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The development of high levels of self-esteem is critically important to your child’s future success! Here at Sunshine Coast Karate we take the job of helping you and your child very seriously. Please enjoy the following tips on what you can do to help ensure your child’s self-esteem is kicking at a high level.

1) Teach positive self-statements. It is important for parents to redirect their child’s inaccurate or negative beliefs about themselves. This will help you teach your child how to think in positive ways. Take quick action when you hear your child saying or expressing feelings of “being no good” and help the re-phrase and re-think their assessment of themselves.

2) Be generous with praise. Parents must develop the habit of looking for situations in which children are giving their best effort, displaying talents, or demonstrating positive character traits. Remember to praise children for jobs well done and for the effort they put out. It is easy to fall into the trap of being overly critical. But constantly being the critic is not for a positive parent.

3) Avoid criticism that takes the form of ridicule or shame. Blame and negative judgments are at the core of poor self-esteem and can lead to emotional disorders. If you must criticize (and sometimes you will) be sure you are criticizing the performance not the performer! Also use this time to impart valuable wisdom onto your child which they can use in the future!

4) Show your child that you can laugh at yourself. Show them that life doesn’t need to be serious all the time. Especially when it comes to teasing let them know that some teasing is all in fun. Your sense of humor is important for their well-being. If you can laugh at yourself- they’ll have no problems laughing at themselves.

5) Teach children about decision making and to recognize when they have made good decisions. Let them “own” their problems. If they solve them, they gain confidence in themselves. If you solve them, they’ll remain dependent on you. Take the time to answer questions and help your child think through the situation. Explain to them what the consequences of their decision will be.

These tips have been brought to you by the team at Sunshine Coast Karate.  If you require any further information or support please feel free to contact Sandra and Martin Phillips on (07) 5448 5274.

1)  Free yourself from “shoulds” – Live your life on the basis of what is possible for you and what feels right to you instead of what you or others think you “should” do.  “Shoulds” distract you from identifying and fulfilling our own needs, abilities, interests and personal goals.  Find out what you want and what you are good at then take action designed to fulfill your potential.

2) Respect your own needs – Recognize and take care of your own needs and wants first. Identify what really fulfills you. I am not talking about immediate gratifications or what “feels good” in the moment either. Of course it may feel good to sit around all day, over-eat and watch TV. But it will not help your long-term objectives in the least bit. Respecting your deeper needs and disciplining yourself to avoid immediate gratification will increase your sense of worth and well-being.

3) Set achievable goals – Establish goals on the basis of what you can realistically achieve, and then work step-by-step to achieve those goals. To strive always for perfection will only increase stress.

4) Talk to yourself positively -  Stop listening to your “cruel inner critic.” When you notice that you are doubting or judging yourself, replace such thoughts with self-accepting thoughts. Use what is called a “pattern interrupt.” When you catch yourself dwelling on the negative or being too harsh on yourself, immediately say (in your mind) “stop.” Then, replace the negative thought and dialog with positive thought and dialog.

5)  Test your reality - Separate your emotional reactions, your fears and bad feelings, from the reality of your current situation.  Most problems are relative.  Remember what Socrates said:  “If we all put our troubles in a pile of each of us must take our fair share we’d be content to keep our own.”

These 5 easy steps for long term success have been brought to you by the Sunshine Coast Karate Team.

At Sunshine Coast Karate we are fortunate to be able to learn and share the study of Chito-Ryu Karate.  This short segment takes a brief look at the karate style of “Chito-Ryu” to help members of our sunshine coast community gain more of an understanding of the system which underlies our training practice at Sunshine Coast Karate.

Not all martial arts are the same! Chito-Ryu™ is a traditional form of Karate with an international headquarters in Japan. The founder Dr Chitose (1898 – 1984) was a medical doctor that studied at the prestigious Tokyo University. Dr Chitose came from a renowned martial arts family and was instructed by the most famous names in the Karate world at that time. In 1946 Dr Chitose developed the style based on his lifetime of Karate training and his knowledge of physiology.

Chito-Ryu™ retains the devastating self defence techniques of the fighting tradition and yet is particularly beneficial for ones health. Through the training of Chito-Ryu™ one can build an indomitable spirit and a strong body and mind. The benefits gained through training are advantageous for all areas of life.

