for endurance, strength, and stamina. Life has many pleasures and there is no reason to get that pleasure from food. So... I leave you with this- why do you eat?

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Web: http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Families That Kick Together, Stick Together!

Families that kick together stick together. I've been teaching Taekwondo in Boise for 16 years and have had the opportunity to teach hundreds upon hundreds of families.

I'm also happy to say that it's the most rewarding feeling to know that we are helping brothers and sisters, mother and fathers bond together in our program. In some cases, mom is doing Thai-Robics, and dad and the kids are in Taekwondo. Or mom and dad are doing our Ultimate Body Challenge and the kids are in Taekwondo. Nonetheless, the families have a common experience that they share together, and the enthusiasm continues long after class ends and while they're at home.

Remember that movie with Robin Williams, Mrs. Doubtfire? I don't remember the line verbatim, but Mrs. Doubtfire (Robin Williams) made a comment about keeping a marriage together. She was asked how do you re-light the flame in your marriage. Mrs. Doubtfire said, "...the key is to not let it go out."

It's my belief if we share experiences as a family, and as couples, we will keep that flame in our marriages and in our family, going strong. You don't have to sign the family up for Taekwondo, Thai-Robics, or The Ultimate Body Challenge to get this experience, although that would be a surefire way (hint, hint).

All you need to do is find an activity that allows everyone to grow, either mentally, physically, or even spiritually. I've been doing rock climbing lately with my son, Isaac. Talk about a bonding experience! I'm holding him with a rope that's attached to a harness around my waist. I'm known as the "balayer." Rock climbing is like trying to solve a puzzle. I'm at the bottom watching Isaac trying to solve the puzzle of how to make it to the top of the wall. When he gets stuck, we work together to try and find the best "hold" to put his foot or hand on to solve this puzzle. When he fatigues or slips, he trusts that I will prevent him from falling to the ground. It's really a neat experience that helps us grow together. I see many families in our program that share the same enthusiasum with each other, and it always gives me a wonderful feeling watching it.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
Web: http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Indomitable Spirit

It was Bryce's second class. His enthusiasm for his martial arts training was absolutely stunning. Bryce is 7 years old. I have been teaching Taekwondo in Boise for 16 years, and have had the opportunity to see martial arts touch people's lives in such positive ways.

I'm happy to say, that I have been touched by Bryce's positive energy, and enthusiasm to learn. In fact, his enthusiasm is so radiant, I believe we can all benefit from it. You should see Bryce punch, and kick, or even just bow. Even if you've been in martial arts for several years, you'll be astonished at how he puts his heart into every detail of what I am teaching him.

I can't actually remember the last time I've seen a student be so intense and excited to learn Taekwondo, especially at the age of 7. I'm 100% convinced, if you saw Bryce kick, you'd be completely amazed by his focus and determination to hit his targets. You see, Bryce has Spina Bifida, a birth defect involving the neural tube. He trains, temporarily, in private sessions with his walker, that I call "hotrod", until he is able to join the regular group.

I believe Bryce has a story... a story that will reveal, with years to come, many chapters of perseverance and indomitable spirit. Bryce reminds me that there are no such things as limitations, just excuses. John Foppe, motivational speakers, who was born without arms says, "Even if I had the longest, strongest arms, there's only so high I would be able to reach..."

Although I am a teacher for Bryce, I believe he too is a teacher for us all.

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

"Come On... One Drink Is Not Gonna Kill Ya"

For the past few years I've been doing a lot of pondering on a particular question. In my opinion, it's the most important question parents need to be concerned with. How do we teach our kids to make good decisions?

We can provide positive activities for our children, we can raise them in a healthy environment, monitor who their friends are, and ensure they're receiving a good education, but there are factors that will be thrusted upon them whether we like it or not. Every single day, somewhere a teenager is given the opportunity to make a decision on whether or not they're going to try smoking, drinking, sex, etc. Kids will also attend basketball games and football games, then pile into cars and head over to a friend of a friend of a friend who's parents are out of town. The bottom line is this- no matter how we raise our children, we will never be able to protect them from the tough decisions they'll have to make. At the same time, nor do we want to protect them, as hard as it may seem. It's these lessons that will make our kids stronger, so long as we give them the tools to succeed.

