How to get through the holiday season and keep eating healthy

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instructor somnath sikdarThis is a common refrain. Folks are doing well "all year" but then they get to the holiday season and "everything" falls apart and they gain a bunch of weight or diverge greatly from their regular eating regimen.

First, how do we know, I mean really know, that we were doing well all year in the first place.  We need some sort of objective measure of success, before we can decide that we've failed.    Did you keep a training log?  Did you keep a food log?   If you answered yes to even one of those questions then you are already way ahead of most of the population.

If you answer no (that's OK), step 1 is to start journaling.   Journalling is a tremendously beneficial habit to keep, and food logging is an easy way to get started with the process.  We've got about a week until thanksgiving.  So, what do things look like in terms of your food intake when things are "normal"?  Now, before getting all bent about the holidays, what does your normal look like?  Is it really all that good?

I don't mean to be harsh, but are the holidays really the problem, or are they a scapegoat for a lack of discipline that really occurs 12 months a year?   Frankly, we're talking about a few get togethers over the span of about a month and half.  Can that really ruin you?   I don't think so.

Ok, now recognize that we can't make drastic changes all at once.   It's almost impossible to be successful.   Diet and exercise are very similar.   Both should be considered processes and not events.   And both should be approached with this mind set:  I want to be challenged as much as possible where I can still be successful.  Failure is not an option.  Not because we are macho, but we are realistic and good at planning.

My favorite example is waking up early.  Assume, for some reason, you need to wake up earlier every day.   Maybe you need to get to a new job, you want to work out in the mornings or you just want some additional time in the day.   If you all of a sudden try to wake up 1 or 2 hours earlier every day, it will be very difficult.  You might be successful at first, but soon enough you will dread the buzz of your smart phone in the morning.

Alternatively, think about incrementally changing your behavior.   Do try to get from A to Z, just get from A to B.   For example, set your alarm just 5  or 10 minutes earlier.  That's very doable right?  Then incrementally work your way up to an hour.   Before you know it, you will be waking up an hour earlier without the use of an alarm clock.

How can we apply this to exercise?

1. Take a simple movement, that you need little or no equipment for.   The bodyweight push up and the two handed russian kettlebell swing immediately come to mind.  (If you haven't learnt the two hand swing, please learn the proper form first!)

2. Use our alarm clock example, just give me five minutes every day.  Everyday, and I mean every day, you are going to dedicate just 5 minutes to doing pushups or kettlebell swings.  Not both, just one or the other.  Not more than 5 minutes.  "But I can do more than that".  Great, you may work out already, but do you do it 365 days a year?  No.  And nor should you.   5 minutes a day, no more, no less.

3. Depending on your current fitness level pick a number of reps.   Something like 5-10 pushups or 15-20 kettlebell swings would likely be appropriate for most; however, lower numbers are good too.   All you have to do is one set one the minute, every minute.   So: Minute one --> 10 pushups, Minute 2 --> 10 pushups, Minute 3 --> 10 pushups, Minute 4 --> 10 pushups, Minute 5 --> 10 pushups.  That is all.

Easy right?  Too easy?  Perhaps, but that is not consequential.   The important thing is the habit.   Are we developing the habit of doing pushups?  No, not exactly, we are developing the habit of consistency.   Think about it,  what would you accomplish if you followed this simple and easy to follow plan all year round?  That's 18,250 pushups.  When was the last year you did that much working out?  Well, if you don't have a log, you just don't know.   The number of pushups is not the important thing.  The important thing is realizing that it is easier to be consistent and you can accomplish a lot by just doing something a little bit every day.

If you are interested more in this philosophy, there is a great book called "The Slight Edge"

How can we apply this to diet?

You can know by now that my philosophy on diet emphasizes that dieting is a process and not an event.   If with exercise, we need to add a little something every day, then with diet we need to eliminate a little something every day.  (Adding a little something works too).   Really think about what you could eliminate from your daily intake and how would you be better off for it.  Here are some suggestions

1. Alcohol

2. Sodas and Store bought juices

3. Cream and sugar in your coffee

4. Breakfast

5. Lunch (only after you've eliminated breakfast :-))

6. Dinner

7. Snacking

These are all pretty straight forward.  The liquid calories is an easy example.   Do you always have a soda with lunch (I don't care if it's diet or "zero" it's still a soda).   Could you drink water instead?  This alone will make a big difference.

