Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Evansville and Mount Vernon, Indiana

Well, it is that time of year again…

This marks the end of a one year and the beginning of something new. 2009 represented a lot of new programs and offerings for our schools. It also left us in mourning the loss of a truly great martial artist and father in Grandmaster Roger D. Barnes. With all that, we have experienced growth, change, and loss. Just like the seasons, we will have a usher forth proudly and strongly into the new year.

We are excited to have you in our family and can’t wait to show you what we have in store for 2010. It is truly going to be exciting.

As we get ready for New years,  I am interested in knowing what your  ‘New Year’s resolutions’ will be, write them in below. The one with the best resolution gets a FREE FITNESS BOOTCAMP for a MONTH!

Master Jeff Barnes

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Train your kids like you train your dog…could be the next advice you get

Parental Coach recommends what?

While perusing the news articles, I always seem to gravitate to the strange. It seems that a new book by Amy Sutherland suggests that you can use the same techniques used to train dolphins, wales, birds and every beast of burden…

On your husband!

Wow, that took me back. I was left scratching my head as I read some excepts and psychologist say things like, ‘if you can train a pigeon, you can train a man.”

I am sure that to some parents or wives for that manner, they are rushing to the nearest bookstore for the next dose of self help manuals that may just turn around the problems in the home.  So you may be one of those parents who struggle to find answers to the common questions of raising your kids. You can listen to the talking heads on television or the Mc Doctor who spurts out advice to increase books sales…

Or you can use common sense.

The interesting thing about the martial arts is that we dont’ focus on just ‘good behavior patterns.’ We focus on building the student within. We provide examples of techniques and movements to follow. We work to continue to improve and strive through areas of struggle. We build students within a mental framework of overcoming obstacles.

I don’t like this article or type of ‘training.’ To sum it up, they basically reward the good and neglect the bad. They believe that humans, like other animals seek to be rewarded and constantly want positive attention whereby we will forgo other things just to receive the positive attention.

I believe that life is about a journey of overcoming obstacles. I want students to believe that they can work through problems and come to right anwers. I don’t believe that spoon fed constant postive attention will help children overcome the struggles they face with peer pressure, and other dangers in this world. Life is harder than teaching a porpois to jump up in the air. What I see is examples of children like James who was a student of mine in Evansville. He came from a terrible environment where his mother was in jail and he didn’t know his father. Being raised by family, he faught peer pressure and the problems of being poor in a bad neighborhood can bring.

James basically lived at the school. You could see the transformation within himself as he made rank, it seemed he believed in himself more and more. James is a polite and upstanding young man. Even his grandfather said that without the positive influence of our school in his grandson’s life, he would probably be in jail like his mother.

If it wasn’t for Master Barnes and the other instructors, James would have been in a lot of trouble and maybe even jail.

So, I believe that you want the best for your children. I believe that beyond the physical benefits you might receive such as the ability to defend yourself or improved health, your child will gain much more. They will learn self discipline, self respect and respect for others. Children need leaders others in their lives that will not only encourage them but challenge them to be better.

I know Community Martial Arts can do just that.

Let me some it up in a few pictures…

You can follow dog training tips

Or... you can try this!

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Just wanted to give everyone an update to our schedule this week being a Holiday weekend.

Tae Kwon Do Classes are cancelled this week and next while Grandmaster Barnes is on vacation.

Mt. Vernon Kung Fu and MMA classes will be cancelled from Wednesday on through the holiday weekend as Master Barnes is taking vacation as well.

Evansville Kung Fu and MMA classes will be cancelled this holiday weekend as Sifu DeRudder is taking the weekend off.

There have been several questions about testing and when it will happen for the Kung Fu classes…

I have decided to push it back a couple of weeks to ensure that everyone is ready to test. This gives the instructors and myself ample time with each student to assess their training needs and make sure they are ready to test.

More than likely we will have our testing on July 18th with a Free Women’s Self Defense Seminar to Follow at 3:00 PM.

I figured I would leave you with some 4th of July / Independence Day Celebration Safety Tips:

• A responsible adult should supervise all fireworks activities.
• Never give fireworks to young children.
• Always purchase fireworks from reliable sources.
• Follow label directions carefully.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Use fireworks outdoors in a clear area away from buildings and vehicles.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them in metal or glass containers.
• Light them one at a time then move back quickly.
• Don’t experiment with homemade fireworks.
• Observe local laws and use common sense.
• Sparklers, fountains and other items that many states allow for use by consumers are not appropriate when a large crowd is present.
• If attending a community display, leave your own fireworks at home — there will be plenty of excitement provided by the display.