I believe we must arm our kids with the ability to make good decisions and with the confidence to follow through with those decisions. I'd like to do this blog a little differently. I'd like to hear your comments on methods you feel we could use as parents to arm our kids with the ability to make good decisions. Simply click on the comments button below this post. You can either put your name or post a comment anonymously.

I can't wait to hear from you!

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Help! My Child Wants To Quit!

A parent asked me the other day what she should do about her son who said he doesn't want to come to Taekwondo. The comment by her son really surprised her. It surprised me, too, because this particular boy is doing really well in Taekwondo and has made terrific progress in terms of self discipline, focus, and self control. In the past 16 years of teaching martial arts, I've gotten this question many times.

First, it's tough for me to answer this question without a parent feeling like I have a vested interested in them staying in the program. So let me start by saying this. Not all students or parents want to be in our program. I will also say this, I don't try and stop all people from quitting our program.

Second, I now have kids in our program and can understand more accurately what parents deal with on a regular basis when their children say they don't want to go to Taekwondo. Several years ago I had a student in our program who was doing very well. All of sudden he didn't want to go anymore. Dad came in and told me that they were quitting. I asked him if he thought the program was valuable to his son, and he said yes (as if he would say "no" to my face). By the way, I'm much wiser now and I realize if a parent allows their children to quit something, it's because they DON'T see the value in it- bottom line. I asked him if he would let his son quit the 3rd grade. I don't think I've made a lot of parents made at me, but this was one of those times when I most definately did.

I don't care what your child is involved with, be it- church, soccer, basketball, Taekwondo, the 3rd grade, if you let them quit, you don't see value in it. And, there is nothing wrong with that- I'll explain. My son, Isaac, doesn't want to play soccer this season. He wants to play t-ball. My immediate thought was "huh?" I've been playing soccer since I was in the 1st grade. I am still playing, which reminds me- I need to pay my registration fee. There are three things I want him to get when playing soccer, 1) a sense of teamwork 2) learn commitment to a team 3) develop a skill through discipline and practice. Other than that, I cannot think of any good reason why Isaac needs to continue playing soccer. Can he get these things in t-ball? You bet! He can also get them in football, basketball or practically any other team sport. Sticking with the sport for the entire season goes without question also.

When I say, there is nothing wrong with not seeing value in something, I mean there is nothing wrong with it if there is truly no value in it or the value can be replaced with another activity. So would you let your child quit the 3rd grade? Most likely not. Hopefully because you see too much value in it. For some parents, they don't see enough value in it, so they homeschool. My point is, school is a crucial part of a child's development.

I also believe that our program is a crucial part of a child's development. Taekwondo is not in the same category as a team sport or even an individual sport. I've played sports my entire life and know for a fact that the skills we teach in our program are not the same that are taught in sports. These skills aren't even really taught in school. That's why we exist. The things we teach-focus, self discipline, goal setting, leadership and respect are not taught in school, they're expected. Also, many parents don't know how to instill confidence in their children, that's why help. A confident child will: stand up to bullies, get better grades, and achieve more in life. I know because I've seen students who teared up everytime I spoke to them and then grow up to be a highly confident & successful individual. Do I believe we had something to do with that? You bet! Mom and dad think so also.

I remember the day when Isaac said he didn't want to go to Taekwondo. Rachel and I looked at each other and we knew exactly what the other was thinking. I can't remember my exact words that day, but I can tell you that I made sure not to bat an eye. I responded the exact same way when he said he didn't want to go to pre-school. I value both things... differently, but nonetheless equally. Once Isaac realized that pre-school and Taekwondo was a way of life, he has never asked to stop again. My children will participate in various sports and will be involved with many activitities, but the one constant they'll have is the education they receive from our martial arts program.

