Kicks Unlimited Martial Arts

Kicks Unlimited Student Makes ‘La Comunidad News’…

Jason — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:46:23 +0000

Jason Mancera, student at Kicks Unlimited Fitchburg and Middleton was recently
featured in ‘La Comunidad News,’ Madison’s spanish-speaking newspaper. The
article can be found HERE.

Intraschool Tournament and Blackbelt Test April 2013

Jason — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:30:42 +0000

WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

3 Ways the Martial Arts will Improve Your Life

Jason — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:57:58 +0000

There are a million-and-one ways that the martial arts can improve your life. I thought I would share just a few of these, many of which are focused just as much on adults as they are on kids. Here are 3:

(1) Martial arts instills SELF-DISCIPLINE! 1 example: Kids and adults will make better decisions in terms of diet and exercise. (This doesn’t mean eating perfect;) However, if you become disciplined to exercise 3 to 4 days each week at a high intensity you will have a stronger and more youthful body! Imagine if you could find a way to extend your life by 10 years–pretty amazing, right?!

(2) Martial arts improves CONFIDENCE! How? By learning and mastering a skill, confidence is developed. Each class you take will help you increase this skill level as well as pump vital endorphins into your bloodstream. The feeling of ‘success’ literally occurs each class you take. The result is positive mental health that ultimately exhibits itself via better confidence!

(3) Martial arts teaches ‘LASER FOCUS.’ We teach our students to focus on 1 task at a time, completion of that task, and then a fast transition to the next task. For kids this means learning to listen to teachers and parents (not just us instructors;) For adults, this means having the ability to effectively and intensely focus on a task, complete the task, and move on the next meaningful task. The result: multiplying your efficiency at work, home, and even at ‘play!’

I’d love to hear your thoughts–feel free to post here or on Facebook!

Mr. Huett

Learning to Commit to a Goal…

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:52:26 +0000

From the Desk of Mr. Huett…

I hope your 2013 is off to a wonderful start! I am hoping that all of those New Years
Resolutions are being pursued with energy and passion! To kick off February I wanted to
share a brief story highlighting one of our students in regards to goal setting. This
particular student took a much different approach to setting a goal than I’ve seen from
students in the past and I can say that he is being highly effective and already on a
path of achievement.

Before I tell you what he’s doing differently, I want to reinforce the reason that
achieving a goal is important. Years ago I was meeting with a student that had just earned
his Gold belt. This student showed an interest in Karate, had a supportive family, and I
was confident that he would be able to earn his Blackbelt. After laying out the requirements
of becoming a Blackbelt (hard work, coming to class each week, practicing, etc.) I asked
the student and parents if they were ready to commit to the goal of earning a Blackbelt.
I realize that most kids say ‘Yes, Mr. Huett I want to become a Blackbelt’ and that’s why
I always ask parents to be at the meeting.

In usual fashion the boy gave me all the answers that I needed to hear. However, when
I asked if they were ready to commit to this goal the parents paused, looked at their son,
and said, “Do you want to do this? You know it will take several years and you’ll have to
come to class.” I applaud these parents for having the discussion, but the boy didn’t answer
as expected. He said, “Y – e – s” with a bit of hesitation. It was enough hesitation for
the parents to not sign him up. The family then left and I never saw them again.

I was surprised that the parents had left the entire decision up to their son. All I
could think about was the next time he didn’t want to do something–go to school, go to
the doctor, eat fruits and vegetables, would his parents would allow him to dictate those
outcomes as well? I’ve never been a proponent of enrolling into Karate if there was no
interest, but for a motivated student I strongly believe making a commitment to earning a
Blackbelt has so many invaluable life lessons. Is it going to be a time commitment? YES!
Will your child tell you they don’t want to go some days? YES! Will there be some days that
you have a million-and-one things to do and don’t want to bring your child? YES!

However, will your child gain self-esteem? YES! Self-Control? YES Learn Self-Defense?
YES! Develop better self-discipline? YES! Newsflash: Anything in life that is worth achieving
will take hard work, determination, and commitment and there are NO exceptions to this
rule unless you win the lottery! Isn’t it better to learn this lesson in youth so that
as an adult you have this skill set and understanding?

