Journey of my Leadership Project-a 9 year old

     My name is Renuka Dabli. I am 9 years old. I am in 4th grade, and a student of Johnson’s Taekwondo. I am testing for black belt and I am doing a leadership project to educate people on how to prevent diabetes. I chose this topic because my dad has diabetes and I am seeing very closely how tough life becomes when one has diabetes.

     Diabetes is a disease in which a person gets high blood sugar. There are 2 types of diabetes, type 1 and type 2. Diabetes can seriously affect all organs of your body.

     Because diabetes is a disease mostly caused by lifestyle and heredity, steps can be taken to prevent it. So I decided to spread the word about diabetes. I made slides and presented them at leadership hour. The people who helped me and motivated me were Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Lewitt, Mrs. Fernandez and my mom. All other instructors and people present at leadership hour also gave me suggestions.

     Next I improved my work and added additional slides in my presentation. I am still working on my project and my goal is to reach 1,000 people and make them aware of the disease. I am requesting my audience in each of my presentation to take my message forward to many more people who can still take it further. This way there will be a chain of messengers and the message will reach out to more than 1000 people. My target is to reach at least 1000 people to begin with.

     I can’t tell when I will be reaching my goal, but I will keep trying. After all, perseverance is a quality that is a must for a Johnson’s taekwondo  student.

A Personal Victory by Vishnu Gottiparthy

One of our young students talks about a personal victory of his...He used the tenet perseverance to achieve his goal.

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I have been on a cricket team for a few months now.  We play against one other team in our league.  In the first few games we had, we lost.  As a team, we all set goals as individuals, so that we can each improve in the areas we are weaker in, and better our team on the whole.  My first goal was to be able to prevent any balls from crossing the boundary of the field behind the batsman.  My second goal was to be able to hit a few balls without getting out when I was batting.  To achieve my goal, I had to go to every practice I could, and give my 100% every time.  I played cricket at home, too, so I could get even more practice.  A few challenges I faced were time limits on practices, so some days some people couldn’t practice on certain positions, bad weather because we can’t play in the rain, and more losses in games because of the emotional impact on the team.  Over the course of a few months, I accomplished both of my goals.  In our fourth game, we lost by only one run.  Finally, after two more weeks, we managed to win, and by a very large margin.  A few of the lessons I learned were that practice is very important, no matter what you do, and perseverance pays off in the end.

The Journey has its Hills and Valleys...The Key is Perseverance.

Jimmy Loo has been a student at Johnson's for over 3 years. He was committed from the very first class that he was here. It helped that there was another adult male who was getting strated at the same time as him. Jimmy is one of these guys who gives 100% one hundred percent of the time. To look at his training card, you would think it was a Christmas tree with all of the red marks on it. (red marks are good. They mean that he went to class that day!)

 

There are 1825 days in 5 years.

Now, we all know that eating a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables is one of the keys to a higher quality of life. Everyone also seems to know that physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day will make them feel better, seem less tired, and help with their concentration. I can go on to say that every body who drinks, smokes, and raids the coffee machine 10 times daily all pretty much know the same things and have access to the same information regarding their health.

Why is it then that more people are not living like champions? 'Cause it is pretty darn hard! Between work, school, taking care of the kids, homework, mowing the lawn, and getting the kids to violin practice, We are lucky to be able to drop by the local fast-food franchise for a quick supper. Do not even mention exercise! I am too tired to exercise!! And so the daily grind starts over and over for you each day and finishes about the same-with a sense of unfulfillment. This is how people get into this so called "rut" they talk about. What's worse? Our children absorb every thing we say and do and are forming bad habits as I speak.

I see how fit someone looks when they have been eating well, hitting the gym, and staying away from all those nasty vices. Why then do I still struggle with my sweet tooth, the motivation to train, and why do some people still smoke 6 packs of cigarettes a day. It is a matter of will-power and self-discipline-all qualities and taits that we are developing as martial artists and teachers.

We have all heard our friends and relatives who we constantly are trying to bring to the gym, quit smoking, and to eat better say that they could quit any time. They could eat better if they wanted to. Maybe tomorrow. Some people just do not want to change. AND that's ok.

I am speaking to those who wish to take control of their lives and really live like the champions that they know they can be.