Karate / Martial Arts training can be the most exhilarating life changing pursuit one undertakes. On the other hand students of less authentic schools can put their heart and soul into Karate training only to discover a few years down the track (usually after meeting an instructor of some quality) that they have spent time and money learning a hollow art void of substance.

Unfortunately the Karate / Martial Arts industry is not regulated. Whilst certain instructors may gain high coaching accreditation through TAFE courses that does not mean they know anything about Karate. We live in a fast pace society where all things have to be instant and whilst the benefits of Karate training can be visible quickly, 6 months of training (no matter how intense) will NEVER make one a black belt or an instructor. Remember any member of the public can walk into a martial arts store and buy any colour belt they like including black.

Chito-Ryu™ is an authentic form of Karate-Do with a clear lineage and roots that trace back hundreds of years. All Chito-Ryu™ instructors are highly qualified and internationally accredited.

Sunshine Coast Karate is affiliated with the International Chito-Ryu™ Karate-do Federation of Australia.

Health Benefits of Chito-Ryu™

Areas of benefit are;

• Weight Control
• Concentration & Focus
• Confidence & Self Discipline
• General Health & Fitness
• Flexibility & Coordination
• Self Defence Ability
• Increased Muscle Strength & Bone Density

Children will gain an excellent foundation for all physical activity.

To learn more about our programs at Sunshine Coast Karate please feel free call us on (07) 5448 5274 or book in for a free trial by clicking here >>

We are having a blast of a time at the moment helping our mums move from sitting on the sideline to getting them active in martial arts training at Sunshine Coast Karate.  What an adventure!  These mums are inspirational!  And not only do they know how to focus on getting the job done, they have just as much fun as the kids do.

Here is a brief overview of how many of our super mums start their transformation into ‘Karate Mums’ at Sunshine Coast Karate.

Step 1: Take a peek through the viewing window and watch your cute and cuddly karate kids in action having all the fun.  And realise that this martial arts stuff doesn’t look all that hard.

Step 2: Get right up close and take a seat on the benches positioned within the dojo at Sunshine Coast Karate.  Get the arms moving, posture aligned and take a look to make sure no one is watching you.

Step 3: Get active in supporting your cute and cuddly karate kids – the more you can learn about what they are doing with their martial arts the more you can help and the more fun you have working it out together.  [Pictured left:  Helen & James O'Grady on the way home from their Japan trip after competing in the 2010 World Chito-Ryu Karate Championships]

Step 4: Getting the courage to take that first step – ‘the first martial arts class’. Dealing with self talk …  this step can take time … [I might look silly]… [I am not co-ordinated and I'll just embarass myself] …. [everyone will look at me] …. [I'm not fit enough] …. [I haven't done any exercise since being at school] … [I don't have time to exercise for myself] ….

Step 5: You know what happens next.   Something gets our mums across the line to take a chance and have a go at our martial arts programs.  Maybe they found a way to deal with the self talk, maybe they had the support and encouragement of others, maybe they had enough of the kids having all the fun and they wanted a piece of the action too, maybe they just turned the volume down of all that self talk going on and went with what they felt was the right thing for them or maybe they thought that they would look good in white pyjamas.

Quite a few of our Super Karate Mum’s hang out for a quick chat and a giggle on facebook.  To learn more about their personal stories (please ask them, because they all have a great story to share).  Just visit our Sunshine Coast Karate Facebook Fan Page and drop us a quick message and we’ll help you hook up with our martial arts family.  You never know – you may be travelling with us to Hong Kong, Japan, Canada etc for a future martial arts tournament/training adventure with our Sunshine Coast Karate family.  [Pictured right:  This is Helen & I chillin' out at the Singapore airport - all mums need a good foot massage from time to time]

And just in case you are wondering… we do also have many dad’s getting in and having a go at our martial arts programs too.  More about our super karate dad’s another time!

The Ability and Know-How To Set and Achieve Powerful Goals

Teaching your child how to set goals will be fun for the whole family! In fact after you help your child set their goals you can begin clearly setting your own, which will have a huge impact on you reaching them faster.

Here’s how to start… First, Define a Goal. I like to use this definition; a goal is a planned destination, a desired result. Or in kids’ language, something that you want.  Goals help us  stay on track, they give us reasons to do our very best.  Once your child understands what goals are, they can begin to set goals in three areas; Academic, maturity, and athletic.