To be completely honest, I believe our martial arts program should be required for every child. We're working on getting our program to as many students as possible. Imagine, a community with youth that are more focused, disciplined, respectful, goal oriented, and confident.

How to Handle a Child That Wants to Quit an Activity

1. Do you value the activity? Take a good hard look at what your child is involved with and determine if this activity will enhance your child's future.

2. Don't force your child to do something. ReinFORCE them. Continue to talk about the benefits of an activity and the progress your child is making. If you reinforce these positive attributes, you won't have to force the activity on them.

3. Have discipline. Your child only stays home from school when they're sick, right? It's the only time they should miss their activity as well. If you're wishy washy on your child's activities, they'll be wishy washy on their commitment level as well.

4. Lead by example. This is a classic example of walking the walk. Either get involved with your child or show them that you value a very similar activity for yourself.

What things do you do to help keep your child motivated for an activity?

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Zoey Addilyn Richardson

Well... some people have asked how come I wasn't in my uniform in the last picture of my blog. Here it is. As a matter of fact, it's the only picture I could find with me, Rachel, and Zoey, in my uniform at the hospital.

By the way, her name is Zoey Addilyn Richardson. If you like the name, I'm proud to say that I came up with it.

The other photo is of Rachel being taken out of the ambulance at St. Al's. Nonetheless, I'm thankful everything went smoothly. To this day, I still don't know why I never called pulled over. The funny thing is, I got pulled over today... at Bogus Basin... for going 25 in a 15. The police officer wasn't even in his car when he pulled me over. He was on foot and ran after me waving his hands. I thought he needed help, until he asked for my drivers license and registration. I didn't get a ticket because he was "in a good mood." Anyhow, if you're ever driving from the lower lodge to the upper lodge be aware that the speed limit is 15 mph.

Duncan Richardson

Who Said Uneventful Births Are The Best?

When it comes to delivering babies, Rachel can get them out fast! Isaac came within 6 hours, and Reese came within 4 hours. So we're thinking, the moment there are contractions, we're loading up and heading to the hospital... no if, ands, or buts!

Rachel's due date was January 30th, according to the doctor. Her own calculations said the baby should be here Feb. 5th. Sure enough, January 3th rolled around and Rachel started to have contractions. Excited as all get out... we get our instructors lined up for that day and head to the hospital- just to be told that we need to go home and wait for contractions to pick up again. The nurses said, "you're close... I wouldn't be surprised to see you later tonight."

Well, nothing happened later that night, nor the next night... or the one after that. Really, we just wanted to avoid Groundhog's Day. You know... the whole mole being scared by it's shadow and going back inside for 6 more weeks thing.

We escaped Groundhog's Day and the contractions began again, this time at 1 am Sunday. This was it!!! So we thought... Really, it was the same thing as before. As soon as we got to the hospital room, all contractions subsided. We head home, again, but this time with clear instructions to come back only when contractions are 4 minutes apart and stronger.

Okay, a few hours later, the contractions are stronger, but they're definately more than 4 minutes apart. Following the clear instructions, we go about our day. I met with instructors, I head out to Eagle to teach an after school program at Eagle Hills when I got the call that I better come home. No need to worry though... contractions are still erratic.

It's about 4:45 pm, and Rachel is at home, in our downstairs bathroom having pretty strong contractions. I'm halfway down Eagle Rd. talking to Rachel on the cell phone when we're in the middle of determining whether this is the real labor or not. Suddenly, I'm no longer talking to Rachel, but rather her mother. She promptly told me that they're going to load her up right now and take her to the hospital and to meet them at St. Al's.

There I was, on Eagle Rd. in rush hour traffic, at least 30 minutes away (technically the illegal lane changes I made and the speed I was going- 20 minutes). I'm literally helpless. So, I did what any calm father would do, I called 911.

