Here is our March Newsletter. Mar newsletter
Hope you enjoy this issue.
Below is a list of things for you to think about in terms of maintaining your own personal safety – with our compliments
SAFETY AWARENESS HANDOUT
Please consider the following as food for thought. This is not a list of must do issues but it is probably worth considering doing most of them if there is not a good reason not to!
Three main reasons why someone might be the subject of a random act of violence:
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OUT AND ABOUT – STAY SAFE
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
PARTY TIME
A note on alcohol
Most of the publicity on drinks spiking is about adding date rape chemicals to drinks so that the subject can be knocked out. This does happen, and is very serious but it is not as common as the simple trick of adding extra alcohol to a drink. Alcohol can lower your self control and make you act in ways that is out of your normal character. You may become less likely to refuse an invitation or resist pressure. When out in groups make sure you look after each other. If you are concerned about the way a friend is acting – talk to them about it. Only accept drinks from people you know and trust.
IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BEING FOLLOWED
IF YOU’RE THREATENED
RETURNING HOME
WHEN DRIVING
Being a big rugby fan I have been glued to the television early in the morning for the last few weeks. On Sunday during the final it was most interesting to see the winning points scored by a man who, 2 weeks earlier, had been fishing prior to his departure to UK to start a new career with and English club. Having been the forth choice of stand off for the All Blacks he was not required by them for the world cup campaign. However, after the 3 individuals who were ahead of him in the pecking order suffered injury it came down to Stephen Donald to kick the points that saw the All Blacks rightfully crowned as world champions. He is a profesional sports man so he would have been ready to take on this very important role even though he was not expecting it.
Many of us can get bogged down in what we often can consider a mundane and routine life. However, one of the great beauties of life is the unpredictable nature of what is around the corner, and being ready for a great opportunity is something we rarely consider. I can not put this point any better than Napoleon Hill, who in his work “Think and Grow Rich” stated:
There is a difference between wishing for a thing and being ready to receive it. No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it. The state of mind must be belief, not mere hope or wish.
So maybe we should spend some time preparing ourselves to be ready if a great opportunity comes our way. If we do it properly then it will be easy to believe that we are “ready” and we are showing that we are not simply wishing for something to happen!
Often when people think of martial arts training they think simply of punches, kicks and fighting. Well, it is far more than that! It is a continual practice to ensure that we are ready for any situation that might befall us, including great opportunities!!
I teach Aikido (a Martial Art) and I believe that the time spent in the dojo (Training Hall) needs to be time well invested and not just of use in the specific environment of Aikido. When we train we have a chance to experience many of the challenges and principles that we will meet and need in the Big Wide World and we can cultivate our ability to deal with them whilst also training in our chosen art. What follows, I believe, is as true when looked at in terms of training as it is in terms of any of our life’s challenges. So the dojo can be a place to train for life as well as Aikido!
Sometimes I feel we live in a world that thrives and relies on Rights. But, Rights are without means, they have no substance and on their own can do nothing. If one has the Right of self defence, that in itself does not protect one from an attack. The Right alone has no means. In order to exercise any right certain responsibilities have to be met. In the case of self defence some training or ability needs to be nurtured in order to be able to exercise the Right. Often I think individuals do not understand their responsibilities yet are very keen to exercise their Rights believing that it is other people’s responsibility to provide them with the means. I can not help but think this is wrong. In the dojo we all have the Right to learn and progress but this comes with the responsibility to work hard, listen and respond to instruction which is the means by which we achieve this.
When we are surrounded by positive individuals, those who take responsibility and make things happen it has a profound effect on us because their attitude can be contagious. The opposite is also true and negative individuals can have a very poor effect on those they mix with. Being positive is difficult, just like taking responsibility is difficult and I believe the two are linked. You see, to be negative about something is easy and requires no courage, you do not need to take any responsibility for the outcome of a situation if you say it will fail. You can only win; if it succeeds you can suggest it was lucky, if it fails then – ” I told you so”! You have no responsibility and you have no ownership – easy. However, if you are positive the game changes, if it fails you loose because you have chosen to take some ownership (responsibility) for the success of whatever it is. This is definitely not the easy option and requires courage and conviction as well as energy and of course responsibility. So relying on one’s Rights and being negative are the obvious choices if instant gratification is seen as the panacea, if rewards can be reaped without effort which is often the case in today’s world. So what can be done to make sure we develop individuals with courage and the conviction to take on responsibilities?