Let's talk about breakfast.  Can you skip it?  Sure, that's easy.  Can you skip it without snacking before lunch?   Ah, not so easy.   How about gradually reducing the size of your breakfast until it all but disappears?  What's left - Coffee or tea.

Every time you want to snack have a cup of green tea (or some caffeine free type tea) or a glass of water.

This are just some simple examples.   But if you can get into better habits year round, and remember that habit forming is a skill that needs to be developed and practiced, you can enjoy your self during the holiday season.

Cheers,

 

Somnath Sikdar

Dragon Gym

 

 

How Martial Arts can improve your memory

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instructor somnath sikdarGot a case of CRS?  (Can't remember stuff)

As we age and in our modern era our days, jobs and lives become increasingly hectic and crowded with information.  Unfortunately, this is becoming largely true for our kids as well.

At times, it may seem difficult to remember tasks, numbers or other important details.  Or, perhaps you just want to increase your capacity to retain information.

Frankly, I think we are, as a society, getting worse at retaining information.   For the most part, this is a good thing.   We have volumes of information that is literally accessible at our finger tips.  With a few swipes or keystrokes, we can just "google it" and in most cases find out what we need to know.

However, I believe the brain to be like a muscle.  We need to exercise it, we need to use it or lose it.  Keeping the brain and body healthy will be especially important later in life.   Just like the best savings plan is the one you started 20 years ago, the best health and fitness regimen is the one you started (and stuck with) 20 years ago.

The second best?

The one you start today.

When it comes to improving memory that are several widely accepted methods to do so.  I'll explain how you can use martial arts training to successfully execute these methods and have the carry over benefit your whole life.

In martial arts training, we have a saying: Practice makes permanent.   Yeah, I know, the saying we all heard as a kid was "Practice makes perfect".   As martial artists, we disagree.   Martial arts training can be about a lot of things, competing, winning, learning how to fight, losing weight, self-defense, building confidence, etc.   However, you will actually be able to attain many of these goals relatively quickly.

If so, then why keep training?  Many of us who continue training past that initial phase of achievement have learnt to enjoy the journey.  What is that journey?  It is the process and pursuit of perfection.  Well, we also know/accept that perfection is impossible.   So, let's call it mastery instead.   In the long run, studying martial arts is about developing mastery, enjoying deliberate practice in order to develop the highest level of excellence in the skills we have endeavored to learn.

What does this have to do with memory?  Attitude.  In the long run we practice martial arts for the sake of practice, because we enjoy the journey of getting better, long after the aforementioned benefits have been attained.   Similarly, with memory and brain function, we may see improvements in the short run but the will be less noticeable over time.   Returns will always diminish over time.   That is OK.  And, we should keep the attitude to keep practicing (be it our martial arts or our memory).

Ok, now to some more tangible stuff.

The first method of improving memory and retention is paying attention.  It sounds simple, right, just pay more attention and you'll remember more stuff.  Unfortunately, it's not that easy.   Paying attention and focusing can be quite difficult at times.   You may have a lot on your mind.  Have you ever had a conversation with someone, then totally drew a blank on what you were talking about because the whole time you were thinking about something else?  Sometimes, there are just a lot of distractions, TVs, computers, phones, kids etc.   It's hard to focus.    This is where martial arts training is great.   A big part of training is developing the ability to focus and focus for long periods of time.   And, I don't just mean meditation. Yes, it is a great and important part of martial arts, but I'm also talking about the physical part of learning.

When you first start learning martial arts many of the movements and techniques will seem quite foreign.  That's a good thing.  The new motions are making your brain work and will HAVE TO focus just to accomplish the task at hand.   As you progress, so will the complexity as well as the demands of training.   You'll have to hit targets, formulate combinations, not get hit, break boards, combat one or more opponents, etc.   All of these things clearly take a lot of focus.    An hour long martial arts class can be quite fatiguing at times.  You'll have to stay focused just to get through it.