911 Dispatcher: 911, please state your emergency.
Me: Yes, hello. My wife is going into labor...
911 Dispatcher: Let me transfer you to paramedics
Paramedics: Paramedics, what is your emergency.
Me [frantic]: My wife is going into labor. She is with my mother-in-law who is driving her to the hospital.
Paramedics: Are you with them now?
Me: No, I just got off the phone with my mother-in-law and she is getting her in the car and I'm worried they'll need an escort to the hospital or possibly an ambulance to meet them halfway.
Paramedics: Okay... I'm not sure how we can help at this point. Is there anyway we can get in contact with your mother-in-law so we can guide her through this process should anything happen on the way to the hospital?
Me [frantic again]: No, because I don't have her cell phone number. I do know the route they're taking to the hospital, though.
Paramedics: Okay... Actually... we just received a 911 call from 2618 Shoshone. Does that happen to be your address?
Me [hysterical]: Yes, yes! Oh crap!
Paramedics: We've got units on the way already. It looks like they weren't able to get loaded up.
Me: Okay.
Paramedics: You can help us. How old is your wife?
Me: 29
Paramedics: Were there any complications with this pregnancy?
Me: No
Paramedics: Is this her first child?
Me: No, third.

The questions went on and I finally made it to the freeway. I felt like a caged cheetah being released into the wild the moment I hit that open interstate. I remember being thankful for the fact I was going inbound when the 5 o'clock traffic was literally stopped bumper to bumper going outbound. I was thankful for many things at this moment. I was thankful that we had wonderful neighbors that were helping watching over Isaac and Reese upstairs. I was thankful for my sister who sent my brother-in-law up to the house because he was only a few minutes away (I beat him there from Eagle). I was thankful for Bob, Mr. Walton, Mrs. Krake, Mr. Dinko, Kendal, Mr. Gus, Jill and Wendy who kept the academy open and running smoothly in my absence.

The sand on the road didn't help as I rounded the turn onto Shoshone. I could see the firetruck and the ambulance parked out front. The medics and firemen also saw me as I came fishtailing around the corner. As I zoomed up, they all had dirty looks telling me to slow down. "I'M THE FATHER!!!" "Oooooh!", they said. They proceeded to tell me that mom is okay and...

IT'S A GIRL!

Luckily, I got there when I did. 10 seconds later and I would have missed the ambulance ride to the hospital. I got the rest of the story in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Evidently, Rachel never left the bathroom, but rather found a cozy spot right on the floor. It's your typical downstairs bathroom with limited space. Although, we found out, it's capable of holding a laboring mother, a mother-in-law, 2 firemen, and 1 medic in the doorway.

The fire department was the first to arrive. Zach, a young fire fighter who has never delivered a baby, came in as our baby girl was crowning. At that point, the paramedics arrived and coached Zach through the rest of the process. It was a perfect birth!

Nonetheless, the experience was absolutely priceless. Even more priceless were the looks on everyone's faces as we made our way from the ambulance to the delivery room. It was Rachel on a gurny, our baby girl on her chest, and her entourage of paramedics, firefighters, and some guy in "Karate suit." Let me tell you... our baby girl created quite an entrance (pun intended).

Baby Girl (we have plenty of boy names picked out since we were certain that's what we were having)
Weight: 7 lbs 1 ounce
Height: 19 Inches
And, healthy!

Respectfully,

Duncan Richardson

Sharpen That Ax

Today is a little different blog post. Many people have asked what I do in a day and I'm not really sure where to begin, so I thought I would blog about it. Today is an interested day. I wouldn't say it's a 100% typical because of some unexpected events. Also, I had sort of a mental collapse where I became too saturated with tasks that needed to get taken care of. Nonetheless, it was an outstanding day! See the bottom for the moral lesson.


Tuesday

1:47 am

Closed the laptop, crawled into bed, and practically melted into my pillow.

7:00 am

The alarm is very similar to that of fly at a barbeque that just won't stay away from your burger. You can swat at it, but it just doesn't go away.