Shifting gears a little bit, I am going to speak solely as the passionate, forward-thinking martial artist that I am and let you in on what ideas I have been kicking around lately. One of my mentors by the name of Tom Callos wrote recently that "There are 1825 days in 5 years." He goes on to say that "You sit down to at least 5475 meals in those 5 years." He was speaking in regards to the way martial artists should look at their black belt test, and that "The very next meal you eat is an opportunity to practice the art of living as a martial artist." Think about that a moment. If we treated every meal we eat like a black belt test, would we be eating the same food, and if we treated every interaction with our mom, dad, or spouse like it was part of our black belt test, would we treat them differently than before.   

This is not the "new way" to approach your martial arts training for your black belt or your next black belt test. It really is the "old way". In this day and age, we demand the latest technology, and we think that if something is old, it is out of date. However, I am working alongside some very inspiring and committed individuals to change back some of the things that the martial arts industry has done to the "black belt" concept-the very ,meaning of having a black belt and being a black belt. It seems that the black belt has lost its value due to the sales-driven strategies of some instructors. Anyone who knows our school and the way it operates, we do not think about sales first, but only as a necessity of earning a living.  Anyways back to my original topic on there being 1825 days in 5 years.

I want for all of you to commit to living like champions. I am raising a challenge to you! Use everyday as your black belt test. Use every meal as your black belt test. Use every conversation as your black belt test. And let's make the black belt mean 1.) more than just physical skill (you must have extraordinary physical skills by the way) 2.) a student that is committed to changing the world (You must transform yourself before you change the world!) 3.) a person who does not only think about herself, but who thinks about what they can do to help others.

A 9 year old Cary Martial Arts student vows to teach 1,000 people about diabetes...

Renuka Dabli-9 year old and Johnson's TaeKwonDo student has prepared a Diabetes presentation that she plans to teach to 1,000 people. As a student of Johnson's TaeKwonDo & Leadership Academy, Renuka is challenged daily to take her skills out of the dojang and to put them to use in the world. After the Johnsons had challenged each of their students to step up and develop a leadership project concerning diabetes, Renuka appeared ready for the task. Having a Father with the disease, Renuka is passionate about informing the public about the risk factors, symptoms, and the prevention of the disease. This is what teaching is all about. If I can inspire my young students to take action in their community, I have done my job.

 

 

As martial arts instructors, our goal is first and foremost to teach quality and effective martial arts to all of our students.

For those who believe that competition is the determination of a quality martial arts program, our students have competed alongside martial arts students from across the globe;They also have done very well in these competitions And for those of you who believe that a martial arts education should imply just as much training for the mind as the body, Johnson's inspires young students to walk the talk and to really live like a champion.

Cary Martial Arts Student Gives Back Through SAT Class

Johnson's TaeKwonDo & Leadership Academy A Life-Skills and Leadership Academy Dedicated to Excellence in Martial Arts   You all probably know that Tejas conducted an SAT Clinic for students here at the academy over the past few months. He did this because of his understanding of what a black belt means and SHOULD mean in society. Let's face it. You probably know of people that do not represent the black belt in all of its forms in our communities. This is because other instructors are not like those at Johnson's TaeKwonDo & Leadership Academy. You all are very fortunate to have mentors/instructors that truly care about your progress and growth in the martial arts and as people. With that said, Tejas' project was a huge success. He held weekly SAT Clinics for students wishing to perform better on their SAT Tests. He was a mentor to them and showed admirable leadership for someone of his youth. Most teenagers would not be teaching other kids math on Friday nights. However, as you already know, Tejas is not like other teenagers. He is a Johnson's black belt.     Today, I sent off $95 dollars to the St. Baldrick's Foundation on behalf of Tejas and Johnson's TaeKWonDo. This is a perfect example of how contribution can be made in any form-even to a charity where most money is raised by shaving hair. I encourage all of you to use this project as an example of what we are looking for out of each of you. Your black belt should be your Eagle Scout when it comes to your community involvement! It is no different. Way to go Tejas Sundaresan, Current Black Belt-Future Master!

Holiday Weekend...

I hope that everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend. As the progressive martial arts instructors that we are, we continually are trying to find new ways to motivate our students. Click the link for a message that is recorded just for you about your role in our academy.

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