Here's the great thing.  The focus you are developing just to learn martial arts and get through the rigors of training does not occur in a vacuum. That ability and level of focus will carry over into all areas of your life.

#2 - Visualization and Association

The brain is primarily (but not completely) a visual entity.  When we read a book, think of an experience, or try to recall a list, we make a picture.   The ability to picture things, without seeing them, or hear things, feel things, smell things without them actually being there will improve your memory.

In the martial arts, we have something called forms practice.  Depending on the style, different terms may be used, like Poomsae, Hyung, Kata, Tul, etc...   By practicing forms, students are able to memorize hundreds, eventually thousands of movements and applications.  Yes, through a lot of repetition but through visualization as well.

#3 - The Name Game

There is a "trick" to remembering someone's name when you meet them.  Say it back to them when you meet them.  Something like "It's great to meet you_____".   Auditorily repeating things helps you remember them.    We do this in martial arts all the time.   Before practicing a technique or combination we will recite the name of movement aloud.   Often, this is done in unison with the class.   It's great for camaraderie and the energy of training, but it is also essential for memory.   There are so many techniques and combinations in the martial arts, it is essential that we can memorize them so that we can practice them and they become second nature.

The non-verbal way of doing this is writing things down.   When you train in the martial arts you should keep a journal.  Record your training experiences and the techniques you learn.    As a student, both in martial arts and academically, I always took copious notes, but rarely ever went back to review them.   I firmly believe, that the act of writing it down in itself improves the memory.

Say it or write it down, remember it.

#4 - Chunk it down

I've been hinting at the volumes of material resides within a martial arts curriculum.   Martial arts can truly be a lifetime of study.  But, that's just it, we spread it out over a lifetime.  Trying to remember everything, all at once, can be difficult, maybe even impossible.  Learn to separate things, break them down into "chunks".   They will be easier to remember.

#5 - Physical Exercise and staying fit.

Let's not forget this one.   Martial Arts training is physically demanding and will get (and keep) you in great shape.   The brain, like all other organs, needs blood and oxygen to survive and thrive.   Simply put, staying healthy and maintaining an active lifestyle will help to maintain your arterial health and clear arteries are necessary for optimal heart, lung and brain function.

Visit our main website to try out martial arts:

http://www.dragongym.com/adult-martial-arts/signup.php

 

Taekwondo Classes - Kids FAQ

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The Dragon Gym has been offering martial arts classes to the residents of west chester, exton, and downiningtown, much of chester county really, for quite some time...over 40 years!   Over that time the program has grown and evolved.

When Grandmaster Goh first opened the Dragon Gym in 1973 he taught Taekwondo, Hapkido and Tang Soo Do (but called it karate).  In those days, folks were not as familiar with the korean terms, so programs were often labeled "karate".

Since then, the Dragon Gym has expanded to offer a variety of different programs for many different age groups.  We are teaching students as young as 3 years old and have students that are still working out in their seventies!

Right now, we are teaching age specific martial arts programs for the kids and for the adults: Taekwondo and Hapkido, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Tai Chi, Russian Kettlebells, and Power Yoga.

I don't want to get into the details of all those programs in the post, but I do want to address some frequently asked questions about our children's martial arts programs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dragon Gym's Children's Martial Arts Program

What is a good age to start a child in martial arts?

Of course, the answer is: It depends.  I know that might not be helpful, but bear with me.   The easy answer is that a child can start taekwondo or karate at any time from 3 years on up.  However, the success rate of that child is going to depend on a couple of things.  Why is the child interested in martial arts? Why are you, the parent, interested in martial arts for your child?  Depending on your goals, starting a child at a certain age may be more appropriate.   Furthermore, the type and structure of a children's martial arts program matters.   Many schools are still grouping kids together in a large range of ages.  For example, in the old days, before kids tae kwon do became so popular children's martial arts programs were just all kids that weren't adults.   Over time, we started splitting the ages more and more, generally under 7 years old and 7 to 12 years old while 13 and up are considered teens.