It’s effective for a child to set yearly goals and review them each month to measure how far they’ve come.  What if they don’t reach their goal?  Extend the deadline, that’s all.

Let’s get back to setting them.. On a clean sheet of paper have your child write the three categories at the top.  Then under each category they will write as many goals as they can think of.  Here’s one example “I completed the fourth grade with great results, October 2009.” This would be an example of an academic goal.  Notice that we put the goal in the first person, present tense, and we state the goal as if it were already complete.  It’s very important that you follow this procedure, by doing so your child’s goal will become part of their subconscious mind.  Make sure your child re-writes their goals monthly.  You can begin your own list of goals and review them monthly as well.

By having your child do this exercise each month you will be doing them a huge favour!  It will take discipline on your part, but if you can follow through and stay with it you will give your child an edge.

Now… you have established some key basics of goal setting to help your children, let’s make sure that you have taken the time to focus on you. I challenge you to consider the life that you would very much like to enjoy.  Go through this simple goal setting procedure with your children but focus on you.  Show them that you too have goals, you have a direction, you have a purpose.  Show them in your actions how you move closer to your goal.  When you find yourself off track, show your children how you quickly refocus and continue to move forward.  Whether you like it or not you are one of the biggest people and influences in your life and if you are wanting to teach your kids valuable life skills they will learn best by modelling your every move.

Review your goals with your family.  Share the journey, inspire each other and have fun. and appreciate the journey . There will be days when you will need to coach each other through some tough times and test your ability to persevere no matter what.  Sometimes you will need patience, sometimes you will need to take time enjoy/celebrate the journey and other times you are just going to need to put runs on the board.  If what you truly desire is in line with your highest values you will find a way  to  reach your destination, you will attract the people you need and you will contribute greatly to others around you by sharing that journey.  You will inspire others to take control of their lives.

In our Martial-Arts program we use Black Belt as a long term goal that each child will set for themselves.  By setting this goal children learn the importance of tenacity and follow through in any activity.  I want to leave you with our “Black belt success Cycle’. Know what you want, have a plan and a success coach, take consistent action, review your progress and renew your goals.

If you require further support in relation to goal setting please feel free to contact our team at Sunshine Coast Karate on (07) 5448 5274. We will take the time to sit with you and guide you through a short process to get you started.

Here is another success story from one of our valued Sunshine Coast Karate families.  Not only has little Zoe demonstrated massive growth in her martial arts ability she always brings great energy jam packed with smiles which truly inspire us to continue to be the best we can be as her instructors.

“Martial arts was recommended to us to help our daughter deveolp self-discipline and respect for others. We looked around at a few other martial arts centres before we found an ad for Sunshine Coast Karate. After talking with Martin Phillips, we decided to let our daughter go and see how she went. The dojo was excellent, with wonderful staff and facilities. Martin and Sandra knew exactly what it was we hoped to achieve for our daughter, and they have helped us in any way they possibly can.

Since starting at Sunshine Coast Karate we have noticed some big, encouraging changes in our daughter. She is able to focus and concentrate 100% in training. She is motivated and always excited to go to karate. Our home life has become much more relaxed, as our daughter comes home from karate level-headed and co-operative. She is always practising her moves and her self-esteem is sky rocketing. Our whole family has fallen in love with Martin and Sandra and the miracle of karate.”   ~ Andrea Grima

Thank you to Andrea Grima for taking the time to share her experiences at Sunshine Coast Karate.

For more information to help you get started at Sunshine Coast Karate please call Martin & Sandra on (07) 5448 5274.

Self Discipline For Kids

Have Fun, Create Life Long Habits And Unite The Family

When teaching children self-discipline it is important to have fun and keep in mind that the idea is to establish routines that are followed for the entire week without deviation or distraction. And it is even more powerful when we as parents lead the way and be great role models of leading a disciplined life.

We want our children to pick up after themselves, to clean their rooms without being told, to study and do their homework on their own, and to be responsible for their extra curricular programs as well. We demand a whole lot from them! What do we demand of ourselves? What is most important for us to do in our day to ensure we lead a fulfilling life each and every day? Did we do those things today?

