How Parents Can Set Their Kids Up For Success - St. Martin Martial Arts Academy

In our modern world, we often see parents ask their kids things instead of demanding them.

We often see parents negotiating.

I, for one, do not negotiate with my martial arts students.

I tell them what to do and they do it exactly as I say it.

There are no if, ands, or buts.

If they have a problem with it, there will be consequences because every action has its own consequence.

Here are a few southern lifestyle tips to set your child up for greatness. Many of these I learned and developed from the jiu-jitsu culture:

1. Hold your child accountable for his/her grades - In my mind, there's no reason every student shouldn't be making straight A's. If a student is genuinely trying his very best, chances are, he's going to get an A.
2. Every action has a consequence - If your child makes a mistake and acts up, he/she must understand that their actions have consequences. For example, if your child goes out doing something they shouldn't be doing, they must understand that their will be consequences for their actions.
3. Make your child clean - This was taught to me from the moment I could walk. In Kindergarten, if I got a toy out, I was instructed to put it back in its place. Children are taught these concepts, but they must be reminded of them every now and then.
4. KEEP THEM OFF THE CELL PHONE - I can't describe to you how many 9 year olds I see with iPhones nowadays. The cell phone is addicting and literally changes the structure of a child's brain. A child can't focus if they have a cell phone discracting them. Keep them off of it. It's for their benefit.
5. Praise the EFFORT - If you see that your child is genuinely trying, then make sure to compliment them for it. If they're trying there very best, they will succeed. However, if your child is giving minimum or no effort, then make sure to get them back on track.

Check out a similar article on KidsHealth.org

Martial Arts Demonstration Fail - St. Martin Martial Arts Academy

12 Years of Judo and 12 More Years to Come - St. Martin Martial Arts Academy

So I'm a black belt now.

I, J.R. Foster, am a black belt in Judo.

It feels weird saying that out loud.

Almost as if it's unbelievable.

Why?

Because I still haven't truly mastered the sport of Judo yet.

I'm a black belt and I'm still learning Judo.

I often go to Judo tournaments and see coaches who imply that they know everything about the sport of Judo simply because they are high level black belts.

This is simply untrue.

As a black belt now, I'm still learning and growing my technique.

I have not yet mastered the sport of Judo.

In fact, I'm still a lifetime away from mastering Judo.

Why?

Because Judo is similar to life.

After college, people often stop learning and reading because they believe they have mastered their degree.

However, what school is trying to teach us is that we should NEVER STOP LEARNING.

Learning is rooted in our biology.

Without learning and thinking, our brain will literally not develop.

If our brain isn't learning, it isn't growing.

And the brain isn't growing, it will literally begin to die.

Mental decline is normal with age, but it's not inevitable.

Keep learning in life.

Without learning, life doesn't exist.

Our Girls Beat Up The Boys at Tournaments - St. Martin Martial Arts Academy

Just take one look at that picture.

Look at the SIZE of those boys compared to my sister, Priscilla Foster.

I don't really need to say much to get my point across because the title of this post says it all, but I'm going to delve into some specifics about HOW Priscilla is able to do this and how you can too.

As a small guy, I'm well aware of what it means for an opponent to be much larger than you.

Those boys are somewhere around 5'6", which is MY height.

Standing next to them at the tournament, they were nearly TALLER than ME.

Priscilla is only 14.

She is barely over 100 pounds.

In her matches, she pinned one of them and threw the other for the win.

Now, you might be asking yourself.

How?

How in the world is a little midget beating up boys that are nearly twice her size?

Here are some reasons our girls beat up the boys at tournaments:

1. Repetitions - Think about it like this. It's better to do 1 move 50 times than do 50 moves 1 time.
2. Jack of all trades and a master of none - This is a common saying for someone who isn't any good at anything they do because they haven't mastered ANYTHING. You have to rep something over and over if you want to be any good at it.
3. In martial arts, size doesn't matter - Now, there are some exceptions to this of course, but for the most part, size doesn't matter when it comes to jiu-jitsu, judo, wrestling, or any martial art for that matter.
4. Technique is essential, not strength - Using proper technique in judo allows midgets like myself and priscilla to be able to LAUNCH people through the air.

