Joel A Levy » Blog

Live your life splendidly

Joel Levy — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:14:37 +0000

Get out the box of tissues and watch this young man on China’s Got Talent. He lost his arms at the age of ten after being accidentally electrocuted while playing with a friend. After overcoming his initial depression, he formulated a philosophy for his life that is sure to take him to unimaginable heights. We all have many challenges in our lives, and there is no person who has it easy, regardless of how things may appear on the outside. Thing is, there is no stopping a person with a goal, a drive, a positive outlook, and the willingness to put the work in, no matter what. In the case of this young man, the loss of his arms compelled him to learn to do everything with his feet – including playing the piano. Watch this true champion of life and get inspired. Often, what at first seems like an obstacle, if looked a properly, is really the beginning of an opportunity.

Dancing in the Rain

Administrator — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:46:59 +0000

A friend and former student of mine sent me this video. I’m sure he knew how much I would appreciate the physical control these young men possess, but he might not have know what a fan I am of street dancing. What struck me the most though was how committed these boys are to their art form, that they would be out on an urban street corner in the cold rain practicing/performing it. What also struck me is that they very likely have no fancy studio, and no fancy training equipment, just raw talent, their sneakers, their bodies, and a strong desire to improve themselves through movement. Imagine the discipline it must take to get your body to move like that. No gym, no dreadmill, just your own body, and hard work. And look how easy they make it seem. The physical strength, flexibility, and agility to do what they do, and make it look effortless, is simply incredible.

You can do the same thing. Choose the activity that makes you feel alive. Hopefully it is kickboxing at Family Martial Arts Academy!! Perhaps you have other interests as well J. Whatever your choice of how you move your body, just make sure that you move your body daily, and pour your whole self into it. You will feel amazing, have a more positive attitude, and develop a healthier, more functional, more attractive body to boot.

Check these kids out, and get inspired to move. If you are a student of FMAA, get yourself in class!

See these mesmerizing kids from Oakland, CA: “Undoubtedly the Best ‘Dancing in the Rain’ Video Ever” Simply outstanding talent and body control…

Stay in shape while having fun

Quote of the Week – 8/29/2010

Joel Levy — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:57 +0000

“When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.”
Catherine Ponder

Quote of the Week – 8/22/2010

Joel Levy — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:00:50 +0000

“Take total responsibility for your mistakes, own up to them, correct them if you can, and move on.”
Shihan Joel Levy, M.Ed.

The most efficient way to rid the body of visceral fat

Joel Levy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:36:27 +0000

Recently I have been reading about visceral fat. Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat, which is the spare tire around your middle or hanging off your butt. Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your organs and is the dangerous kind which causes high cholesterol, stroke, and heart attack.

Even people who are ’skinny’ on the outside can be fat on the inside with visceral fat literally choking the life out of their organs.

Here is the really interesting part. There is a way to work out which is the most efficient way to rid the body of its visceral fat. The research says you should warm up for a few minutes then engage in a series of burst and rest sequences. Specifically it says you should do two or three minutes of fairly intense exercise then have a short recovery period. Um, in kickboxing we call these ’rounds’ followed by a minute rest. We have been doing this for centuries.

The research also suggest that one need to do at least 2 to 5 of these sequences (rounds to us) in order for the body to burn fat after the workout has ended. We routinely train for 8 to 15 rounds. No wonder our students get into such kick butt shape, and grill the fat off their bodies in record time.

Another fact I discovered in my research is that doing straight (boring) cardio like running on a dreadmill (intentional misspelling) you cause your body to use fat as fuel. So far so good, right? Wrong! Under these circumstances your body is only using the subcutaneous fat, and by using it as fuel your brain gets the message to produce more fat. By contrast, doing interval type training as we do in kickboxing, your body is using carbohydrates as fuel, and therefore does not send the message to produce more fat. Not only that but the body then continues to burn both types of fat after you are done working out.

That is why kickboxing is a superior workout to the conventional weights and cardio routine. That is also why people can spend years in the (boring) gym and still be fat, whereas people routinely lose pounds and inches by the bucket load within months of beginning their training at FMAA.

Now that you know the deal there are only two things left to do. Get your butt in class at least two times a week, and tell everyone you know that at Family Martial Arts Academy you can get a healthy attractive body while melting your stress and learning how to protect yourself. I welcome your comments and feedback.

See you in class.

Photo: Nevada Tumbleweed

Quote of the Week – 8/15/2010

Joel Levy — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:00:08 +0000

“It is our personal responsibility to make the most of the life we were given.”
Shihan Joel Levy, M.Ed.

Quote of the Week – 8/8/2010

Joel Levy — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:00:46 +0000

“Giving a child responsibility is the best thing you can do to build their self-worth.”
Shihan Joel Levy, M.Ed.

Kids love discipline

Joel Levy — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:02:07 +0000

As a professional educator for the past 20 years, I have observed one phenomenon over and over again. Kids seem to be happier, and feel more safe and secure when they have structure and discipline in their lives. They are often told what not to do, but that does not necessarily offer them any clear structure for disciplined behavior in what to do.

Legendary dog trainer Cesar Milan insists that for dogs to be happy and balanced they need rules, boundaries, and limitations. In other words, discipline.

Kids are very much the same. They consistently look for structure and discipline if it is not otherwise given.

Here is an experiment I often do to prove my theory. I take a group of kids and say, “We are going to play a game of (e.g. dodgeball). Ok, play”. Right away they say “Wait a minute, what are the rules?”. Then I give them one rule only and tell them to play. Immediately they say, “Wait, what about…?” looking for clarification of the rules regarding any variety of situations that might come up.

I then engage them in a full on explanation of the rules (discipline structure) of the game. Only when they are satisfied that all the rules have been covered will they want to play.

Guess what happens when one of them breaks the rules? You guessed it – they all jump on it and are not satisfied unless the rule-breaker (he/she who demonstrated a lack of regard for the structure and discipline of the game) receives a consequence.

Time and time again, the kids themselves show me that structure and discipline creates happier, well balanced kids. Try an experiment of your own and shoot me a comment.

If you are looking for an environment that promotes respect for others, responsibility for one’s actions, and discipline for oneself for your own children, check out the Family Martial Arts Academy Summer Karate Camp. Students in our camp really do become physically fit, self-confident, and able to defend themselves if they have to. Kids love it so much they even want to stay for aftercare.

It’s all about how you behave

Quote of the Week – 8/1/2010

Joel Levy — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:00:25 +0000

“Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon them and to let them know that you trust them.”
Booker T. Washington
1856-1915, Educator and Writer

How do you eat an elephant?

Joel Levy — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:51:52 +0000

Q: How do you eat an elephant?
A: One bite at a time.

In the ring and in life we are constantly learning new skills and refining old ones. It would be very overwhelming to think we have to master it all at once.

A much more empowering perspective is to realize that mastery of anything, be it life in the ring or life in general, is a process in which one continues to evolve and grow.

Like undertaking the seemingly impossible task of eating an elephant, learning and mastering any new skill is best achieved one bite and one step at a time. Take heart in knowing that the master of anything was once a struggling beginner.

Let me know what new skills you are mastering so I can send you a virtual or personal ‘high five’ to celebrate your hard work and progress.

Dedicated to helping you become a black belt (champion) in life.

Photo: monosodium