Taking the time to grow these life skills in our children is a great start. Having the courage to put our lives as parents under the microscope to review our level of self discipline is a powerful next step. Growing these life skills as a family, taking the time to talk about it and check in with each other unites families and transforms lives. Sharing these skills with our extended family, friends and associates grows a greater community for us all to enjoy together.

There are two kinds of discipline; Parent discipline- We constantly tell our children what they need to do! And Self-discipline- They take care of certain things without reminders from us! Sometimes just understanding this simple concept can point them in the right direction!

List all of their responsibilities that have to do with, school, home, extra curricular, and leisure time.  Have a discussion about all their responsibilities in those areas and share with them what your responsibilities are so they can learn more about how you apply self-discipline to your life. You’ll be amazed how much can be learned by them as children and you as parents.  Then, with their input, teach them how to prioritise. In other words make sure they know that homework and studying are more important than chores.  Remember the self-disciplined person does the more important goal-oriented activity first.

When your child understands what’s important by the goals you’ve set it will be easy to establish a comfortable routine for everyone to follow.  Your routine should include all the activities on your list. The more regimented you child becomes and the more you and him plan time for every responsibility in order of importance the more discipline he will have.  Just remember to stick to a fun routine so it becomes habit and therefore causes your child to want to be self-disciplined. And most importantly be sure to plan time for some family adventures and allow yourself to connect with your children.

Choosing the right martial art school for yourself or your child can be a difficult task.  So we’d like to help make it a little easier by giving you a picture of what it’s like to be a member of Sunshine Coast Karate.

1. Sunshine Coast Karate is a full-time martial arts dojo with over 25 classes per week.  We offer a variety of age specific and mixed age classes, including: little champions karate (4-7 yrs), children’s karate (8-12 yrs), teens & adults karate and family karate classes (all ages). In addition to breaking up classes by age, we have classes for beginners, intermediate levels and advanced levels.  Plus the option of early morning, day-time and evening classes.  By having a variety of classes to choose from, we are able to cater to a lot diverse range of lifestyles making regular training accessible to people such as shift-workers.
2. Our teaching team is lead by husband and wife team, Martin & Sandra Phillips who have a combined experience in the martial arts of over 46 years.  In addition to a long history in the martial arts, Martin & Sandra have both been international medalists in competition karate.  They have taught and trained overseas with many of the masters of the traditional Chito-Ryu system of Karate-do.  They are both professional martial artists, meaning that teaching karate is a full-time focus rather than a hobby that they do on the side.



3. Training at Sunshine Coast Karate will bring about positive change in all areas of your life.  If you want to lose weight or get fit, we can help.  If you have a child that could do with a boost in self esteem and confidence, we can help.  If your family needs to reconnect by sharing quality time, positive experiences and rugged values that will help shape your life, we can help.  But don’t take our word for it, the dojo is full of success stories.  In fact we’re so confident, that we challenge you to come in and randomly walk up to anyone who has been at a dojo for more than a few lessons and you will find a story that will inspire you into action.
4. We have a supportive and encouraging community members who are serious about growing themselves in all areas of their lives.  And we are always on the lookout for more people to share in the adventure and join us.  We always make a point of asking people for their first impression when they come into Sunshine Coast Karate and overwhelmingly the number 1 response is that people feel comfortable and welcome.  It’s not just our teaching team and staff that create this feeling, it’s our incredible members and supporters who have helped continue this culture within the dojo.
5. We have an incredible training facility.  Not only do we have a great training space, but recently we expanded our facility to better take care of our members, with lounge room with live video streaming from the training space, kitchen facilities, kids play room, homework area and workspace for parents and adult members and a new club shop.  The dojo is not just a place to train it’s a place for our extended karate family to enjoy.