At the Dragon Gym we've taken this a step further as it is necessary for a child to get the most out of their martial arts education (no matter what the style).  We've divided our children's martial arts program into 4 age groups.  We call them "Early" for 3 and 4 years olds, "Basic" for 5 and 6 year olds, "Core" for 7, 8, and 9 year olds, and "Extreme" for 10 to 13 year olds.   These age groups were specifically designed to address the physical, intellectual, emotional and social level of development for the student in order to maximize the benefit they can get from martial arts training.

So, with a program like this a child really can start martial arts training at any age between 3 and 13!  Classes won't be too challenging or too easy, but just right.    However, without an age-specific program, I would recommend starting your child at age 7.   With a large mix of ages, starting any younger will lead to frustration and burnout, starting older will lead to boredom and drop out.

Does my child need prior martial arts experience to join your program?

Nope! Our martial arts "skillz" program is completely progressive -- meaning we teach the kids exactly what they need to know in an incremental and systematic way in order to get the most out of their martial arts experience, feeling challenged, but successful in each and every class.  Most kids have never done any sort of martial arts before, but quickly fall in love with them!

Ok, but my child trained before, how will they fit into your program?  Do they need to start over?

That's great!  You child will likely fit right in.   We start all new students to Dragon Gym with a pre-evaluation.  This pre-evaluation will take your child through 8 martial arts skills and drills that are age appropriate.   This gives us a chance to match their previous rank to the one that makes the most sense in our system.

What style do you teach kids at Dragon Gym?

We actually get this question less and less these days, but we still get it.   Our children's martial arts program is rooted in a traditional korean martial arts system (styles like taekwondo and hapkido).  And, we now also teach the kids elements of brazilian jiu jitsu (grappling that's great for self-defense) and boxing.    However, there's something more important than "style".  Martial Arts can be taught a lot of ways, but we focus on developing skill sets in the children.  These are things that they can use beyond the training mats.  These are physical skills like speed and agility but also social skills like leadership and vision...just to name a few.

Can we bring a friend?

Absolutely! Actually, we found that beginners that start with a friend tend to get better results, learn more, and have more fun!

Do we need to buy a lot of equipment?

When you get started in our trial program, we'll provide your child with the martial arts uniform.  That's all he or she will need for the first several months of training and first few belts.  Once they get into free sparring, they'll need to get sparring gear.

Will martial arts like karate or tae kwon do that have a lot of kicking and punching make my child aggressive?

No, not at all 🙂  Actually, the opposite is true.  Kids that had issues with acting out, become more polite and respectful.  Martial Arts teaches kids about respect, respecting others and themselves.  It gives them the confidence to work through things in a calm way and it's a great physical outlet for them.

Are there any girls in the program?

Actually quite a lot.  Our children's program is about 50-50 boys and girls.

Where is Dragon Gym Martial Arts Located?

Dragon Gym Martial Arts and Fitness facility is in Exton, PA. The address is 267 S. Whitford Rd, Exton PA. We are just minutes away from Downingtown, West Chester and Malvern, PA.

When are classes and how do I get more info?

You can visit our main website for more trial information: www.dragongym.com

We offer a the kids classes through the week. However, we start all new students with a free, no obligation orientation lesson and pre-evaluation with one of our Children's Program Instructors. This will give you a chance to see what Martial Arts Training is all about and give us the chance to recommend the best program for you. Just fill out the form below or email: ChangeYourLife@dragongym.com and our schedule information will be sent to you.

West Chester Taekwondo and Kids Martial Arts

How to wrap your hands for Muay Thai Kickboxing

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Dragon Gym Muay Thai(DGMT) head coach put this video together to help you learn how to wrap your hands for Muay Thai Kickboxing Training.

Proper Hand Wrapping is a key part of Muay Thai Kick Boxing Training for the following reasons:

  • Protect the Knuckles
  • Supports the Wrist
  • Keeps your gloves cleaner — You can wash your wraps!!!