Are Martial Arts Instructors Role Models
By Grandmaster Bob Chaney
I believe it is our first and foremost responsibility.
In the Oct/Nov 2010 – VOL 35 issue of Healthy Times Newspaper I wrote an article titled “Martial Arts for Weight Loss & Conditioning”. The article focused on healthy dieting tips and some basic nutritional facts that promised to produce a healthier lifestyle and weight loss. After writing the article I decided, not wanting to be a hypocrite, to put my diet tips to the test and personally follow and apply my very own advice. After ten weeks of following my own diet I have lost 33 pounds and counting, without increasing my exercise regimen. My waist size was reduced from 38 inches down to 31 inches. My doctor took me off all of my blood pressure medicines, my knee pains disappeared and my energy doubled. The only downside is my need for an entirely new wardrobe.
I constantly lecture and warn my students, particularly children and young adults on the dangers of Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking and the necessity of eating healthy. How can I be taken seriously and my lectures be effective if my students see me smoke, drink, do drugs get fat or lie to them? The best example for others is to live your live as a constant example. A very large portion of legitimate instructors positively effect and alter the lives of their students particularly the youth.
Nearly 30 years ago I was asked a direct and very difficult question during an interview while working on a film project. The question was. “Can Martial Arts Instructors be positive and influential role models while living their personal lives like demons”? After careful consideration my answer was categorically yes!
If parents smoke pot or cigarettes, over eat, drink excessively and lie to their children but adamantly teach and train their children to abstain from those vices the children have a chance to grow up avoiding those addictive habits. However the chances are far greater their children will avoid those pitfalls if the parents realize the importance of living their lives as wholesome positive role models.
Studies show children of alcoholics are prone to alcoholism. Abused children are prone to abusing their own children. Victims of molestation frequently molest etc. The old adage “actions speak louder than words” still holds true.
I am deeply sympathetic to Martial Arts instructors worldwide who strive to be healthy role models for their students. Often it goes very much unappreciated. Students sign up with dreams of success but quickly abandon that hope after discovering the hard work and discipline that is required, or their personal lives becomes too complicated and demanding. However if the student perseveres and remains focuse they will discover the rewards just as I did in following my own dieting tips. What’s of primary importance to most of us in order to succeed is a need for purpose.
Martial Arts programs provide a purpose. The quest for self-defense, weight loss, learning art form or just adding something new and exciting in their life provides perspective students with a purpose.
If you are interested in getting into shape and losing weight - which obviously you are or you wouldn’t be reading this article - start by setting realistic goals for yourself. Each time you accomplish a short term goal your confidence will soar and you will become more encouraged and determined to push forward. Success begets success and failure begets failure. So don’t set yourself up for failure from the start.
The significance and purpose of the belts or sashes in Martial Arts ranking systems are designed specifically for just that very reason. They shift the focus from long term seemingly impossible goals to short term achievable goals, which build confidence, self-esteem and provide the encouragement necessary for long term successes.
The beginning testing’s for the lower belts and sashes are easily obtained by virtually every student including the developmentally delayed and are nearly impossible for new students to fail which encourages and motivates them to attempt new and more exciting and challenging techniques in the future. The testing becomes increasingly more and more difficult as students progress through the system. However with the newly acquired levels of confidence and self esteem the students are ready to accept more difficult challenges.
Any diet in order to work long term must include not only very achievable goals but must be simple to maintain or failure will be imminent and cause the yo-yo effect syndrome.
A safe and realistic weight loss, depending on your weight of course, is approximately 2 to 3 pounds per week so as not to lose extensive muscle mass. As your weight loss occurs you will find it more and more difficult to lose the same pounds as you did in the beginning simply because you now have less fat on your body so the percentages will reduce accordingly.
There is considerable controversy regarding how often you should weigh yourself which needs to be on the same scale of course. I like weighing myself every morning and each afternoon. Occasionally I will gain a pound or so but then two or three days later will just as suddenly drop 2 or 3 pounds.
One thing you will begin to notice is that sometimes, even though your scale may not have indicated any weight loss, you will detect a small marked difference of your over all body appearance.
Edgar Rojas went from 215 Lbs. to 146 Lbs.
Abraham Avalos lost 40 Lbs.