Yes, girls can beat up boys.

It's proven at the St. Martin Martial Arts Academy.

Stuck in a Possible School Shooting? What You Need To Do To Survive - St. Martin Martial Arts Academy

It's 6th period.

Our class just got done taking a test.

The classroom was dead quiet.

You could hear a pencil drop.

Then, the announcement came from Mr. Boudreaux.

"Teachers, we are on lockdown. We are on lockdown."

It didn't sound like a calm announcement.

You could hear the nervousness and fear in his voice.

The entire room stood up in unison.

Our teacher called out, "All the girls in the closet. All the boys against the wall."

Out of pure martial arts instinct, I immediately began moving and stacking desks and chairs in front of the classroom door.

Seconds later, I noticed my friend was helping me out.

Picture of desks and chairs that my friend and I moved

Merely moments later, I told my classmates that if someone did walk through that door, to throw anything at them.

The stuff they threw wouldn't hurt the shooter, but it definitely would distract him.

Dead silence silence was over the classroom.

The only thing that you could hear was the beating of our hearts of the breathing of our chests.

Minutes had gone by and I didn't hear any shots.

The only thought that was piercing through my head was, "Is my sister okay? Is my sister okay? Is my sister okay?"

Thankfully, nothing happened. There was no shooter. It was just someone who had accidently shot himself right outside the school. Clearly, he shouldn't own a gun if he can't handle it himself.

Looking back on this day, I realized that if I didn't do martial arts, I would've made some much different choices.

In situations like these, many people freeze up and turn into sheep.

I realize that if I didn't do martial arts, I may have been one of those sheep.

Here are some tips on how to be a lion in a possible school shooting scenario:

1. Stack up desks and chairs against the door - Preferably, you should prop a long table against the door, but desks and chairs work as well. It's just another line of defense that the attacker has to get through.
2. Don't listen to authority. Survive. - What I mean by this is, don't "hide and pray" like most people do in these scenarios. Take action. The shooter knows you're in there and your life is in your hands. Do what you have to do to survive. Don't hide.
3. If you're in the bathroom, run - Do not wait in the bathroom or try and go back to your classroom. Statistically speaking, you are more likely to survive if you run out of one of the numerous exits than if you go back inside a classroom with only one exit.
4. Distract the shooter - God forbid if a shooter does invade your classroom, you want to distract him before he can get a shot off. Throw anything at him. Books, cups, apples. That extra 1/10th of a second could be the difference in you tackling him and taking his gun or your entire classroom being painted with blood.
5. Be street smart - This is a sort of thought process. For example, it would be good if you knew if the windows broke or not in a school shooting scenario. Find this kind of information out before it happens and always be prepared for the worse. Pay attention to exits every time you walk into any room.
6. Your books will not stop a bullet - The popularized school shooting weapon, the AR-15, can shoot through anything in your school. It can shoot through your classmates, numerous books, and even the concrete walls. Unless you're carrying around Level III+ body armor in your backpack, nothing is going to stop that bullet. If you don't believe me, go to youtube.
7. If you can jump out the window, do it - Let's just say it's a whole lot better if you jump out of a 2 story window and break your ankle than having your brain blown to pieces. Simple enough?
8. School shootings only last about 3-5 minutes

Finally, the last thing I can say to do is TAKE CHARGE.

As a martial artist, my brain isn't freezing up in situations like these.

I THRIVE in situations like these.

I experience them EVERY DAY.

The people who overreact to situations like these are the ones that survive.

Martial arts is a fight for your life. 

Similar to a school shooting, your opponent wants to tear your head off.

Your job is to not let that happen.