When we talk about self-control this month, the hardest piece for most of us is applying a useful definition of the word “control.” Control in this context is a journey, rather than a destination. It’s the work we’re doing, rather than the the result we’ve produced. So if I’m practicing self-control, it’s not that I’ve […]
Perseverance is one of those concepts that parents love to hear us teach. Parents are often the people who get the fewest opportunities to see their children work hard, and it can be easy to feel like your kids just don’t try, or don’t try hard enough, or don’t keep trying long enough. And we worry; […]
I’m focusing this month on emotional fitness, in part, because I’m feeling particularly grateful right now for my own emotional fitness — hello, stable emotional state and relative mental health. It’s been a while…. As always, it’s important to say, repeat, and yell again that the divisions we use to differentiate between emotional, physical, and […]
Last week, we elected Donald Trump as our next president. In my circle of friends, business associates, students, family, and just about everyone I talk to on any given day, this was tragic, terrifying, and devastating. Just so you know where I’m coming from. Since Wednesday, I’ve had numerous people ask me for specific advice […]
Hey folks, One of our students, Melissa Jo Kyo Nim, got a bone marrow transplant this June as treatment (and cure!) for Fanconi Anemia and Common Variable Immunodeficiency. Melissa JKN, her husband Eric Dahn Bo Nim, and her two kids, Dylan JKN and Kailey JKN, have been important and supportive members of our school for […]
I am not a patient person. It’s one of my favorite compliments to get though: “Oh, you’re so patient with your students.” Because that means I’ve managed to fake patience SO WELL, that I might actually have treated someone with compassion and kindness rather than beating them senseless, which is what my brain was screaming […]
Congratulations on being invited to test at Kuk Sool Won™ of St. Paul! One aspect of our curriculum is our belt-ranking system. Belt color and rank identify where a student is in our curriculum – white belts (beginners) aren’t learning blue belt (intermediate) material. Testing is the tool we use to move students through the […]
What comes to your mind when you hear, “Yes Sir!”? A scene from a war movie? Was it said with gung ho enthusiasm by a fresh faced recruit or with near-the-breaking-point contempt by the scarred, broken soldier? A flashback to really bad fan fiction turned international best seller/blockbuster movie? Your childhood? Or stories of your […]
Congratulations on your achievement! You are now the proud owner of a brand-new black belt! Unlike the belts you wore prior to this, black belts are a particular and peculiar breed. It’s as if you’ve graduated from goldfish to your first salt-water aquarium, and the lifespan of your black belt will be significantly enhanced if […]
As a woman in martial arts, I get creeped on a fair amount. Usually it’s harmless — social skills and an interest in martial arts sadly do not always go hand in hand, but most people mean well and aren’t trying to be as off-putting and occasionally threatening as they are. One of the “unfair” […]
This is my final post of reflections on this year’s World Kuk Sool Association Midwest Tournament. My hope is to address the perennial question that I hear both at and after tournament: “My son usually gets scores like 9.8 and 9.9. How come that judge (imagine angry finger pointing here) gave him an 8.9?!” So here […]
I’m still knee-deep in reflections on tournament and competition after last weekend’s World Kuk Sool Association Midwest Tournament. Full disclosure: I’m a latecomer to this whole rah-rah-competition thing. I played a lot of co-operative games at Quaker camp as a child and the message I got (not to be confused with the message my parents […]