- Sijo Jeff Barnes

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Girls Learn Self Defense

Your daughter leaves her dorm room with books in hand heading toward her study group. Sharing a conversation with a friend, she notices a cute boy eyeing her. Blushing, she turns her head away and quietly waves her friend goodbye as she continues down the sidewalk to the library.

She is poised and confident. She is a black belt from Community Martial Arts.

Two fraternity boys are drinking as she passes by. The boys call out to her. Ignoring them she continues her course only to find that one boy, the bigger boy, has caught up with her.

As he grabs at her and tries to pull her close, her training takes over. She turns to face the attacker with a ferocious kick to the knee dropping him quickly. She follows up with strikes to the groin and head leaving the attacker whimpering with her knee to the back of his head while she calls campus security on her cellphone.

She is a Community Martial Arts Black Belt.

Community Martial Arts is the Areas Leader in Self Defense Training. Call us to inquire why.
812-437-5425
www.communitymartialarts.com

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Getting Rid of Attachments

Why do people fight?

Believe it or not, I believe that most people honestly want to be good. Why do I say this?

If you look at most world religions you find a common theme of being nice and genuine to one another. How to avoid the problems that could really hurt you and have a life meaningful to one another.

Then why all the hatred, violence and crime?

The real answer is that is that people are attached. The attachment comes from an emotional connection between them and the object and person, place or thing.

People fight for land, rights, possessions, honor, and respect.

Whatever the reason, people who start or wish to fight it is in respect to the emotional response they have  towards what they are attached to.

So what does that mean for you?

Using our minds, we can quickly determine the attachment our opponent may have. It could either be they feel dishonored, disrespected, or even violated in some way. Whatever the reason, they have an emotional response to the situation.

If you can determine the reason for their emotional response, you have the opportunity to circumvent the fight. You can ‘read’ your opponent and quickly understand why they are choosing to have a beef with you.

Be it money, ego, or possessions, these things are immaterial. They can be replaced. If you can give them away to circumvent the situation, it is in your best interest to do so. Having this mind of unattachment towards items, or things allow you to have a clear head and stable mental environment to keep yourself safe.

As always, fighting should be our last option, not our first!

Sijo Jeff Barnes

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David Carradine as Kwai Chang Cane

Hello All,

It saddens me to say this but David Carradine the actor and legend died today at the age of 73.

Carradine’s legacy extends from the kung fu series and continued on to a long history of 209 movies throughout his career. While his career did take a slump in the eighties and nineties, it quickly turned around as he played the role of Bill in the Quentin Terrantino films Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2.

Carradine’s legacy helped prompt the huge draw to the martial arts in the early and late seventies.

He will be missed,

Master Jeff Barnes

[youtube RCypeMzP0Mw Community Martial Arts January 26, 2009]

Tonight in the Evansville Community Martial Arts school we focused on self defenses. Master Barnes shows an example of overloading an attacker with pain causing them to ultimately shut down and collapse. The students learned simple and effective techniques from their basic techniques.

[youtube ug0ZZiLV1XY Martial Arts and Self Defense Evansville Indiana]

Tonight we focused on eye-hand coordination drills for the kids and followed up with some great sparring drills. The adults warmed up to a great workout and finished with more sparring drills and actual sparring. Fun was had by all.

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On January 20th we had a momentous day in history. We have the first African American President. No matter what side of the fence you prescribe to politically, you still con appreciate the historical significance of such an event.

Here is a video clip of the many things that are going on at the Mount Vernon school. You will get to see our Lil’ Ninjas class, Tae Kwon Do, Kids Kung Fu and our Boxing program.

There is absolutely something for everyone at Community Martial Arts.

[youtube saaZCaii4HI Community Martial Arts Evansville Class January 19th, 2009]

Community Martial Arts Evansville Video Blog

Tonight we had a great turnout with our kids class even though it was bitterly cold. On top of that we have some new visitors and new student sign up {Arianna Wilkerson]. The adults class had a very tough workout that combined striking and kicking combinations that left everyone exhausted in the end.