7:15 am

The alarm clock won! I remember a statement that Zig Ziglar always used to say, "I can't understand why people call it an alarm clock. Alarm is when there is a fire or some sort of an emergency. I call it an opportunity clock. If you can hear it, you've got an opportunity." Anyhow, the 'opportunity clock' got me up!

7:30 am

Showered up and pumped!

7:45 am

6 scrambled eggs
1 bowl of Shredded Wheat
1 cup of coffee

8:00 am

Cooked another 2 eggs for Rachel and left the coffee on for her

Chased Reese around the kitchen

Chatted with Isaac, Reese & Rachel over breakfast

8:15 am

Kissed everyone then jetted out the door

8:17 am

Popped in a little Eric Clapton
(really I was listening to a business CD, Clapton sounds much cooler though)

8:25 am

Arrived at The Academy of World Taekwondo

8:30 am

Private training client (Amy) arrives

9:00 am

Rachel and her two private training clients arrive (Betsy & Mandy)

9:30 am

Private training client (Pete) arrives
Recall thinking how cool it is working and watching Isaac & Reese play

10:11 am

Pete makes a remark, "I'm not sure you understand what you're getting into by having 3 kids."
Note: Pete has 2 kids

10:30 am

Meet with Bob our Student Relations Manager (that's the person that enables myself and other instructors the ability to communicate with new students, old students, and potential students)

11:00 am

My world collapses-
Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (a good book, but very boring) says to spend your time in 1 of 4 areas of the Time Matrix- The Not Urgent, but Important category. There is also the Urgent/Important, Not Urgent/Not Important, and Urgent/Not Important. With good planning, and self discipline it is easy to stay in the Not Urgent/Important category.

Sometimes... things get away from you and when it rains, it pours! I don't consider myself superman by any means, but I do consider myself mentally tough and a hard egg to crack. Given the right circumstances, even superman breaks down.

I'm not sure what happened between 11:00 am and 1:30 pm, nor do I feel like trying to recollect it. To others, I know I seemed relatively normally, perhaps mildly disconnected.

1:30 pm

I arrive at home and have lunch with my family
Deli style turkey sandwich with mozzarella cheese
Grapes & blueberries
Pulled myself mentally together to manage the rest of the day

1:45 pm

Calls and emails start coming in regarding whether we will have class tonight
I got on the phone and consulted with Mr. Walton, Mrs Krake, and of course Rachel. We decided to cancel all classes.

2:17 pm

Email goes out for cancelled classes
Called Bob to cancel work at Eagle location

2:30 pm-3:30 pm

Voice broadcast recorded, uploaded, and sent to 230 students by the click of a button, a 5 minute task (unfortunately my computer kept crashing and didn't get out until 3:30 pm)

3:30 pm

Head to Boise school to put up sign

4:00 pm

Taught class for students that didn't receive voice broadcast on time (3 students)

6:00 pm

Got home, got hit by a snow ball, then walked straight through the kitchen, up the stairs and right into another hot shower. I refused to think about anything OTHER than waterfalls, jungles, forests, flowers, blue skies and sunshine.

6:15 pm

I'm in my ski git' up and Isaac and I are plowing the driveway in an attempt to collect as much snow as possible to build the biggest snow fort. My batteries are recharged!!!

Isaac and I played outside until Rachel called us in for dinner.

8:00 pm

Isaac and I take out the garbage and recycling

8:15 pm

Eat dinner- Chicken, red beans & rice
Rachel and I chat at the dinner table

9:00 pm

Isaac is in bed
Reese fell asleep while we were outside playing

9:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Rachel and I work in the office in tandem on our computers. Oddly, she worked on my laptop and I worked on her desktop. I'm still confused about this.

11:00 pm-1:30 pm

Rachel calls it a night
I touch base with Nitesh in India regarding our Online Training Academy
I purchased an email response system and setup a merchant service account and gateway (credit card system) so Nitesh can begin integrating this.