Ok, so fast-forward to the student that I recently met with regarding goal setting and
what is different about how he is achieving his goal of earning his next belt by June 2013.
First, his father scheduled a time to meet with our instructors in order for him to (1) share
his goal, (2) set a time-line, and (3) get guidance from the instructors. The main difference
in their approach was that his dad has taken the time to get involved, make a plan, and help
him to achieve his plan. It’s taken a good chunk of time out of his schedule, but the student
is almost assured that he will reach his goal. The lesson here is to take your involvement in
the goal setting process to the next level. Sit down and help your child set a goal, set a
time-line, and make a plan. This will help ensure that your child is successful. As your child
achieves his or her goals, your child will LEARN that achievement in life is really a matter
of determination, planning, and follow through.

Let’s make 2013 the best year ever!

Mr. Huett

10 Things to do When You’re Snowed in…

Jason — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:51:23 +0000

It’s January 30th and we are closed due to inclement weather. However, there are plenty of fun (and productive) things to do! Here’s a list of activities for the kids if you need to keep them busy:

(1) Practice your FORMS! Try practicing slow-mo style, regular speed, and fast.
Extra credit: try blindfolded….just be careful not to hit something or someone!

(2) Make a video of your combinations and email it to Mr. Griffey. (mgriffey@kicksunlimited.com)

(3) Make a video of your favorite form and email it to Mr. Clary. He loves forms! (sclary@kicksunlimited.com)

(4) Break Mr. Huett’s pushup record of 63 pushups in a row.

(5) Draw or paint a picture.

(6) See how many kicks you can do in 5 minutes. This sounds easy, but you’ll be tired after 2 minutes!

(7) Get online and learn a few words in another language.

(8) Call a friend.

(9) Build a snowman–this is great snow for doing so!

(10) Complete the Powerful Words project: Go the the ‘Members’ section…
the password for this month is ‘empathy’ (all lower case).

5 Safety and Self-Defense Tips

Jason — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:25:10 +0000

There has been a recent increase of muggings in downtown Madison. Many of these have occurred in parking garages due to the lack of lighting, and easy escape routes. Here are 5 safety and self-defense tips to keep in mind in order to keep safe in a parking lot environment:

(1) Stay off your cell phone and keep focused on getting to your car safely. Talking on your cell phone gives an assailant the ‘green light’ to take advantage of your lack of focus. Don’t give them that opportunity!

(2) Park as close to exits as possible! This will reduce the time a potential attacker has to intercept you. Always be aware of the vehicles around your vehicle and make your exit as quickly as possible. Have your keys in hand and if you have an auto-start function on your vehicle, use it in order to avoid long searches for your keys.

(3) Don’t hesitate to ask a security guard or police officer to escort you to your car. However, be aware of a security guard or police officer that approaches you–beware of imposters!

(4) If given the opportunity to exchange your purse or wallet for your safety, do so. Hollywood would love to make you think defending yourself against a weapon is possible….most times it’s not…even for someone that has studied the martial arts for years. There’s only 1 person more dangerous than a Blackbelt and that’s a White belt.

(5) Let a friend or family member know your general timeline for arriving to destinations (especially at night). If possible, travel with a friend–power in numbers!

Stay safe! Mr. Huett

5 Super Foods For Kids

Jason — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 20:04:54 +0000

We’re in a constant quest to help our students to build better self-esteem and confidence on and off of the Karate floor. One of the most vital parts to good confidence is simply feeling good! So, here are 5 POWER foods that dieticians agree will help your child feel great:

(1) Calcium: Helps build strong teeth and bones. Great sources include: Cheese, yogurt, milk, juice and soy milk. Believe it or not, about 1/3 of all kids ages 4 to 8 years old aren‘t getting enough calcium.

(2) Vitamin E: An anti-oxidant that helps cells repair damage. A whopping 80% of kids under the age of 8 are missing this vital nutrient! Good sources include: Avocado, nuts, wheat germ, and spinach.

(3) Fiber: It’s not even digested, but it keep kids regular and helps prevent disease later in life. The best sources include: beans, lentils, fruit (raspberries, blackberries, and apples), popcorn, green peas, and oatmeal.

(4) Potassium: Potassium play an important role in maintaining healthy fluid balance, blood pressure, and helps muscular contraction. Great sources include: Bananas, oranges, yogurt, milk, dried apricots, and tomatoes.

(5) Iron: Iron helps build red blood cells carry oxygen to cells throughout the body and plays an important role in brain development. Good sources include: Chicken, beef, shrimp, raisins, soy nuts, and lentils.

Remember, if you eat good, you feel good!

Kids Karate Promo Video

Jason — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:52:12 +0000

Madison CW at Kicks Unlimited with Emmy Fink

Jason — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:35:55 +0000

Brian Young

kloud — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:58:03 +0000