Johnny Tiatano went fro 257 Lbs to 180 Lbs.
In the Oct/Nov 2010 – VOL 35 issue of Healthy Times Newspaper I wrote an article titled “Martial Arts for Weight Loss & Conditioning”. The article focused on healthy dieting tips and some basic nutritional facts that promised to produce a healthier lifestyle and weight loss. After writing the article I decided, not wanting to be a hypocrite, to put my diet tips to the test and personally follow and apply my very own advice. After ten weeks of following my own diet I have lost 33 pounds and counting, without increasing my exercise regimen. My waist size was reduced from 38 inches down to 31 inches. My doctor took me off all of my blood pressure medicines, my knee pains disappeared and my energy doubled. The only downside is my need for an entirely new wardrobe.
I constantly lecture and warn my students, particularly children and young adults on the dangers of Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking and the necessity of eating healthy. How can I be taken seriously and my lectures be effective if my students see me smoke, drink, do drugs get fat or lie to them? The best example for others is to live your live as a constant example. A very large portion of legitimate instructors positively effect and alter the lives of their students particularly the youth.
Nearly 30 years ago I was asked a direct and very difficult question during an interview while working on a film project. The question was. “Can Martial Arts Instructors be positive and influential role models while living their personal lives like demons”? After careful consideration my answer was categorically yes!
If parents smoke pot or cigarettes, over eat, drink excessively and lie to their children but adamantly teach and train their children to abstain from those vices the children have a chance to grow up avoiding those addictive habits. However the chances are far greater their children will avoid those pitfalls if the parents realize the importance of living their lives as wholesome positive role models.
Studies show children of alcoholics are prone to alcoholism. Abused children are prone to abusing their own children. Victims of molestation frequently molest etc. The old adage “actions speak louder than words” still holds true.
I am deeply sympathetic to Martial Arts instructors worldwide who strive to be healthy role models for their students. Often it goes very much unappreciated. Students sign up with dreams of success but quickly abandon that hope after discovering the hard work and discipline that is required, or their personal lives becomes too complicated and demanding. However if the student perseveres and remains focuse they will discover the rewards just as I did in following my own dieting tips. What’s of primary importance to most of us in order to succeed is a need for purpose.
Martial Arts programs provide a purpose. The quest for self-defense, weight loss, learning art form or just adding something new and exciting in their life provides perspective students with a purpose.
If you are interested in getting into shape and losing weight - which obviously you are or you wouldn’t be reading this article - start by setting realistic goals for yourself. Each time you accomplish a short term goal your confidence will soar and you will become more encouraged and determined to push forward. Success begets success and failure begets failure. So don’t set yourself up for failure from the start.
The significance and purpose of the belts or sashes in Martial Arts ranking systems are designed specifically for just that very reason. They shift the focus from long term seemingly impossible goals to short term achievable goals, which build confidence, self-esteem and provide the encouragement necessary for long term successes.
The beginning testing’s for the lower belts and sashes are easily obtained by virtually every student including the developmentally delayed and are nearly impossible for new students to fail which encourages and motivates them to attempt new and more exciting and challenging techniques in the future. The testing becomes increasingly more and more difficult as students progress through the system. However with the newly acquired levels of confidence and self esteem the students are ready to accept more difficult challenges.
Any diet in order to work long term must include not only very achievable goals but must be simple to maintain or failure will be imminent and cause the yo-yo effect syndrome.
A safe and realistic weight loss, depending on your weight of course, is approximately 2 to 3 pounds per week so as not to lose extensive muscle mass. As your weight loss occurs you will find it more and more difficult to lose the same pounds as you did in the beginning simply because you now have less fat on your body so the percentages will reduce accordingly.
There is considerable controversy regarding how often you should weigh yourself which needs to be on the same scale of course. I like weighing myself every morning and each afternoon. Occasionally I will gain a pound or so but then two or three days later will just as suddenly drop 2 or 3 pounds.
One thing you will begin to notice is that sometimes, even though your scale may not have indicated any weight loss, you will detect a small marked difference of your over all body appearance.
Edgar Rojas went from 215 Lbs. to 146 Lbs.
Abraham Avalos lost 40 Lbs.
Johnny Tiatano went fro 257 Lbs to 180 Lbs.