1:30-2:18 pm

Trying to recall my day for this Blog post

2:10 pm

Reese has a bad dream


When looking back at my day, the one thing that it was lacking was my therapy sessions (see other blog post) and exercise. Stephen Covey (wow, 2 times in one blog post- he is the time management guru you know) always discusses sharpening the ax. He tells this story- The lumberjack is out in the forest just hacking a way at a tree with his dull ax. The boss comes up to him and says, you ought to sharpen that ax. The lumberjack says, I don't have time. What a predicament we find ourselves in sometimes. We get so easily engrossed in what we're doing, we sometimes forget about the very obvious- the need to sharpen the ax.

People say to me all the time, "I don't know how you do it... Do you ever sleep..? etc., etc.," The answer is quite simple, I keep my ax sharp. I found out today how hard I'm swinging that thing and if I miss one ax sharpening session, I'm toast!

So how do I sharpen my ax?

• Exercise-with my classes or on my own
• Teaching class- In the right frame of my mind, teaching rejuvenates you when you consider the knowledge you're empowering students with
• Therapy- Shoveling the driveway, then playing in the snow
• Meditation- In the form of an evening shower
• Reading nightly- Nonfiction & fiction
• Writing chapters for my first book
• Calling a friend everyday

How do you sharpen your ax?

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwond0
Ph: (208) 381-0587
http://www.freekaratelesson.com/

The Power of Words

Tonight, one of our junior students who is preparing for Black Belt was in class. His Black Belt test is in February and he does not have one of his physical requirements satisfied. This requirement is to hold on the pull up bar for 45 seconds. For a while, he has been stuck at 24 seconds while training on his own. In fact, when he came in tonight, he held for exactly 24 seconds when I watched him.


This young gentleman and I had a quick conversation. He then held for 31 seconds. We spoke just a little bit more, and he held for 38 seconds. Now he is only 7 seconds away from achieving this goal. What changed?


The conversation we had was simple. I taught him to believe. The words were simple, but the change was profound. If words can change someone's determination for success in less than a minute, how would 18 years of this sort of dialogue impact a child.


My point is, words are the most powerful things we own. You can use them to build yourself up or tear yourself down. You can use them the same way on a child, too. Think about the things you say to yourself and decide if they are really productive. Now think about how you are programing your child. Are you programing your child to be insecure or secure, shy or outgoing, etc?


Really, this can be a chapter in a book, but here are some basic things to think about when talking to your children. Always speak to your child in a manner that builds confidence. Use encouraging words and always let them know they can accomplish anything they want. Would you like that to be even more profound? Then get out there and show them you practice what you preach. Go out there and accomplish things and let your kids see your enthusiasm, your drive, and your confidence!


In addition to that, don't deny kids the opportunity to succeed just because they might fail. If they fail, they learn. I've told my competitors for years, "When you win, you get a medal. When you lose, you learn."


Take a look at these common phrases from parents that absolutely drive me nuts:

• She doesn't talk much... she's shy.
• Don't carry that... you'll drop it.
• Don't climb up there... you'll fall.
• He's uncoordinated...
• She's the athlete and he's the bookworm. (translation in their minds: she's dumb and he's smart)

Shad Helmstetter, author of What to Say When You Talk to Yourself, says a child hears the word "No" and "Can't" 16,000 times. I had a friend over one day and he said, "You're going to let your daughter (2 years old) carry the carton of eggs?" My response was simple, "There's no way I'm going lead her into believing she can't. Besides, those eggs were on sale for 99 cents with my Albertson's preferred card:)."

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

Mr. Richardson in Therapy

Boy did it dump snow last night... I told our Ultimate Body Challenge students a week ago to hit the driveway with their shovels the moment it snows. Even if it melts the same day. During a typical year, I'm just trying to finish shoveling before it melts, but this year the snow has been hanging around a few days. Okay, I just spent several bytes of information talking about shoveling the snow... better make it a kilobyte, cause I ain't stoppin'.