6. We have fun and enjoy the adventures along the way. Last year (2010) we took a team of 20 to Japan for the Chito-Ryu world championships, we got some great results, but it was also an experience that many of the team will carry with them for the rest of their lives.  But not everyone’s into competition, so we have fun with things like our annual Halloween Family Party, Easter & Christmas Picnics, regular events for kids such as our Kids Night Out, family social nights and more.  In fact this year, we’re planning our first family training adventure to Japan to share the experience of training with the masters of Chito-Ryu in their home environment.
7. We are part of an international organisation with regular visits from our Supreme Instructor, Soke Chitose.  In addition to bringing one of the living legends of the martial arts into our dojo, we have access to events throughout the world including tournaments, seminars, camps, and more.  Chito-Ryu is a unique family style and we get to share our eperiences with other practitioners throughout the world.
8. Our system has been growing and evolving over more than 60 years.  Unfortunately, the martial arts community is very fragmented, because it seems that everyone wants to be the “Master” of their own system, as a result, the depth of knowledge in many systems is quite shallow.  The Karate system we teach, Chito-Ryu was originally developed by Dr Tsuyoshi Chitose also known as O Sensei.  O Sensei combined an his extensive study of To-de (the Okinawan martial art out of which modern Karate evolved) under many of the old Okinawan masters.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, O Sensei was also a medical doctor which cause him to adapt many of the old training methods to improve health and body function.  Of course such adaptation could been seen purely as a move to make Chito-Ryu more of a form of exercise than a pragmatic self defence system.  And this could be the case if it was not for the fact that O Sensei was renowned for his fighting ability which he honed in field combat challenge matches, known as kakedameshi.  It was as a result of this that in his early years in Okinawa he got the nickname, “Challenging Chinen”, Chinen was O Sensei’s original Okinawan family name.  Even now under the leadership of O Sensei’s son, Chito-Ryu continues to evolve and become more refined as a system as the current day masters from around the world continue to add to the river of knowledge that is Chito-Ryu.



9. Our tournament circuit is unlike any other around the world (as far as we know). Many martial arts schools these days are primarily focussed with tournaments and competition, so much so that it’s almost like that have no purpose other than to create martial arts athletes.  Chito-Ryu tournaments have been very much inspired by O Sensei’s indomitable fighting spirit.  In order to allow a fierce style of competition while remaining safe, O Sensei was instrumental in developing bogu kumite, which is a style of competition that utilises protective body gear and head gear.  But this is only one part of our unique tournament circuit, on the Sunshine Coast, we are also very lucky to have the experience of the national team coach, Sandra Phillips.  In addition to regular tournament specific squad classes, Sandra is very proactive to provide additional support to those who are interested in sports karate running extra FREE seminars for members in the lead up to regional, national and international tournaments.  Of course competition is not the major focus of our dojo, but for those who are interested it’s a great way to test your skills and your spirit while putting yourself out of your comfort zone.
10. At Sunshine Coast Karate, you will earn your gradings as you continue to grow both in Karate and in Life. Progressing towards black belt and beyond takes commitment and consistent effort.  As a beginner, black belt can look like a lifetime of training away.  Some martial arts schools give away black belts in as little as 12-18 months of training.  But we know that if the journey to black belt is going to mean anything, it can’t be too easy.  That’s not to say that we intentially make it difficult, but we do hold all members to the highest possible standard and expect the best from everyone.  In fact, that’s why we developed our leadership program to help those who are a little further along in the journey to become great role models who support our teaching team and beginner members, giving everyone the necessary support to reach their full potential.

Not all martial arts are the same.  And not all martial arts schools are the same.  But we want you to see for yourself, that’s one of the reasons we offer a FREE trial to all new students.

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1)  Always compliment your child after each class. (Find what they did well). This is also a great time to give out a hug or a kiss (these are free so be generous) – High 5′s work great too! Kids should immediately associate martial arts with feelings of success and pride.

2)  Watch as many classes as possible.  Get involved, be your child’s #1 fan and cheerleader.

3)   Tell your child how proud you are of them (any time is a great time), especially before and after class.  No one ever gets tired of hearing sincere compliments.

4) Get into a regular schedule as much as possible so children can mentally prepare for class early in the day.  It’s a good ideas for you too, so you can plan you other chores around your trip.  Pack your child’s uniform and gear the previous night so that it will be ready to go first thing in the morning.

5)  Lead by example, eat healthy, drink water, have a positive attitude.  Deal with stress and challenges the same way you would like your child to.  Our kids learn to respond to crisis and challenges by watching us.

6)  Give your child the thing he/she wants more than anything in the world, your time!  Get involved and make learning martial arts a team effort.

WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM NOTHING CAN STOP US!

For further information about Sunshine Coast Karate please contact Martin & Sandra on (07) 5448 5274.

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