When individuals act with ethics and conduct themselves in a manner that conforms to acceptable rules for behavior that are there to benefit all of society then they are acting in an ethical way. When individuals act polity and offer respect to others and conform to acceptable levels of behavior they are displaying good etiquette. If everyone lived an ethical life, and displayed good etiquette then I believe individuals would feel better about themselves, would feel able to take on more responsibility and would develop a more positive outlook on life; which would become contagious. The trouble is all of this takes effort, and often we find it difficult to put that extra effort in. However, I think we have a human responsibility to act in these ways even though it requires us to put in effort and to display courage. In the dojo etiquette and training in an ethical manner are high priorities and positive progression and results only come from the effort we put in. The more effort the better the results. Taking responsibility for the outcome of our actions is empowering; even failures can teach us good lessons if looked upon with a positive attitude and acted upon appropriately . So why not make the plunge and choose to be courageous, live an ethical life and take responsibility. It could even be fun. The dojo is a great place to develop and nurture these qualities while at the same time learning useful skills and keeping fit.
Applying the first control principle
Many people are interested in training in a martial art but think that they are too old, not fit enough or that they just could not do it! The truth is far from this! Anyone can train and age, and ability simply are not an issue. Aikido is about personal development, about discovering things about ourselves and trying to become the best individual that we can be. All training is performed at a pace that the individual is happy with and safety is a very high priority. Who would want to come to an activity where they routinely get hurt? NOT ME!
During training we focus on every aspect of the martial tradition. This martial art from Japan was originally developed to be an effective fighting system during a time when battles were a regular activity and fighting was a means of survival. However, even after peace became the norm the martial arts were still practiced because they were seen as means by which individuals could develop the qualities needed in good citizens and most importantly in the leaders of society. Qualities such as: honesty, loyalty, determination, patience, cooperation and good manners to name but a few. During training all these qualities are needed and indeed developed while at the same time enjoying a physical activity that will also provide effective and practical technique should one be unlucky enough to encounter a violent incident.
If you are interested in trying a martial art. If you wish to develop some of your positive qualities in a safe, friendly and encouraging environment with like minded individuals then you should consider coming and giving Aikido a try at the Shudokan School in Preston.
Classes are available for all ages form 4 years upwards and Aikido is a great way for children to develop good positive habits that will see them through the challenges of life.
You can check out the web site or just call on 07903337956
You will never know if you don’t try?
I had idly been aware that for the last several days (or weeks) that my number of twitter followers had remained roughly the same. Now one day I saw a follower and looked at his followers and found several that I would like to follow so I did! What happened next was that many of those I had just followed followed me back and my followers number increased! Amazing, you might say but you see this made me think; simple thing is, that by performing an action something that had not been happening – happened.
Anyone who did O level physics knows that it was Isaac Newton who said every action has an equal and opposite reaction and I think this is a lesson for us all to learn outside of it’s obvious application to physical laws. You see, I was not get new followers because I was not doing anything to get them. By taking action I started a reaction that brought me new followers. Brilliant! Now I am sure this simple lesson can be applied to many things? In business, how many companies or small businesses sit around moaning that here is no trade when maybe they should be taking some action in order to get the reaction that will bring them that trade?
In our training we often find that we have periods where little or no progress is perceived and we regularly look to find reasons or excuses as to why this might be. Rarely do we look to apply the Newtonian law and take some action to bring about the reaction we are looking for. Applying more effort, really listening to everything the instructor says or just getting the right mind set for a class are all actions that might just bring the reaction we are looking for.
Just a thought, but I wonder if this also works if we go about our daily life being polite, respectful and kind? Would this action lead to others being polite respectful and kind to us? Only one way to find out!!
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