When I told everyone a week ago to shovel their driveways, I was hoping to stimulate a change in daily activity. I try really hard to avoid just hanging out on a cold January Sunday. Isaac and I have a goal and it's to shovel enough snow to the front of our driveway to last until April. Actually, that's my goal, his is just for daddy to build the tallest possible snow mound. Our driveway leads to a garage that's behind our house, so it's one heck of a shoveling job. In fact, I'll even shovel our neighbors driveway. He thanks me, but really... I just wanted his snow.

I believe there are certain things in life that we need as therapy. For me, shoveling the driveway is therapeutic. In the summer, it's mowing the lawn, building or remodeling something. The funny thing is, the more I work, the more I need my therapy sessions. A buddy asked me a while ago, "don't you ever sit down and watch TV?" I really don't know how much TV people watch, but my response was, "Yes, I watch Jay Leno and Conan." I can't stand Carson Daly. His response was, "No... cable, ESPN, etc." Hmmm... I wasn't sure how to answer this.

You see, there was a point in our life when I was embarassed that Rachel and I didn't have cable. Actually, we had rabbit ears, but we hid them behind the entertainment center so nobody would see them when they came over. Finally, we thought, okay... why don't we get cable. The cable guy came out and hooked up all this wicked gadgetries. Rachel and I were so excited. We were so excited, our therapy sessions went right out the window. We had cable for 25 days and called Cableone to come get this stuff out of our house. I no longer watched the only 2 shows I enjoyed, but rather 150 other channels that I felt obligated to watch. Rachel and I hardly talked and we sure as heck didn't read a thing for those 25 days.

Today our trusty rabbit ears still sit behind the entertainment center, but not out of shame, but rather because it's the only place they'll fit at full extension. Here are a list of some of my favorite therapy sessions.

Therapy Suggestions:
Stain the fence, Mow the lawn, Shovel the driveway, Paint a room, Add organizing shelves, Building a bike ramp for Isaac (the old fashioned way- with wood), Stain concrete, Build stuff from a craftsman magazine.

For Rachel, she likes burying things and then waiting 6 months to see them grow. I personally need some instant gratification. Rachel's therapy sessions also include focusing on her business, Fireweed Baby, which is designing and creating baby & toddler belts.

What's your therapy?

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
Ph: 208.381.0587
http://www.FreeKarateLesson.com

It's Time to Head to the Family Bank!

Hopefully you're having a wonderful 2008! I know many of you are enjoying the slopes, because I've seen you on the hill. Rachel and I have been heading up to the mountain every weekend with Isaac and Reese. Now that Rachel is due at the end of January, she is not skiing... she's jogging! Jogging down the hill following Reese, on the bunny hill of course. As of last week, Reese has actually graduated from the magic carpet to the chairlift with Isaac and myself. That's exciting loading the chairlift, let me tell you. Isaac, almost 5, and Reese 2 1/2, then a teenage lift operator flirting with the girls in front of us. For you parents on skis, you know the anxiety I speak of.

At the moment, I've been extremely busy in my life. In fact, I haven't been this busy in over 6 years. We're working on some exciting projects including a new endevour on the web where we will be able to provide our curriculum to the most remote places of the world, so long as they have internet:). We are putting our curriculum online for people around the globe to learn. In fact, our team of developers and vendors come from around the world as well. Currently, I'm working with a man named Nitesh in India, who is doing all the programming for the site. Fortunately, we get to communicate when my daytime work finishes. Unfortunately, those hours are between 12 am and 6 am.

During this time of abundent workloads and projects, I haven't forgotten what matters most- my family. How easy is it to neglect those closest to us? Tony Robbins gives a great example of a marriage. He describes it like a bank account. In order to keep your account open, you've got to continue making deposits. Sure, you can make some withdrawals, but... you can't withdraw more than you deposit. It's important that I think of every moment with Rachel, Isaac, and Reese as a deposit in the family bank account. If I need to put in some super long hours, no problem, the family bank account is full:).

Duncan Richardson
Chief Master Instructor
The Academy of World Taekwondo
www.FreeKarateLesson.com